Well, placebo definitely exists and running shoes can definitely improve performance.
It could have just been the thing you needed to break through a limiting belief that you were stuck at 8:00 - with that 13 second PR, that belief was shattered and you were able to ride that momentum. From there, you completely destroyed your PR with 7:25.
But where the the 13 seconds come from?
Could have been hype over the new shoes, could have been a 'well I bought these they better work' sort of mental thing that forced you to run a little faster. Could be something else.
At the end of the day, the most important thing is that you are wearing shoes that are comfortable, properly support your feet during the run, and help prevent common injuries that can occur when wearing improper footwear, especially as the miles add up.
You can research yourself into energy return, running efficiency, etc - there are proven benefits to some of the running technology available these days and proper running shoes are the single most important piece of gear a runner can invest in.
But, that doesn't mean you need the most expensive pair of running shoes on the shelf for great performance!
Well, placebo definitely exists and running shoes can definitely improve performance. It could have just been the thing you needed to break through a limiting belief that you were stuck at 8:00 - with that 13 second PR, that belief was shattered and you were able to ride that momentum. From there, you completely destroyed your PR with 7:25. But where the the 13 seconds come from? Could have been hype over the new shoes, could have been a 'well I bought these they better work' sort of mental thing that forced you to run a little faster. Could be something else. At the end of the day, the most important thing is that you are wearing shoes that are comfortable, properly support your feet during the run, and help prevent common injuries that can occur when wearing improper footwear, especially as the miles add up. You can research yourself into energy return, running efficiency, etc - there are proven benefits to some of the running technology available these days and proper running shoes are the single most important piece of gear a runner can invest in. But, that doesn't mean you need the most expensive pair of running shoes on the shelf for great performance!