Running with Supination | How I overcame Supination of the foot and IT Band Syndrome! 

Have you had IT Band Syndrome? Do you run with Supination? Let us know in the comments! 😀👇

Just spent $150.00 on Brooks. Now I need to spend another 6 bucks on karate shoes.

Thank you for your information. My story is that I am living my second life of running. I'm 64, and have had running in my life for many years. In my 20's, running WAS my life. I have a 2:52 marathon, 33:01 10K, Ironman World Championship, etc. I also have had 9 operations on my legs. I too am a supinator, and I have been wearing custom orthotics for 30 years. I just couldn't run comfortably since the 1980s when I wore minimilist shoes (we called them racing flats). I have taken my orthotics out and have had much better runs and less pain. I'm going to look for different shoes. Happy running, and thanks again!

Supination is the insufficient inward roll of the foot after landing. It may be the result of having a naturally high-arching foot...so this video review is excellent for those having this problem and well explained and genuine true...thank you for sharing this valuable information ,tq

I also supinate, and this has caused IT band in my left leg 6 months back, and lately in the right leg. Now that I have shifted to zero drop minimalistic shoe, feeling more confident about foot landing techniques. Thanks man for this great advice.

this video changed everything about running for me, for the better. cheers

Im so glad to finally found your videos.. this was maybe why our ancestors running barefoot

one of the best videos on 'landing, shoes purpose, corrective methods'. I share my experience here: I also supinate and hardly knew the term until I developed pain inside of the left knee, unable to squat comfortably and also hamstring. Moreover, my stride or cadence was around 160 only. So, I decided to run barefoot for a few km to find my landing. below is the result: Left leg - the run mark was way away from mid foot or balls and swayed to fourth finger Right leg - the run mark was little away from the mid foot or balls but just above the third finger. Please use this to find your landing which is far more interesting to assess your form and to correct it. Then I bought also a thin sole and improved the cadence to 170+. I feel less impact to my knee in my long runs - but - still need to do lot and lot of homework and focus to land correctly and increase my cadence to 180. At least there is a hope now since I figured out the mistake!

I am a super-supinator. I have high arches. My left foot, far more than my right. Your video explains so much. I have never been much of a runner. In my thirties, I ran between 25 and 30 miles a week. I had ambitions of doing a half marathon, maybe even a marathon. Every time I hit that 35 mile/week mark, or 10 mile run, my knees would hurt. When doing stretches I could feel my knees pop. As soon as I backed down, the pain would go away. So I would be content just running 6 miles 4-5 days a week. Cycling seemed to be better and it soon replaced running. Fast forward a lifetime. I entered a duathlon a few years back. I trained for it. Was a 40k ride/10k run. My transition sucked. Of course rather than running at my training pace, I amped it. By the last kilometer, my feet were on fire my knees hurt my IT was inflamed, my hammy’s were crying. It was a trail through some real soft soil. I went home pondered my race and swore, the next year I would race barefoot. The next year came around. I did just that. Other than the finish line being moved and having to run the last 100 meters on pavement, the entire experience was pain free. After watching your video, it all makes sense. At the time I just counted my blessings and marked it down as having a good race.

i have been having this pain in the outside part of the knee for months. After runs my knee tendons feel smashed and beg for 2 recovery days at least. I had read what supination was but I never put much tought into that. Yesterday I realized that I actually supinate with my left foot only. When the knee flexes it doesnt get aligned with the foot like my right leg does, making some nasty micro-movements. There is a lot of tension in the ankle and the knee I hadnt noticed it was happening. To adress supination it's necessary to rewire the muscles to promote the correct movement. The inner calf needs to be strength trained. On every step, the spring should originate from the ball of the foot, not from the outside.

thank you for this information. I recently found Brooks running shoes and they are great, very comfortable but I have worn out the outer sole very quickly, I was looking for a shoe that would correct my supination but I now realize that I need to manage it vs. correcting it to avoid further injury. thanks again.

