Table 5. Shoe feature properties that were most frequently chosen for each running level.
| Shoe Feature | Running Level | Recommended Property | Round | % Participants | % Participants in agreement with consensus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shoe Mass | Novice | 225–275 g | 3 | 43 | - |
| Recreational | 225–275 g | 3 | 54 | - | |
| High Caliber | <175 g | 1 | 59 | 72 | |
| Upper Breathability | Novice | High Breathability | 1 | 69 | 100 |
| Recreational | High Breathability | 1 | 79 | 100 | |
| High Caliber | High Breathability | 1 | 86 | 100 | |
| Forefoot Midsole Hardness | Novice | I don’t know | 3 | 50 | - |
| Recreational | I don’t know | 3 | 50 | - | |
| High Caliber | I don’t know | 3 | 42 | - | |
| Rearfoot Midsole Hardness | Novice | I don’t know | 3 | 42 | - |
| Recreational | I don’t know | 3 | 42 | - | |
| High Caliber | I don’t know | 2 | 48 | - | |
| Heel (stack) Height | Novice | 14–32 mm | 2 | 72 | 88 |
| Recreational | 14–32 mm | 1 | 65 | 88 | |
| High Caliber | 14–32 mm | 3 | 42 | - | |
| Midsole Thickness | Novice | 10–15 mm | 2 | 60 | 58 |
| Recreational | 10–15 mm | 2 | 52 | 71 | |
| High Caliber | 10–15 mm | 3 | 50 | - | |
| Forefoot Bending Stiffness | Novice | Low Stiffness | 1 | 55 | 64 |
| Recreational | Medium Stiffness | 1 | 66 | 100 | |
| High Caliber | High Stiffness | 1 | 55 | 84 | |
| Outsole Traction | Novice | Medium Traction | 1 | 52 | 76 |
| Recreational | Medium Traction | 1 | 55 | 72 | |
| High Caliber | Medium Traction | 3 | 50 | - | |
| Heel-to-Toe Drop | Novice | 8–12 mm | 2 | 56 | 88 |
| Recreational | 8–12 mm | 3 | 58 | - | |
| High Caliber | 4–8 mm | 3 | 71 | - | |
| Torsional Bending Stiffness | Novice | Medium Stiffness | 2 | 72 | 92 |
| Recreational | Medium Stiffness | 1 | 52 | 76 | |
| High Caliber | Medium Stiffness | 2 | 52 | 88 | |
| Crash Pad | Novice | Include Crash Pad | 1 | 76 | 88 |
| Recreational | Include Crash Pad | 1 | 72 | 88 | |
| High Caliber | Include Crash Pad | 3 | 58 | - | |
| Toe Spring | Novice | Mid (16–30 deg) | 1 | 34 | - |
| Recreational | Mid (16–30 deg) | 3 | 38 | - | |
| High Caliber | I don’t know | 1 | 34 | - |
“Round” indicates which round of the Delphi study provided the highest consensus. The footwear feature properties that were above the consensus threshold for Rounds 1 and 2 were all verified in the subsequent rounds as indicated by the percent agreed with consensus (last column).