Doctors of Running Podcast

Matt and David take on another round of Buy or Sell! They debate whether brands should be creating multiple variants of the same shoe, adding specialty uppers to existing models, spinning off new lines from popular shoes, and making dramatic changes to long-standing favorites. They also weigh in on whether uppers matter more than midsoles before closing out with a couple bonus mailbag questions. Want your buy/sell proposition or mailbag question on the next episode? Email us at doctorsofrunning@gmail.com!
Rabbit is the presenting partner of our podcast. You can use code SUMMERDOCS to get 10% off your entire order of $50.00 or more. Note that the code is limited to one use per customer and can't be combined with other discounts. The code is active from 1st of every month to last day at 11:59PM PST, but don't worry because we'll be bringing you a new code every month. Shop now at https://www.runinrabbit.com.
Our In For Testing segment is fueled by Skratch Labs! Get 20% off your first order from Skratch with code: DOCTORSOFRUNNING! https://www.skratchlabs.com
Chapters
0:00 - Intro
3:50 - In for Testing: Powered by Skratch Labs
21:50 - Buy or Sell: Making multiple variants of the same shoe
28:18 - Specialty uppers on existing shoes
33:15 - Uppers are more important than midsoles
36:16 - Creating new shoe models out of popular shoe lines
44:47 - Dramatically changing a long-standing shoe
51:08 - Mailbag: what causes black toenails?
56:14 - Racing shoes to help with SI joint pain
1:06:22 - Wrap-up

Nathan and David team up for a new round of Fact or Fiction, playing myth busters with your latest questions. They weigh in on questions about drop adjustment, cooldowns, gait analysis, training frequency and mileage, whether running builds muscle, and how walk/run intervals stack up against continuous shorter efforts.
Rabbit is the presenting partner of our podcast. You can use code SUMMERDOCS to get 10% off your entire order of $50.00 or more. Note that the code is limited to one use per customer and can't be combined with other discounts. The code is active from 1st of every month to last day at 11:59PM PST, but don't worry because we'll be bringing you a new code every month. Shop now at https://www.runinrabbit.com.
Our In For Testing segment is fueled by Skratch Labs! Get 20% off your first order from Skratch with code: DOCTORSOFRUNNING! https://www.skratchlabs.com
Chapters
0:00 - Intro
1:56 - In for Testing: Powered by Skratch Labs
19:52 - Fact or Fiction: You can adjust to running in a shoe with an uncomfortable drop
25:34 - Having a cooldown is important
30:28 - Gait analysis is key to becoming a better athlete
34:28 - You need to run at least twice a week to see a benefit
37:44 - You should re-tie your shoes after every run
40:52 - Running builds muscle
42:32 - You need to run at least 40mi per week to finish a marathon
49:06 - Shorter runs where you don't stop are better than walk/run intervals
52:18 - Wrap-up

Episode 300 is here! And Matt, David, and Andrea mark the milestone by taking stock of the best running shoes of 2026 so far. They work through their top picks across every major category — daily trainers, stability and stable neutral shoes, performance trainers, racing shoes, and strength training and trail shoes. We want to hear from you! What are your favorite shoes of the year so far? Email us at doctorsofrunning@gmail.com.
Rabbit is the presenting partner of our podcast. You can use code SUMMERDOCS to get 10% off your entire order of $50.00 or more. Note that the code is limited to one use per customer and can't be combined with other discounts. The code is active from 1st of every month to last day at 11:59PM PST, but don't worry because we'll be bringing you a new code every month. Shop now at https://www.runinrabbit.com.
Our In For Testing segment is fueled by Skratch Labs! Get 20% off your first order from Skratch with code: DOCTORSOFRUNNING! https://www.skratchlabs.com
Chapters
0:00 - Intro
1:19 - In for Testing: Powered by Skratch Labs
15:52 - Categorizing our top shoes of 2026 so far
19:36 - Top Daily Trainer
29:02 - Top stability/stable neutral
40:52 - Top performance trainers
53:20 - Top racing shoes
1:06:56 - Top strength training & trail shoes
1:14:32 - Wrap-up

David, Matt, and Nathan dig into the mailbag, fielding questions on stable neutral shoe picks, footwear options for runners dealing with bunions, trail stability shoes, and what the evidence says about compression for tendinopathies.
Rabbit is the presenting partner of our podcast. You can use code DORJUNE10 to get 10% off your entire order of $50 or more. Note that the code is limited to one use per customer and can't be combined with other discounts. The code is active from 1st of every month to last day at 11:59PM PST, but don't worry because we'll be bringing you a new code every month. Shop now at https://www.runinrabbit.com.
Our In For Testing segment is fueled by Skratch Labs! Get 20% off your first order from Skratch with code: DOCTORSOFRUNNING! https://www.skratchlabs.com
Chapters
0:00 - Intro
1:30 - In for Testing: Powered by Skratch Labs
22:18 - Current favorite stable neutral shoes
30:22 - Running & walking shoes for dealing with bunions
41:12 - Trail stability shoes
49:52 - Does compression help tendinopathies?
1:00:32 - Wrap-up

David and BJ count down their top five max cushion shoes of all time, breaking down what earns a shoe a spot on the list and what sets the top pick apart from the rest of the field, including some deep cuts and new favorites. What are your favorite max cushion shoes? Email us at doctorsofrunning@gmail.com!
We're thrilled to announce our apparel collaboration with Rabbit! The collection includes the EZ Tee SS, EZ Tee LS, and a unisex Go-to Hoodie. Pre-sale is open June 3–June 17th, with gear shipping the week of July 6th. Check it out at https://www.runinrabbit.com/collections/doctors-of-running. Note that the monthly discount code cannot be applied to collab items.
Rabbit is the presenting partner of our podcast. You can use code DORJUNE10 to get 10% off your entire order of $50.00 or more. Note that the code is limited to one use per customer and can't be combined with other discounts. The code is active from 1st of every month to last day at 11:59PM PST, but don't worry because we'll be bringing you a new code every month. Shop now at https://www.runinrabbit.com.
Our In For Testing segment is fueled by Skratch Labs! Get 20% off your first order from Skratch with code: DOCTORSOFRUNNING! https://www.skratchlabs.com
Chapters
0:00 - Intro
2:42 - In for Testing: Powered by Skratch Labs
17:39 - #5 Max Cushion Shoe
24:02 - #4
29:43 - #3
36:10 - #2
42:48 - #1 Max Cushion Shoe of all time
49:10 - Wrap-up