What's the difference between racing flats and minimalist shoes like Brooks Connect?
What are the pros and cons of each for road races/fast tempo runs?
What's the difference between racing flats and minimalist shoes like Brooks Connect?
What are the pros and cons of each for road races/fast tempo runs?
The main differences between the two: minimalist shoes have little or no drop between the heel and forefoot and offer no medial or lateral support. Many minimalist shoes also have less cushioning and are very flexible.
Flats can also have no/minimal drop, e.g. Nike Streak XC 3, Asics Piranha,...but not all.
bump. interested in this. i would say they are virtually the same? i've never bought a pair of "minimalist" shoes though.
flats are usually pretty stiff. nike frees and other minimal shoes are very flexible
The main difference is you will get more ripped off with minimalist shoes
kind of what i was thinking.
been in the frees since i started running.
ShaduS wrote:
What's the difference between racing flats and minimalist shoes like Brooks Connect?
What are the pros and cons of each for road races/fast tempo runs?
For me it's the width. Most flats are too narrow for my foot. That's fine when racing a 5k or 10k, but for my "normal" mileage I like a wider shoe.
So no "performance" difference really? Just a matter of comfort and price?
Flats have more cusion than minimalist shoes. A lot of minimalist shoes are really just an upper attatched to a piece of rubber, while flats have the cusion. Flats are better on the roads unless you are a minimalist master who feels no pain.
Brooks connect = not a minimalist shoe
The discussion is irrelevant anyway. There is no scientific evidence that a 4mm heel-to-toe drop will make you any better as a runner or prevent injuries.