Has anyone given zero drop shoes a try? Please explain them to me.

Well...they have zero drop

But seriously, whether or not they do that stuff for you will probably depend on how you run now. In your situation, yes, I'd imagine they may promote more of a midfoot strike.

They will reduce stress on the lumbar spine, if you ever have back pain. Altra's shoes have come a ways in the last couple years. I like em. Give em a shot and see what happens

Every time I go barefoot.

I do have zero drop shoes as well. They can change your running life when you have given up hope of ever running in comfort again.

Captain Oblivious wrote:

Every time I go barefoot.

I do have zero drop shoes as well. They can change your running life when you have given up hope of ever running in comfort again.

How does that happen? I'm not getting it. What effect does moving from a traditional drop shoe to a zero drop shoe??? Does it make you run a certain way because of being zero drop?

plain zero wrote:I'm not getting it. What effect does moving from a traditional drop shoe to a zero drop shoe??? Does it make you run a certain way because of being zero drop?

I have shifted to Merrell "barefoot" shoes with zero drop for traveling because they are light and compact to pack.

For uphill running, I find no significant change, except low weight. Thus zero drop is a net benefit for uphill running. On the flat and downhill, zero drop shoes enforce a midsole strike, which changes the stride of anyone accustomed to a heel and sole strike. I find that I am slower downhill and on the flat in shoes without heel support.

It is possible that the zero drop shoes also aggravate any existing achilles problems. I have experienced some achilles soreness since using the Merrells, but I have always been vulnerable in the achilles.

I continue to use them, however, because of their wonderful convenience.

I like them a lot. At first, they work your calves more. Now, I prefer the lower drop.

plain zero wrote:

Captain Oblivious wrote:

Every time I go barefoot.

I do have zero drop shoes as well. They can change your running life when you have given up hope of ever running in comfort again.

How does that happen? I'm not getting it. What effect does moving from a traditional drop shoe to a zero drop shoe??? Does it make you run a certain way because of being zero drop?

It does make you run a certain way. I feel more stable on a zero drop shoe with virtually no cushioning.

It's hard to describe but a conventional shoe seems to allow every leg joint to wobble slightly and I feel like I'm 100 years old the day after running in a cushioned shoe.

The difference in heel-toe height is traditionally 12-14mm.

This means the majority of cushion is under the heel.

Which encourages runners to land where most cushion is.

The consequence is overextention of stride, and crash landing on heel. Cadence falls to 120-140.

By reducing that heel-toe drop, it may encourage the feet to land more evenly.

Typically this will often lead to a shorter stride, where the body's center of gravity is more centered over the feet.

Biomechanically, this *MAY* be more efficent for distance running. But it is also very possible heel or forefoot striking may be better - think of sprinting; you'll be on your toe.

Finally, take into account the need for cushion on concrete/sidewalks. and the need to SLOWLy transition to zero drop or lower profile shoes.

Additionally, heel strikes are often associated with knee problems. FOrefoot striking may lead to lower leg injuries. So it may just shift where you injured around.

sped540 wrote:

Finally, take into account the need for cushion on concrete/sidewalks. and the need to SLOWLy transition to zero drop or lower profile shoes.

Additionally, heel strikes are often associated with knee problems. FOrefoot striking may lead to lower leg injuries. So it may just shift where you injured around.

Concrete and sidewalk are preferable now because of the predictability of the surface. I can determine how softly I need to run in order to properly cushion.

Additionally I did have problems in my knees and when I switched, I had ankle tendonitis. It has since subsided however. I attribute that to having gradually getting used to the style.

I only run in zero drop or 4mm because I like Kinvara. Let me put it this way: I've only been injured once in my life, and it was while running in a 12mm drop shoe. Doesn't mean it'll work for you but does for me. I've run in Saucony Virrata, Altra Torin, and Altra Instinct. All good zero drop shoes.

It's probably best to transition to a 4mm drop shoe first. I tried zero drop Altras about 2 years ago and the drop was just too much for me. After running in 4mm drop shoes, I can now run in a zero drop. I haven't tried the new Altras, but I've heard they are better than the first generation of Altra shoes.

BTW, I can no longer run in a 10-12mm drop shoe. They hinder my form.

With a normal heel to toe drop, the heel lands first, the foot rocks forward and rolls off the toe.

