If you’ve suffered injuries while running or working out, it could be because you’ve been unknowingly wearing the wrong sneakers.

According to footwear designers and experts Nicolle and Martin Dean, most women’s sneakers are simply scaled-down versions of men’s shoes, rather than being designed specifically for a female foot.

The couple explained just how dangerous this can be for female runners, telling the Daily Mail that it can cause rubbing, blisters and increase the risk of conditions such as plantar fasciitis, which causes agonizing heel pain.

It can even predispose women athletes to injuries such as torn knee ligaments and stress fractures in their feet.

The pair recently designed the world’s first Running Slipper that is specifically built for a woman’s feet, called QLVR, which have higher arches, narrower heels, and need wider toe boxes than men’s sneakers.

‘For too long, the athletic footwear industry has been treating women’s feet as “shrunk down” versions of men’s even though the biomechanics and shape are very different. This can put female athletes at a higher risk of injury,’ said co-founder Nicolle.

‘Today, the majority of running shoes for women are still being manufactured on a shape that is based on a man’s foot.

‘Poorly fitting trainers can lead to injuries including stress fractures, Achilles tendinitis, knee problems and serious ligament injuries.

‘Anatomically, women have a wider hip-to-knee angle, which can be a factor in ligament strain, along with hormonal changes, which is why specific stability and alignment is essential when engineering a shoe for women’s running and training.’

A new study published this week found that despite known differences between men’s and women’s feet, most running trainers are designed for and tested on male athletes.

The new study, led by exercise medicine researchers from Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, called for running shoes that ‘better align’ with women’s ‘unique biomechanical and performance needs.’

Nicolle explained that it is ‘a cost-saving initiative’ since it is cheaper to ‘share molds across genders.’

It took her and her husband five years to research, build and patent their groundbreaking Running Slipper, which they launched in September.

‘We saw how women were being sidelined by the industry,’ Nicolle continued. ‘The standard approach was “shrink it and pink it.” We decided women deserved better than wearing small men’s shoes.’

When it comes to running styles, experts say the differences between men and women are clear: women’s knees drift outwards more, they have greater internal rotation, and their ankles roll differently – yet sneakers are still mostly made to male specs.

The QLVR Running Slippers are made from female-specific lasts and have a secure, comfortable fit thanks to a patented ‘Wing Fit’ system, which flexes open like a shoe horn to slip on but locks in securely so they don’t need laces.

Martin revealed that they took unlikely inspiration for the shoe from dog ball throwers, which feature a 360-degree lock-in mechanism.

‘I was looking at the way the pre-molded cup at the end of the stick mirrors the ball form and it’s in a closed position, to expand and contract to hold the ball in place, but with enough elasticity to hold the ball firmly until launch,’ he said.

Martin concluded: ‘We’re replacing an entire philosophy.

‘The result is a trainer that truly understands and supports women’s unique biomechanics whilst delivering the performance and convenience women actually want.’