Minimal Shoes

[Ryan]

Listened to that this morning. A lot of good, common sense advice. Transition slowly, go just as far as you feel comfortable with and don't assume that the most minimal is always the best, don't force things if you're hurting.

Was it just me, though, or did the podiatrist come across as a bit of a Nike Free fan?

[grasshopper]

I agree, it is a really good listen.  I think Fullem referenced the Nike Free because it is a handy product line featuring some continuum on the scale of minimalist type shoes. 

[Ryan]

That's likely at least part of the reason and he did mention a couple other models of shoes. It just struck me that the Free, which is a nice shoe in some terms but offers a very cushioned ride, was so prominently referenced.

[Andrew A.]

I agree, though it seems to me like the level of cushioning and support varies between the different models of the Free.  It is a shoe that is marketed as simulating barefoot running, so that might be part of why it gets mentioned often in mainstream running media.

[Andrew A.]

http://www.sportsscientists.com/2010/03/barefoot-running-and-shoes-q.html

[Ryan]

Very interesting. I look forward to the rest.

Part 2 is up now: http://www.sportsscientists.com/2010/03/barefoot-running-and-shoes-q-part-2.html

[Ryan]

Just finished reading part 2. A lot of good stuff in the first two parts but mostly what this non-scientist has been preaching for a long time. In other words, science seems to agree with what I thought was common sense.

• It's very likely that the best solution for most people is somewhere in the middle.
• Don't try to change too quickly. Go for a gradual transition. Going from overbuilt shoe straight to barefoot is likely to produce very bad results as weakened muscles/tendons/ligaments/etc suddenly are forced to handle more than they are initially capable of.
• Don't try to consciously change your form. Work on drills, etc, that will lead to you naturally changing to a more efficient form. Trying to consciously change will lead to overloading weakened muscles/tendons/ligaments/etc.

[Andrew A.]

http://runningtimes.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=19196

[Ryan]

Another good article. I especially appreciate the advice to venture slowly.

A couple of my favorite lines from there:

At its core, minimalism asks the runner to look for the least amount of shoe he or she can safely wear now, and to work toward reducing the amount of shoe necessary through strengthening the foot and improving one's stride. It assumes that running is a natural movement of the body, rather than an unnatural act that requires pads and braces to perform safely.

I like that description. Of all the definitions of minimalism I've seen, this is the only one that could get me to say I'm a minimalist.

"I'm convinced that going in the direction of minimalism, if you do it responsibly, will be a healthy thing for most people," adds McClanahan. "[But] not everybody."

I believe I've made statements along this line before. It's not for everyone but wearing the least you can and continually asking yourself if that point has moved can be beneficial for most people.

[Andrew A.]

And I like the lines that surround that first quote:
"Away from the hype and the extremes, the minimalist   movement is rightly correcting decades of drifting in the other   direction when it comes to running shoe design."
"Putting it plainly, the movement embraces the notion that   the beefier the shoe, the more a runner's natural stride is inhibited."

As for who it might be for, I have seen plenty of testimony against the claims that have been made by the mainstream orthotics-happy medical field, so that second quote is a bit of a 'duh!' statement which lacks the corollary: as a rule, one cannot know if one never makes an educated and measured attempt.

[Ryan]

Agreed, the sentences surrounding the first are good. I actually almost included them but I didn't want to lose what I did quote in the middle of a longer one, as that to me really defines the point I try to make on this topic.

As for the second quote, it may seem obvious to some of us but many people struggle with that idea. It's also a point that I make frequently, most people would benefit from gradually transitioning to less shoe but of course there are always exceptions.

[Andrew A.]

I just figured it to be really basic common sense and that pretty much anyone who lacks that is unlikely to break away from the status quo, anyway. 

[Manwich5]

I love extreme minimal shoes!  Barefoot shoes are the only shoe's I run in and will continue to run in for life.  Since switching almost 2 years ago no more injuries.  They feel good too.  Tried to go back to running in conventional shoes a few times in the past and it just feel's awkward and legs/knees get achy.  Last summer I used to have my feet strong enough to do a full short run on trails completely barefoot.  Gotta try that this summer. 

Of course running barefoot or wearing very minimal barefoot shoe's doesn't make one invincible.  The same principal of overdoing it risks injury still applies.

If one decides to switch as people have mentioned start out slow.  Your calf's will be insanely sore at first.  As sore as you ever had them for some people.  My calf's were so sore in the beginning I thought they were injured but they were just extremely sore.  You might have cut some runs short or take days off because of the soreness (it will/can be painful to run on the soreness).  But eventually after about week or two they toughen up and no longer get sore. 

[Andrew A.]

It is important to me to admit when I am wrong, and I now see that I was.  Tonight I attended a 'running barefoot vs. in shoes debate' (panelists included Bobby McGee, Alan Culpepper, Melody Fairchild, Danny Abshire (founder of Newton Shoes), and a couple of physios) and it became clear to me that, indeed, many people who struggle with biomechanical issues and shoes do so simply because shoes by themselves can only do so much.  In some cases, combining corrective measures (orthotics, physical therapy/strengthening & flexibility routine) with motion control or stability shoes is exactly what is called for, due to causes in both nature and nurture.  They may be a slim portion (think about how many people you know who need orthotics to run without pain) yet they might feel enough frustration with not being able to enjoy running in just the shoes available on retail shelves that they might read Born to Run and make the leap to conclude that they should jump into barefoot running rather than consult with a physio first.  It was one of several things I learned tonight and the instant I realized it I felt compelled to get on here, double back, and correct myself.

[Ryan]

Fascinating. I've always been careful to not suggest that everyone can benefit from less shoe, that there is certainly some segment of the population that needs more shoe and/or orthodics or other tools to correct biomechanical issues but maybe I've been guilty of exclusion a bit by not outright stating that some people need those things. I probably haven't stressed enough the therapy/strengthening aspect, which should be a first attempt at correcting issues in my opinion.

I would still say many, if not most, runners could benefit by gradually and cautiously transitioning to less shoe. That said, the new addition I will make when I say this is that some people simply can't.