minimalism revisited

thinking about it wrote: If this is correct then maybe it makes sense to train in a shoe that is more cushioned than a flat but avoids the "hig heel" effect.

If the flats are working for you, and it sounded like they are, why look for something more cushioned?

You're probably right about the weight being a minor factor, but in addition to heel:toe, I think the relative lack of cushioning is another big biomechanical plus, at least for some people.

I was talking to one pedorthist about issues around cushioning in shoe and if it actually helps or hinders the user. He had some pretty detailed opinions on the subject, but this is basically what it boiled down to:

Imagine cushioning shoes as being equal to a mattress, and imagine minimalist shoes as being equal to a hardwood floor. Go stand on one leg on the mattress, then stand on one leg on the hardwood floor. What differences do you notice?

On the mattress you should notice it is harder to keep balanced and that your require the innervation of many more synergist muscles to stay balanced. When you're standing on the hardwood floor you should notice it is much easier to stay upright and that less muscle need innervation to keep you balanced.

Now imagine in a cushioning shoes that your legs need to stabilize themselves 170-190 times a minute! This could very possibly lead to an increase chance on injury.

However, there has to be a 'sweet spot' of cushioning vs. minimalism that is very individual otherwise we'd all be running barefoot and only wear shoes to protect our feet from the elements.

Anyway that's my 2cents, just another theory.

If the flats are working for you, and it sounded like they are, why look for something more cushioned?

Because the faster and more experienced runners in my club keep telling me that I can't run in "slippers" all the time and that cushioning is good for the legs/joints.

I think it's hard to say for sure why some things work with some runners while they don't work for others, but as with most things in life, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

It would seem like big cushioning in shoes is good for the joints, but perhaps all that material changes your natural gait too much and you begin running less efficiently. You'll probably notice that if you try to run barefoot your body can figure out how to run quite efficiently (low impact) right from the start.

Some say that all this "shoe technology" is bad for our running, but good for company wallets. I think this might be true...

Don't change something that works for you because someone else doesn't think it's a good idea.

Shoe cusioning protects your feet and not much else. It dampens your foot's natural shock absorbing mechanisms, so the impact is felt elsewhere up the chain

thinking about it wrote:

If the flats are working for you, and it sounded like they are, why look for something more cushioned?

Because the faster and more experienced runners in my club keep telling me that I can't run in "slippers" all the time and that cushioning is good for the legs/joints.

Who the f**k cares what they think if it's working for you. Just because they are more experienced doesn't mean they know what's best for you.