Excellent descriptive video! I’ve had foot injuries as a supinator and runner and your thoughtful research and experiences has given me hope. Much appreciated. Happy trails.

Have been having IT-band syndrome several times over the years. It usually is worse after not having run for several months and has gotten worse since my last running shoes which, just like you, came from a "scientifical running measurements shoe store". I have high arches, visible supination via the excessive wear on the outside of my shoes and one of my legs is shorter than the other which aggravates the IT-band issue on the longer leg (as the band is more stretched on that side rubbing against the knee joint). I actually fell onto this video shopping for new running shoes reviewing those with really big comfortable cushioning hoping it would solve my problem because more support is more forgiving on the joints one would think. I've looked at minimal shoes before but have been scared away from the idea by nay-sayers on it being bad support. Very confused at the moment on how to proceed further. Thanks for the great video because at least it opened 2 avenues for me instead of the 1 I was thinking in before (although it doesn't make choosing easier 🙂)

I'm a supinatirt with high arches. Walking 3 to 8 miles sometimes step inclines. Started have stiff hips. That turned into sore low back. I never noticed how stiff and tight my IT band was . Chiro told me it a chain reaction. Feet the shins, knees, it band, tfl muscle. I have it all. All my shoes are worn under the pinky toe.

Thank you SO much for making this video. I don't run but I do walk as much as I can (currently doing 300km a month) at a good pace and was starting to get sore ankles, heels and plantar fasciitis making walking a chore rather than fun. I'd worked out my root cause was supination and purchased new insoles and considered having a pair professionally made but after watching your vid I ordered some new neutral trainers with cushioning. Since then I have ended each walk without the usual lingering aches or pains, hurrah! It's not perfect yet but definitely heading in the right direction so thanks!

Thank you so much man! THis video helped a lot for understanding my supination and lateral knee injury!!

Took your advice I wore my timberland boating shoes with flat soles! Looked an idiot but no more knee and ankle pain! Cheers dude

I ended up developing supination after injuring my big toe. I hyper extended it, so I was avoiding putting weight on it and rolled my foot out. Minimalist shoes have helped a lot, as have toe spreaders. I found that my feet were compressed from wearing shoes with narrow toe boxes.

Thank you! That makes so much sense! I have very high arches and strangely, my feet have always felt best in a hard soled cycling shoe or a thin soled shoe! As I aged, I have felt the need for a higher arch support, and additionally more outer ankle tendon support. It makes so much sense that energy conversion through the skeleton and muscle systems causes more injury than it solves. I have never considered that theory before! Technology makes us dumb, eh?! Best wishes for your running future!

Your pain tolerance must be through the roof! I have supinated right foot and doctors said only custom orthotics is the way to go. No physical therapy, nothing. I hope theyre right. Im breaking in my custom orthotics now but as soon as i tried it on, my low back pain vanished like magic.

wow! so glad i saw this video. This sounds like the exact story of my running life! I haven't fully committed to a minimalist shoe yet, but I will start the slow transition again. I supinate a ton, and suffered on and off from IBS

Thanks for sharing this amazing explanation with us. Keep up the good work!

ITB syndrome caused me some major knee and hip injury. Constant stretching has alleviated this and allowed me to do the tour divide.

You have yourself a new strava follower!! Great video. Just went to the running shoe store because I have been having IT Band issues for the last 3 weeks and they told me I supinate! It all makes sense now!!

This was really interesting. I’m not running but I’ve been having months of heel / foot pain, sometimes I can’t even walk. I’m pretty sure it’s supination. I can see and feel my foot position being different to the other one.

I have flat feet but over supinate wtf

Thanks for making this video!!! Well done!

I have higher arches, my IB was resolved by glutes strengthening & VERY hard massage.

Such a good video and with not so many views. Thanks for sharing your experience and found it super interesting and learned a lot from it!

