Akilles wrote:
I am looking at some shoes and the New Balance Vazee Pace looks pretty cool but I'm worried about the 6mm drop. I currently run in the Pegasus and don't want to destroy my achilles or calves or anything. I definitely wouldn't switch to a 4mm drop shoe but would 6 possibly okay? I am light and have fairly good form if it matters at all.
I can't promise you anything, but I don't think the decrease will hurt you. I was running in my Adidas Supernova Glide 6 with 10 mm heel-toe drop. I then began running in my Hoka Huaka with 2 mm heel-toe drop. No problem at all. But I'm sure it also depends on whether you're a big heel striker vs. a mid- or forefoot striker. I'm a mid-foot striker, and the lesser drop seems to really help my stride feel more natural and comfortable. Now when I run in a 10 mm heel-toe drop shoe, the heel feels too high for me, and I feel like it's forcing me to hit the heel too much. Now, I do intend to run mostly in the 2 mm heel-toe drop Huaka, but I rotate that occasionally with the 10 mm Supernova Glide and my 8 mm Saucony Ride 6. You might want to rotate shoes just to give your leg muscles a slightly different flex and exercise rather than the same movement every time. If anything, you can wean yourself off the high drop shoes and gradually get used to a lower drop. For me, I just went directly from 10 mm to 2 mm, and I love the difference and have been able to increase my mileage without issues. Good luck.