I'm a HS XC runner and I've been doing a lot of research into flats and minimalism and I'm sold. I'm slowly transitioning over to flats (Katana Rac3r IIIs) running in them 2x a week now.
My question is wouldn't walking around all day in flats be better to correct our natural stride? I mean, thats what's natural right, it would be the closest thing to walking barefoot. Would it make our feet and legs stronger and benefit our running?
For sure, go for it. Walking around is way less stressful on the feet than running, so you can afford to go super-minimal in that regard.
The most important thing to strengthen your feet, ankles, etc. is that the shoe is flexible in the sole - completely flexible, like the frees.
I've been running in modified adizero pro's for the last year. They're just about perfect. The modifications are removal of the heel counter, and a criss-cross patern of lateral and vertical cuts made into the sole. The cuts are as deep as the sole is thick. There are about 10 lateral cuts and 3 vertical. Their purpose is to make the sole as flexible as possible.
As they are, just about the only purpose they serve is to keep sharp pebbles from stabbing my feet, which is the way shoes should be.
They feel like heaven to run in. I've been running around 100 miles a week for the last month, 80 in the month before that, and I have had zero problems. My feet and legs feel perfectly normal, which is more than I could ever say when I used to run in the big ol' clunkers - even during a mere 30 mile week.
The biggest obstacle in getting away from conventional shoes is your feet adapting - there will be some shock, as muscles and movements that have been long neglected are forced into action. Take it easy for a while. Don't increase your training load for a little while, as your body is already adapting to a new stress.
I could say a million positive things about minimal shoes and a million negative things about conventional shoes, but it sounds like you need no convincing.
Have fun getting back in tune with your feet.
I would recomend walking around in flat sandles without a arch support or any lift to the heel.
wearing neutral shoes will not make you run neutral. You have to make a conscious effort when you walk to maintain the arch throughout the gait cycle. I have a moderate arch and pronate when i run but am a neutral walker via years of neutral walking. Racing flats will help because they will assist in the strengthening of you shin muscles.
nimble jim wrote:
I've been running in modified adizero pro's for the last year. They're just about perfect. The modifications are removal of the heel counter,
Hey nimble jim,
I've been experimenting with removing the heel counter from a couple shoes lately with mixed results. A pair of regular trainers had it embedded within the heel material and was hard and messy to remove. A pair of Saucony Kilkenny was easier because it was sandwiched between the upper and a separate piece of material behind the heel counter, so I could remove everything but the upper and the shoe was still functional.
I tried it with the Adizero LTs and it was a similar construction with material behind the heel counter that connected it to the rest of the upper. But when I removed this outer material with the heel counter, the upper no longer had a good connection with the heel. Did you run into this problem or is the pro constructed differently?
have fun getting plantar fascitis!
For hanging out at the house cheap water shoes with the insole removed is the closest thing I've found to being barefoot. I wear them in the yard if I'm in a hurry otherwise I go barefoot. They are slip on type shoes so they can be taken off and on quickly.
Hey douchebag, when I started wearing flats is when my p.f. went away so suck it.
BamaCoyote wrote: For hanging out at the house cheap water shoes with the insole removed is the closest thing I've found to being barefoot.
Yeah, cheap water shoes (I've got Cudas Hydro Sox) are pretty good. Even more minimal are the Vivo Barefoot with only a 3mm kevlar sole, but they're way more expensive and it might not be good to get 'em soaked.
Of course wherever you can just go barefoot, that's about as minimal as you're gonna get shy of peeling off layers of skin.
I wonder if our Neanderthal ancestors wore big air bags on their feet?
Has anyone ever checked out the surely numerous foot injuries with apes and chimps? Their feet must be bruising!
The ape/chimp Orthopedic business must be skyrocketing!
Alan
Alan, are you moving deep into the African jungle to raise your spawn and never subject them to shoes or pavement? I bet dozens of posters here would vote for that, maybe even raise a collection to make it happen.
Redsoxhk wrote:
I'm a HS XC runner and I've been doing a lot of research into flats and minimalism and I'm sold. I'm slowly transitioning over to flats (Katana Rac3r IIIs) running in them 2x a week now.
My question is wouldn't walking around all day in flats be better to correct our natural stride? I mean, thats what's natural right, it would be the closest thing to walking barefoot. Would it make our feet and legs stronger and benefit our running?
nike air zoom
I heard recently from a running legend that best thing to do to keep proper arch form is to put some nails into the soles of the shoe pointing straight up under the arches. If the nail length is just right it will gently poke your arches if they collapse and your form will correct itself subconsciously.
witch doctor wrote:
wearing neutral shoes will not make you run neutral. You have to make a conscious effort when you walk to maintain the arch throughout the gait cycle. I have a moderate arch and pronate when i run but am a neutral walker via years of neutral walking. Racing flats will help because they will assist in the strengthening of you shin muscles.
I just wear cheap flip flops around all day. they offer almost no support and are dirt cheap; its the next best thing to going barefoot. I would save the expensive flats for training and racing only.
GRUMPY wrote:
I just wear cheap flip flops around all day. they offer almost no support and are dirt cheap; its the next best thing to going barefoot. I would save the expensive flats for training and racing only.
The thing about flip flops is that you have to alter your walking gait because they only connect to your foot in one place and it actually makes your ankles weaker.
No Flip Flops wrote:
GRUMPY wrote:I just wear cheap flip flops around all day. they offer almost no support and are dirt cheap; its the next best thing to going barefoot. I would save the expensive flats for training and racing only.
The thing about flip flops is that you have to alter your walking gait because they only connect to your foot in one place and it actually makes your ankles weaker.
and you look like a douche wearing shower shoes to public places. act like a grown man and were a pair of shoes.