With a zero drop shoe, the ball of foot lands first, the Achilles tendon stretches as the heel lightly touches down, then the Achilles springs back like a rubber band on push off.

plain zero wrote:

What effect does moving from a traditional drop shoe to a zero drop shoe??? Does it make you run a certain way because of being zero drop?

I am not sure switching to zero drop shoes will automatically make you change your form, but it will at the very least make it possible to stop heel-striking. And once you use shoes with very little cushioning, you'd probably better stop landing heavily on your heels.

It probably takes a little bit of time to change your form. I first went down to 4 or 5mm for about a year, then down to 0. However, I could not tell you exactly how that affected my form, it's hard to guess, you have to see yourself on a film or have someone watch you run. I can't tell you either if this is the best way to transition. It kind of worked for me... except for the Achilles pain that sprung up after about two months in 4-5mm drop shoes, just when I thought I had made it.

In principle, moving to forefoot striking should make you spring back from the ground instead of having your foot roll under you as your hamstrings drag you forward. That should mean using more your buttocks, quads and calves. In practice, I think everyone has problems with the calves/Achilles in the first weeks. Don't hesitate to cut your first runs short when trouble begins.

And most importantly: you may just love the feeling of being close to the ground and feeling what is under your feet, even if it means spending more energy holding your feet yourself on rough terrain.

I recently switched completely to zero drop Altras, and it has been fantastic for me. Note that I have always been a forefoot striker, which makes the transition not very difficult. I'm 5'11 150. Iused to train in Adidas & NB.

I'm now training in the Altra Instinct 2.0, and I think it has the perfect blend of cushioning, lightweight, and comfort. Don't dismiss the Altra forefoot design -- I laughed when I first saw them, but after running a 100 miles on them I'm a convert. No more do my toes get that hot/smashed feel after running a hard 10 miles.

Going to zero drop has definitely helped me run injury free now. Where I used to overstride and reach, resulting in lower back pain and knee tension, I'm now landing right on my center of gravity, and instead of reaching to go faster, I'm naturally increasing cadence.

Give them a try, but if you are a heel striker you need to transition to zero drop over the course of a couple months, not weeks, to be on the safe side.

DC Racer wrote:

Going to zero drop has definitely helped me run injury free now. Where I used to overstride and reach, resulting in lower back pain and knee tension, I'm now landing right on my center of gravity, and instead of reaching to go faster, I'm naturally increasing cadence.

Give them a try, but if you are a heel striker you need to transition to zero drop over the course of a couple months, not weeks, to be on the safe side.

Any problems with switching between zero drop max cushioned shoes like the Altra Paradigm for easy/recovery runs and staying with more traditional 9-14mm shoes like an Adidas adios for faster runs?? I'm have mild heel strike but don't overextend too much and my cadence is already in the 175-180 range. Also, how did you know you're landing closer to your center of gravity? Did you have a running analysis done or could you just tell by running?

I'd recommend that you not go from traditional 12+ mm-drop running shoes straight to zero drop. Since it will change your stride, it opens you up to injury (particularly in the achilles tendon, which now will be more-elongated when you run).

If you want to move towards zero-drop, it's usually better to get there incrementally. There are plenty of 4-6 mm-drop shoes that you might try as an intermediate. Saucony Kinvaras (4mm drop) are a common choice for this transition, but there are lots of others.

And Hokas.

Just take out a pair of discarded trainers (I know you have some). The ones with worn tread.

Take a filet knife and take out a wedge shape that is pointy under or just behind the ball of the foot, and 12mm high under the heel (say 14mm at the back of the shoe). Glue back together, cheap superglue works fine.

Try it out for yourself at virtually no cost at all. I spent €0,10 in eurostore superglue on a pair.

Too little tread? You're holding a knife, get creative. It works. At least enough for a few good test runs before you commit $100-150 to a new pair sold to you by a kid who doesn't know a thing about running form.

I posted pics of my recent hack projects recently.

Also bought half price Saucony Virrata's and first impression was wow. Thick, wide, comfy. Not at all minimalist, but light enough and flat. My hack jobs feel fine also. Visually you can hardly tell what I did unless told.

Thanks for posting this thread. It has given me some shoes to look at.

Can anyone tell me more about the Altra shoes? I just did an online chat at their site and the rep told me all their shoes are 4E width. What the hell? My feet are B width. Why are all their shoes so wide? Is there some point or advantage to this for people who don't have Fred Flintstone feet?

What about us skinny-feet people with long second toes? Is there a zero-drop but not minimalist shoe for us?

Thanks folks for the information on here.