I've been gradually transitioning into barefoot running and wearing vibram five fingers and less bulky trainers (e.g. Asics Speedstar rather than Gel-DS trainer).
If my body is (hopefully) getting used to less cushioning, is there any harm in putting more miles on my trainers (e.g. 800 miles rather than 400)? For years, I had listened to the advice that after 400 or 500 miles, they should be tossed.
Thanks for any feedback.
Leanermeaner wrote:
I've been gradually transitioning into barefoot running and wearing vibram five fingers and less bulky trainers (e.g. Asics Speedstar rather than Gel-DS trainer).
If my body is (hopefully) getting used to less cushioning, is there any harm in putting more miles on my trainers (e.g. 800 miles rather than 400)? For years, I had listened to the advice that after 400 or 500 miles, they should be tossed.
Thanks for any feedback.
The only real difference between the Speedstar and the DS trainer is the medial post, so you likely won't notice much of a difference there.
Breaking things down, when a shoe "dies" it is because its components are too beat up to function in a way that they had previously. Since a true minimalist shoe is much simpler and doesn't have nearly as much to break down, a minimalist shoe will last longer than your average cushioned trainer
Thanks wannabe a hasbeen.
I'm thinking about trying the Hyperspeed (or maybe even the Piranha). Think this would be a reasonable choice?
Anything else you'd recommend?
I've been training in Hyperspeeds for a year and a half now, great shoes.
When I moved to doing some runs barefoot and in vibrams, I also switched from heel striking to mid-forefoot. I noticed a lot less one sided wear on my shoes than when I was heel striking, which I think was giving me hip issues when they wore down. Wear pattern now seems a 'little' more to one side, but it's pretty even. (i.e. Heel striking wear looked like I cut off the back outside chunk and caused my foot to start coming down differently)
I put about 1200 miles on the Brooks Ghost. I found that I enjoyed them much more after about 600 miles because it took that long for them to soften up and be more flexible (they're pretty stiff to begin with). I guess another reason I put in 1200 on them was that I was too poor to buy another pair of shoes...
lurker86 wrote:
When I moved to doing some runs barefoot and in vibrams, I also switched from heel striking to mid-forefoot. I noticed a lot less one sided wear on my shoes than when I was heel striking, which I think was giving me hip issues when they wore down. Wear pattern now seems a 'little' more to one side, but it's pretty even. (i.e. Heel striking wear looked like I cut off the back outside chunk and caused my foot to start coming down differently)
What kind of hip pain? I do the same thing to my shoes and have had hip issues.
lurker86 wrote:
When I moved to doing some runs barefoot and in vibrams, I also switched from heel striking to mid-forefoot.
This happened with me as well, although I used the Free 4.5. I stayed with my MC shoes for long runs, because I had purchased a few pairs when they went on sale. Those things lasted much longer, after my strike moved to midfoot. Previously I would toss them at ~350 miles. Afterward I got close to double the mileage.