I'm Dr Richard blake from San Francisco. I practice in an orthopedics practice with four other podiatrists and I am Past President of the American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine. I've been in practice for 41 years now.

What makes running and walking shoes different today?

Running and walking shoes - and a bonanza with podiatry in terms of the variables, we used to be very limited in what we could choose and other shoes of various cushion, various heel heights, various stability for pronator and supinators, shock absorption, etc, so that the options we have is the biggest change from the 80s, when we are limited, more to shoes with, you know, pronation support but were harder in the midsole.

What one innovation or development do you feel is the most impactful in the running and walking shoe world in 2022?

I think the most important innovation and running shoes has been the Hoka One One line. And that's because it took the zero drop attitude and, in general, some of them are fairly low in the heel, and added this high stack height for shock absorption it, of course, is not for everyone, but it has been an incredible help for my patients ... and then i'll have them do a traditional shoe also.

What one running or walking shoe related pearl would you want podiatrists to know about that they might be able to enact in their practices today?

I think one of the biggest things for viewers to understand is that every shoe produces stresses and getting our patients to have a variety of shoes that they use that they alternate. And that's where the maximalist shoes, even the minimalist shoes and the traditional shoes can be varied among patients and, of course, they have the variable of using orthotics versus no orthotics. And just changing the stresses that our body has and can be extremely helpful in the long run it at preventing overuse injuries.