It explains why since working from home and being barefoot while I walk around, my ankles and feet have felt better than with any shoes I've worn. Thank you!

Yes, I had similar injury. More power!

Wow that sounds like me. I officially found out today that I seriously supinate. Which I kind of worked out for myself through trial and error. Yep the less shoe the better. I have also changed the way I land more to a front foot landing. Haven't gone for the full on minimalist but after watching that going to give it a go,. And thank you 👍

Awesome video. This was super helpful. I’ll go minimal and see if I can fix my IT band and running problems.

Wow shoes can sometimes damage your life. Been dealing with foot issues. First started with the damn super feet and anytime I change the shoe I have severe foot pain .. the shoes that work for me get discontinued. The shoe industry is literally ruining people’s lives without clearly informing what each shoes can do and who is it for. Just fitting the correct shoe for your size is nothing. They put so much technology in shoes which shouldn’t be there for anyone...

I am a supinator and just stumbled (pun intended) on your vlog and it does make a lot of sense. Thanks!

Good explanation on how i run and how i got injured 🙂. Now i understand more of my supinated feet.

Super interesting. Thanks!

Can't deny it too. I ran with my cheap rubber sandals Flip-top brand (it's a fake) with price 3.96 USD enough to support my daily minimalist run with 200km lifetime before need to replace with the new one. I don't think I can afford to buy any of vibram Ff or any expensive Supination shoes. But the Kung Fu shoes or Karate shoes will be the best option or Waraji Sandals. Keep it up man!! It's good to have someone post about being a minimalist runner 👍👍

This makes alot of sense, I get really bad pain in my knee and my ankles but couldn't really figure out why...found out I supinate but ignored the pain. Its getting worse so I decided to figure out why so this is perfect timing. Thank you

Its interesting that you found those types of shoes to cause the least amount of stress on your body. For a couple of years, I wore New Balance Minimus (2013-2014ish) and never had any issues with my feet, legs, back. Then once those shoes wore out, I figured maybe I should adopt some "real" running shoes from Fleet Feet, and they sold me on some nearly 200 dollar Brooks to correct my supination. These shoes ended up costing me issues on my large toe, and in turn IT band issues and low-back issues. I think it may be time to go back and try some minimal sole shoes again.

Glad to have found this video.

Thank you for sharing this topic .I'm also a supinator..trying to fix my left foot landing

fews month ago I had the it band syndrome due to my style of running which is supination ! I'm still struggling with it ! thank you for you advices !

This video is super useful and a bit of a lightbulb moment for me. I am due to see a podiatrist because of my PF. I strongly suspect I supinate, I land of the outer edge of my foot and push off from my little toe. ( So there is lots of friction on my pinky toe) When I glance down at my feet mid stride, they are sort of tilted outwards , similar to your slow motion shots here. The wet foot test revealed normal to high arch. For years I associated Plantar Fasciitis with flat feet! I have got a cheap pair of Merrell trail running shoes, they are grippy but lightweight and flexible, they are specially designed for 'Tough Runner' events. I really enjoy running in these shoes! In the house I am happier barefoot, and often kick my trainers off within minutes of starting a cardio or strength training routine. I believe I will get on well with barefoot style running, and will start by using them for walks. Thank you for the information.

Thanks for sharing. Very helpful information. Thumbs-up!

