Minimalist, what was your experience?

I am slowly making the transition to minimal shoes right now. I just bought a pair of H Streets and have been wearing them around (not running in them) for the last couple of days. Anyway, the top, outside right part of my foot started hurting on and off today. It didn't hurt on my run, but it hurt on and off while walking around, especially barefoot. Does anyone know if this is serious and if it might have something to do with the H Streets lack of support? Please help!

Just to elaborate on where it hurts. It's cloer to the lower ankle, not the toes, sorry if this isn't a good description.

What type of pain is it? I would wager that something's been tired out. About a month ago, I was walking around on concrete carrying a heavy load and one small part of my foot started to hurt. It didn't get any better, so I cancelled my evening run and stayed off of it as best I could and iced my foot. The next morning I ran and could barely feel it, and by that evening, I felt no pain at all.

There are countless that can happen during the course of the day.

Are you a doctor now? It's illegal to practice medicine without a licence.

oh yes, and comparing experiences is the same as "practicing medicine." I guess I can't recommend Advil for a headache, either.

It would be nice to hear you say "I don't know", once in a blue moon. It would aid your credibility.

trackhead wrote:

I don't know where the dividing line is. I would argue that time not spent in your racing shoe is time that those muscles and such are not getting adequate stimulation. Why rob your feet/legs of time where they could be getting stronger and better prepared to race on the track in a spike?

trackhead wrote:

trackhead wrote:

I don't know where the dividing line is. I would argue that time not spent in your racing shoe is time that those muscles and such are not getting adequate stimulation. Why rob your feet/legs of time where they could be getting stronger and better prepared to race on the track in a spike?

I hope you can do better than that.

trackhead wrote:

trackhead wrote:

I don't know where the dividing line is. I would argue that time not spent in your racing shoe is time that those muscles and such are not getting adequate stimulation. Why rob your feet/legs of time where they could be getting stronger and better prepared to race on the track in a spike?

Appears as if your second sentence contradicts your first one: "I don't know--wait!--I do know".

I try my best to offer as much information as possible.

trackhead wrote:

I try my best to offer as much information as possible.

I agree. Sometimes, however, some things are best left unsaid.

I wouldn't worry too much about it yet. If its only been hurting for less than a day just see how it goes. If it feels fine I don't see any harm in running, just throw some ice on it.

If it continues though make sure you take some action, doctor, research online, but not yet.

Like trackhead its probably just a muscle or tendon in your foot that isn't used to working thats a little tired. Give it some time.

Yeah, I still ran today and I'll run tomorrow. I'm just extremely paranoid about any pains that I get, so I was just trying to figure it out. Thanks :)

I'm outside my domain here, since I hate anything with a medial post -- but some other shoes in this general category -- "stability flats" in the 9oz range include Mizuno Phantom, Asics DS Racer, Brooks Racer ST. These are all worth trying if you can find a place that carries them. Of these I've only tried the DS racer.

Regarding the DS Racer, it isn't any more cushioned than the (lighter) tiger paw, but it's got a very large medial post, and I suppose is where the extra weight comes from. The upper is great, the fit is "conventional" (no "banana" last), the medial post annoys me (but you might like it)

Pissed Off,

I spent 3 mos transitioning going from 10min runs a day to 50mi/wk and then another 3mos to 90mi.

It can take a lot of time and neither I nor jaguar (I think) has ever said anything other than you need to reduce your volume significantly and take it very slowly.

hog wrote:

trackhead wrote:

I try my best to offer as much information as possible.

I agree. Sometimes, however, some things are best left unsaid.

Interesting attitude, hog. Ever consider a career in right-wing politics?

After all, there's a lot more ego-gratification in scoring points in an argument that in trying to pursue the truth, right?

It can take a lot of time and neither I nor jaguar (I think) has ever said anything other than you need to reduce your volume significantly and take it very slowly.

Why reduce volume ? This appears to be another example of the braindead binary thinking you guys display. Why not instead go from doing 0% of your total training volume in flats (or whatever the starting point is), to 10%, to 20%, to 30% until you're at 100% ? That way one can take it slowly without taking time off training. That or start by doing speed work in flats, so that you build up a base of slow running in flats from your warmup/cooldown, and then introduce them into training runs, until you're using them for all training runs ?

Seems to me that your absolutist mentality is preventing you from approaching this problem (how to transition to flats) intelligently.

BarryP wrote:

QUESTION: What has been your experience with minimalist shoes. I'm looking for positives and negatives.

Stress fracture-don't do it.

This is the plan that I intend to adopt.