Distance runners may sink back onto the heel after landing, but that doesn't answer the OP's question, why have a heel lift in the first place, what is the reason for it?
The reason is that it is traditional and that is what people expect.
And yes, you can run a distance race in sprint spikes. Seb Coe used to do this.
What distance races did Coe run in sprint spikes???!!!
And again for the third time and to put it simply, many distance runners are actually mid foot or heel strikers even when running on the track.
What distance did Coe run in sprint spikes?
800,1000,1500 and the Mile.
Did quite well too.
And as for heel strike, that is a misnomer, the heel barely brushes the groung before foot plant.
Your heel can't absorb much shock, it's not designed to do that, it's designed to roll forwards and inwards
Hate to tell you but you haven't listed any distance races.
Maybe that is where all the misunderstanding and misconception is originating.
Incidentally a heel designed to roll forward and inward does so to absorb shock. (really re-distribute the shock along the leg and into the lower back)
What heel lift are you talking about? What brand/models? I've had a few over the years and there's no heel lift to speak of. Nothing noticeably different from the shorter distance spikes around.
Really what are we talking about here, a millimeter?
Heard the new Kayano is gonna have 3mm more heel lift (at least the womens one). Doesn't look like Shoe companies are reading this forum.
Average_Joe wrote:
What heel lift are you talking about? What brand/models? I've had a few over the years and there's no heel lift to speak of. Nothing noticeably different from the shorter distance spikes around.
Really what are we talking about here, a millimeter?
Almost all modern running shoes have heel lifts of 1/2 to 3/4 inches or higher.
http://yesor.no/vibrasjonpresentasjon.ppttomilevat wrote:
http://www.yesor.no/bann.JPGhttp://yesor.no/vibrasjonpresentasjon.ppt
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yes, new records, -by just lower the heel and make the landing zone "slippy", that is horizontal damping.
pay attention wrote:
Average_Joe wrote:What heel lift are you talking about? What brand/models? I've had a few over the years and there's no heel lift to speak of. Nothing noticeably different from the shorter distance spikes around.
Really what are we talking about here, a millimeter?
Almost all modern running shoes have heel lifts of 1/2 to 3/4 inches or higher.
Does anybody actually read any of the stuff written here??? For god's sake people! They're talking about spikes....f***in' spikes!!!!!!!
the problem is that this assumes the runner has normal flexibility and that the Achilles tendon can withstand 26.2 miles of cyclic stress. It's one thing to run 100 meters or 5k in sprint spikes. It's a completely different when you're going 26.2 miles and hit the wall.
Also if you want to extrapolate this concept, why not go for a negative heel lift shoe, like the "jump soles". Well the reason why is that biomechanically speaking, if the ankle has hit its end range of dorsiflexion, additional compensation will occur at the knee joint in the form of hyperextension. If you're fresh, you can probably prevent this hyperextension from happening by firing your hamstrings, but if you're tired and trying to "relax" on your run then you'll just mess up your knee.
From an endurance standpoint, it is less efficient. From a ballistic-locomotive standpoint it is certainly advantageous.
Finally, no "conspiracy" by the shoe companies. They're simply trying to sell shoes to the average joe jogger and track novice who's main concern is finding a shoe that doesn't cause their body to hurt (or at least the shoe should give that impression).
Ray wrote:
Hate to tell you but you haven't listed any distance races.
Maybe that is where all the misunderstanding and misconception is originating.
Does 5000m count as a distance race?
That is how far I raced in a shoe with zero heel lift. They weren't even running shoes, but they have a very special feel, which you have to experience to understand.
Also, don't you think it's interesting that Coe raced in sprint spikes with zero heel lift?
What is wrong with natural biomechanics that shoe companies feel compelled to correct?