Great Explanation! thanks for sharing your experience. I subscribed

I went to see a podiatrist almost 20 years ago and she assessed my feet and got me into orthotics, which did cost a bit but now have doubled in price.... I do rockjumping and trekking as sport and require certain types of 5mm < drop sneakers.... over the past 4 or 5 years I have been developing knee pain and have seen several podiatrist and also been to physiotherapy a couple of times which the physio seems to help a little bit, but is hard to maintain. But what I have been finding, through my own observation, that as sneakers have been advancing and the technology improving in terms of midsole foam, in order to get them more responsive and yet a little softer, such as Skechers Hyperburst, or Asics Flighfoam and Flighfoam plus, and Hoka's Profly foams, and similar phone's like Nike react and Adidas ultraboost, the bulk at the back of the orthotics, which is meant to straighten your foot and keep it up, actually forces down into the mid sole foam causing creasing in the inner heel, crushing the foam down digging into it, and not only prematurely wearing it out in 1 to 2 months, and destroying these very expensive shoes, but then causing you to overpronate at the heel putting a lot of strain on your knee.... and this makes the overpronation much more worse and unnatural..... I'm trying to do away with the orthotics now bit-by-bit, because it is very hard to stop using them particularly after so long and needs to be a gradual process..... but I must say my knee is already feeling better..... podiatrist do not tell you of these things can expect you to accommodate the orthotics to buy very firm shoes which maker running and sports like mine impossible..... on top of that, my particular podiatrist will not admit that the orthotics are doing this, when it is plain to see..... my recommendation is as much as it is possible to stay away for orthotics because as the guy in this video says they are only a crutch and if you want to own and run in high-end sneakers, it will not be possible..... .... but if there is no pain and you can still walk and run and do other exercises without orthotics and you do some what overpronate, I would not necessarily rush out there and try to fix it with orthotics..... although my podiatrist is very stubborn, my physiotherapist said he does not usually recommend orthotics but rather shoes that very lightly correct overpronation f it is causing pain or a problem; but if it isn't, is it really necessary to fix it.......

Thanks for the info Will.

Good video, the stuff you said made a lotta sense. Thanks for sharing

This is a great info. I always injured so bad everytime running full marathon because of my supination. I always change shoes since then but it didn't fix anything. I will follow your advice and see if there's any improvement.

i really need to hear this, thanks for sharing

i was about to buy special shoes for my supination. thank GOD I didn't, I mean how demoralizing would it be for a beginner runner like me to spend $150 on special shoes only to get injured by that same shoe?

Run barefoot, as a super hero myself i started doing it. Since i was a kid running i use to wear really thin shoes. Then discovered idiotic articles on type of shoes and highest cushion shoes. Although never got injured. But got so much cracking in the knees.

I also supinate and developed a bit of pain along the right side of my foot. Trying to focus on stretching out my ankle so that I can pronate properly

Thank you, this fixed my knee problems. I am using a zero-drop barefoot shoe for running.

This video has inspired me to buy a set of Vibram five finger KS Evo’s to see if I can improve my running technique. I too have supination and on top of that pretty short muscles and tendons (spelling?) in the back of my leg. Thanks for the clear explanation and inspiration Will :-)

Amazing, so helpful...thank you!✌🏿❤️🏃🏿‍♀️

Came across this video randomly ... but finally someone that doesnt recommend gettin supportive shoes! THANK YOU!!! Ive been running track since i was little and i am used to running in spikes (so no support there whatsoever!). I never even knew i was a supinator (coaches would record me and correct my technique, but would never talk about supination) till i went to a shoe store to get some new running shoes and they told me to run on their treadmill so they can record my running. They said im a supinator and need special shoes - even after telling them i ran track and had no issues, they kept telling me id get injured if i didnt use the correct type of shoes etc. Well, i bought those and got injured 😡 since then ive been wearing neutral shoes (like how i was before) and prefer less cushioning or use spikes on track. Makes your feet, ankles and calfs stronger. Appreciate this video!

I still don’t know what to do about the tight tendons

I've hurt my knees using corrective shoes. I've felt better using neutral shoes. I wish they were shoes with less heel to drop. Thanks for the video!

Great Post, I've had similar injuries, I think I will try what you've suggested, sounds good, many thanks.

Makes sense why I prefer running bare foot if I can. Also Kenyas I believe it was run in sandals

Could you possibly make a separate video explaining how to run on mid or fore foot in order to fix form? I have severe supination and I would like to practice walking properly (landing properly), but I literally have no clue how to place my foot on the ground. It's taking a toll on my knees.

