Would going from a 10mm drop shoe to a 6mm drop shoe be a bad idea?

Akilles wrote:

I am looking at some shoes and the New Balance Vazee Pace looks pretty cool but I'm worried about the 6mm drop. I currently run in the Pegasus and don't want to destroy my achilles or calves or anything. I definitely wouldn't switch to a 4mm drop shoe but would 6 possibly okay? I am light and have fairly good form if it matters at all.

I can't promise you anything, but I don't think the decrease will hurt you. I was running in my Adidas Supernova Glide 6 with 10 mm heel-toe drop. I then began running in my Hoka Huaka with 2 mm heel-toe drop. No problem at all. But I'm sure it also depends on whether you're a big heel striker vs. a mid- or forefoot striker. I'm a mid-foot striker, and the lesser drop seems to really help my stride feel more natural and comfortable. Now when I run in a 10 mm heel-toe drop shoe, the heel feels too high for me, and I feel like it's forcing me to hit the heel too much. Now, I do intend to run mostly in the 2 mm heel-toe drop Huaka, but I rotate that occasionally with the 10 mm Supernova Glide and my 8 mm Saucony Ride 6. You might want to rotate shoes just to give your leg muscles a slightly different flex and exercise rather than the same movement every time. If anything, you can wean yourself off the high drop shoes and gradually get used to a lower drop. For me, I just went directly from 10 mm to 2 mm, and I love the difference and have been able to increase my mileage without issues. Good luck.

Avoid New Balance. Go with a Mizuno. The 10mm to 6mm drop will be less in a Mizuno than a New Balance.

Michael Fout

Territory Manager at Mizuno USA

Washington, District Of Columbia

I would personally stick with the Nike's. If you're not feeling pain anywhere, why make a change. To answer your question, if you cut your mileage in half and don't do any hard workouts for 7-10 you should be fine.

Take a look at 4mm on a ruler.

Recently purchased a pair of the NB Vazee and have been running with them for a couple of wks. Prior to that was running on the NB 880, where i think the drop is somewhere in the 12 mm range. It took some getting used to, however i still rotate the 880s on my runs. I did have some heel pain but it went away after a few days. I also use orthotics which i think probably mitigates the potential shock of transitioning to such a relative low drop. I actually like the 6mm drop, i feel like it forces a more natural, mid foot strike. As far as the NB Vazzee, i like the shoe but it has a weird fit. It's very light and fast but i had to size up a half size and the heel seems comparatively loose were the rest of the shoe is very snug.

Akilles wrote:

I am looking at some shoes and the New Balance Vazee Pace looks pretty cool but I'm worried about the 6mm drop. I currently run in the Pegasus and don't want to destroy my achilles or calves or anything. I definitely wouldn't switch to a 4mm drop shoe but would 6 possibly okay? I am light and have fairly good form if it matters at all.

I switched directly from the Nike Structure, with 10mm drop, to Kinvara 6s with 4mm. I was heelstriking when I was in the Structures, but I began landing midfoot after switching. I simultaneously started my summer base phase and built up to higher mileage, but despite the lower drop I was injury free. So I wouldn't worry about a quick change to lower heels; in fact it will probably be a good thing.

Michael Fout wrote:

Avoid New Balance. Go with a Mizuno. The 10mm to 6mm drop will be less in a Mizuno than a New Balance.

Michael Fout

Territory Manager at Mizuno USA

Washington, District Of Columbia

I switched from Mizuno to New Balance a few years ago.

You should be fine. Just don't go out and run 10 miles on your first run in the 6mm drop shoes. Wear them every other day or so on your shorter runs at first. I now find 10mm drop shoes force my foot to heel strike. I tried zero drop shoes as well, but the sweet spot for me was 6mm or so. Good luck.