I thought I was the only crazy person who preferred running in dress shoes than running shoes. Now It all makes sense. I also Supinate as I walk and run and have had IT band issues.

I been plagued IT band for the last 4 years, I will give this a try

I didn't know I had supination before i went on a 100km hike with a 18kg backpack weight, and had bad planar fasciitis for a couple of months afterwards. I recently bought some merrell vapor glove 4's to start running/walking and training the foot correctly. Also threw out my way to old hiking boots and got some proper soles/boots for my next long hike. (and reduced my backpack weight substantially, my next trip will probably be max 10 kg with food) It's hard to find proper info on supination on the web, compared to pronation which is everywhere.

I also Supinate and have had Peroneal Tendonitis because of it and just starting to get it back again, I have been experimenting with minimalist shoes but just done a little to much fast running lately and never slowed down when I should have when my calf’s were super tight so need to take some time off again, can be so frustrating at times especially when the fitness is coming along nicely.

I have IT band syndrome since 2 months now. It won‘t go away, I think I’ll never be able to run again

My toes run into the outside of the Toebox (pinky toe and Also 4th toe at times) Idk how to stop this. It’s been 7 months

Wide toe box, firm glove like mid-foot, secure heel, 0mm heel to toe drop. Boom. Problem solved. I have TOPO™ Magnifly 2. I have noticed A LOT of changing in my stance as far as lower back flexibility and my Achilles tendon is getting seriously stretched out, especially on my left leg up to my calve. Stretching helps but wow, 12mm to 0mm drop is serious business

I’ve got supination too. All soles wear off from the outside first. 10k is my routine. One sunny day I was feeling good and decided to run more than 10k and I did 18k. The next day I was diagnosed with ITBS. I gave it 3 weeks and started running again, but came back. Now that I am trying to correct my running technique ... avoid heel landing and over striding but it’s not working for me. I even bought new trainers for 150 bucks. Now after watching your video I am thinking about running barefoot on the beach. Thanks

If I didn't have such deformed pes cavus feet, I'd be such a beast of an athlete, but these days I can barely walk due to my hip pain. I used to be a great runner but injury would always stop me. Once I got going again though I could throw down half marathons like nothing, until again the pain would creep back up and stop me. Slowly I've gotten worse and worse. I recently bought new Keen work boots (Cincinnati Wellingtons a full size smaller but wide width) and within a few days feeling better. I just got those big new balance sneaks so I'll see how these treat me. I don't really care much about running at this point. I just want to walk through the food market. Unfortunately, running in minimalist shoes are what flared my pain up worse than ever, so I'm steering clear of them until I can calm this overactive psoas down. Minimal shoes really seem to coincide with my condition getting much worse. That's my case anyway. I was wearing Ryderwear MMA/training shoes for sprinting a couple of blocks with walking in between sprints. I really like them, but had to closet them since that run. It's been three years and I'm still a knotted up mess.

Thanks for the tips.

Just viewed your video & the topic of minimalist shoes have foot issues for at least 10 years could not wear the athletes foot shoes for supination. Came accross an Australian supplier called Bprimal they do a great range including sports joggers. Great to deal with deivery time & communication is great. If you haven't checked them out definately worth a try. anyway good luck. with your footwear. Esther

Great explanation!! Truly helpful. Thank you!! :)

Exactly my experience. Had to stop running for almost 2 years due to ITB. Now I've started running and bought stability shoes. The pain is gone but I do notice my supination is getting worse. So maybe I'll try your solution. Very insightful video BTW 😁

I have giant arches and supinate quite a bit....but i've never really had IT band or knee pain. It's always shin splints or plantar fasciitis. Also a forefoot striker

yea corrective shoes actually made me not understand how to walk... it was very painful

I feel a pain in this area anytime I run more than 2 miles at once. Running one mile is fine but when I ran 5 miles (a handful of times) I would always feel my knee near the IT band.

I have supination and have the problem mostly when I'm cycling in my cycling shoes

How about altra brand shoes?

I also supinate to eventually roll my ankle back inwards (similar to almost spraining your ankle), due to what I think is a lack of stability (maybe) strength. This happens when I wear shoes with lots of cushioning and no stability. My podiatrist recommended me to go for a shoe that covers both (cushioning and stab), without orthotics for the moment. He referred me to a specialized shoe store. I also thought of going barefoot or minimalist but I'm afraid of getting injured. During the treadmill analysis I was rolling my ankle more inwards with shoes than barefoot, so maybe might give it a try (once stress fractures in shins have healed up).

Thanks. Very helpful. I recently realized that my supination is only seen for my right foot. The left foot seems to be fairly balanced. Do you reckon your tips might still help me? Thanks

Can a high arch (pes cavus) yet be a supinator (sympton of flat feet)? All w/ plantar fasciitis. Whoa that IT Band syndrome sounded bad. You are a hero to me Will!

A person experienced in feet problems asked: why do you run and hike in a zero drop shoe? I replied: well I wear both of them and regular shoes make me feel "tippy".

Wow this is the opposite of what so called experts tell you. I am a supernator and virtually every advice I've had was to buy well cushioned supportive trainers. I will definitely try going down the minimalist route and seeing how I fare.

Thanks for the informative video, cadence should be high on the priority list I have found to get you landing under your centre of mass, this will go a long way to reduce injyry

I have supination my issue is shin splints that aren't fun. I need to find a shoe for both

Now I'm struggling with patellofemoral pain syndrome though I THINK I'm better now but every once in a while I feel a shooting pain. I also battling with a little pain under my knee cap on the same knee but it not too bad and I just sop running and walk a while when that happens . . . I think my problem is that I did not work through these when I was young. I'm new to running at 68 years old and I'm only trail running as I hate running and walking on pavement. I do land on the outside of my foot (front of the foot) when running faster than a slow jog but when I'm tired and slow down I land more flat footed or switch to heal strike. I thing mixing it up and avoiding pain is a good plan and I'm still hitting PB times and distances. I do (for now) only do run/walks. I cant run very far without switching to walking but two years ago I could hardly run 100 yards. My body just could not take it.

This was very helpful

But running on a flat sole doesn't mean there's nothing absorbing the contact with the ground which means your knee suffers from it?

Basically just strenghten your feet, ankles and calves. Thats what minimalist shoes do. But you can run in normal running shoes and just strenghten.

Great explanation. I had a same problem as yours before this when i ran with recommended shoe from the store. I am supinator with flat feet. And the minimalist shoe fix my running problem. But this might be working only for me. Not others. Maybe you can make a review on this also? Thanks again for the video!

I am a supinator and i keep overstretching the side of my shoes. Since then its becomes weird to use because the weight seems to fall on the sides. Anyone else?

This is good insight

Had same injury/problem, but other way around. From minimal shoes to neutral cushion shoe. Been running minimal shoes for 6 years injury free then I decided to switch to neutral cushion shoes so I can run longer . Then after running about a month my stride became sloppy (due to trying lots of different type of shoes and relying on soft cushion) end up landing outer side of my foot( superpronate). Now I injured both of my legs.

I have a very very terrible case of supination. It appears when I'm walking. And when I stop, the foot ends up very inward.

Thanks for the video! I not only run but I walk with supination and have a strong heel strike. The trouble with thin soles is that they get worn out too fast on the outside, to the extent that I end up either with a hole in the sole or the sole wastes away almost to the fabric .. by which point they are no longer waterproof. I walk alot and even the most expensive shoes only last me about a month. I really don't know how to tackle this.

IT band is not from shoes. I've had it a number of times from not being in condition to run/hike. Once I started training using a rubber band around my ankles I never got it again (15 years now). Nevertheless this is still a good video. I use Altra Lone Peaks and some time Topo Teraventure which are semi minimalist shoes