To cut my shoes, or to not cut my shoes?

I would advise against it. I altered my shoes last XC season by hollowing out the right side of my trainers right below the ankle to relieve pressure on a sore spot. Worked for a day or two, but then developed knee problems which led to gait problems and further injuries, ad infinitum. If you absolutely must cut some part out of your shoes, I recommend doing the same to both shoes so as to lessen any imbalancing effects.

Cutting your shoes in less than sterile, antiseptic conditions could lead to infection and possible brain damage.

Hmmf. Brain damage, eh? I'd might be willing that sacrifice.

An incredible amount of modification can be done to YOUR shoes. They are yours man. Yet they are made for a stereotypical body, which yours is not. I won't describe here much about the mods i've done, but let me assure you I didn't quit on my first pair. I've done over 20 pairs, for six other people than myself. You can cut weight by about 25%, which does wonders for your leverage. Anyways, I'll do yours up if you'd like me to, just pay for shipping.

Legalizit please describe your cutting? What are you running in now? Do U race & train in the same shoe? Why are you better then anyone else for cutting up shoes? How do you know what to cut & what to save? Legalizit what are your goals in life? I will look back here shorly to find out, thank you Legalizit. the stotan

im not sure about modifying for performance (it seems like a good idea in theory), but ive adjusted several pairs to avoid achilles discomfort, with nothing but success

I cut a pair of Nike's once where the insole was casuing a serious hotspot and blisters in just a mile - relieved the hotspot and I put the typical 700 miles on them.

My friendly acquaintance Legalizit: Thank you for the offer, but I think I?ll try it myself (always been a real hands-on type Manatee). I should have been more specific, but Laissez-Faire was right on the mark, it?s my achilles that seem to be bothering me and I think I?ll work on the shoes to try and fix this nagging little problem.

Back in the eighties, my family was friends with a Norwegian XC skier named TJ Sordal. Not Olympic level, but close. By the time we knew him he was essentially out of the sport and working for a company named Orthofeet that produced orthotic kits for podiatrists. Anyway, he was amazed at the (heavy) weight of the shoes I ran in including my racing flats. Now, we're talking Nike Spiridon's, which were probably around 6.5 ounces.

Making a long story short, he bought a used pair of Spiridon's from me and took a carving knife to the midsole and whittled away about 60% of the midsole & outsole. Then, he used a hole puncher to absolutely air condition the entire upper. When he was done, the shoes probably weighed 3.5 ounces each.

He ran a few times in these things, probably only 4 miles max at like a 5:30 pace on the roads. Keep in mind this guy's cardio system was still very intact from 20 years of XC skiing.

Well, I was entered in the 1985 NYC Marathon, and in those days the security wasn't quite as nuts at the start as it is now. After I got my race # from the NYRRC, I made TJ an exact duplicate of my number with, obviously, different numbers. So we ran the marathon, me doing a 3:46 (just getting over the flu) and TJ being right with Grete thru halfway and then getting pulled off the course in the last mile on about 3:05 pace (the only reason he got pulled off the course was that I made his number with WATER SOLUBLE magic markers and the inwas running...oops!).

I think I recall TJ saying he woulda outrun the NYRRC police if the shoes he had on (the mutilated Spiridon's) were just a little lighter.

What kind of cutting have you guys done to help your achilles? I've cut open the heel part (the padding that is right up against the achilles) and tore out some padding. That has seemed to help quite a lot even though my achilles does not hurt right where the padding is. Is there more/different cutting I could be doing that would help my achilles even more?

I've been modifying shoes since the 70's using various cutting tools. If I hadn't performed surgery, the patients would've been put out to pasture. Start w/a small incision, see if that works and go from there. I've used duct tape, the handyman's secret weapon, to stitch the patient up. Recovery time is off the charts fast. Most doctors will allow patients back out on the roads in minutes.

a small incision where? and where to go from there? more details would really help since just some some cutting off the top of my head has helped to a large extent.

oh yeah, i realized my post sounds dumb. by "off the top of my head" i don't mean i'm cutting up my head. i mean that i am just deciding off the top of my head what to cut. some more technical info would be appreciated. thanks

Nike Width Enhancements - Rated R - Not For Small Animals, The Weak Of Heart or Child Sweat Shop Workers!

Nike training shoes are always too narrow for my feet. Technically, it is not the same surgey as the achilles ripumdectomy, but here is what I do:

First, put the patient on a sturdy table in good light. Especially with Nikes, one wrong move and Leftie will be burying Rightie and living on social security. (pop!!!...... hisssssssssss....)

Then, make sure you unlace the shoe. Very important. Again, you have to apply a lot of specific force to saw through layers of fake leather, PVC and Gortex. One slip of the hand and you'll never lace those boys up the same for the rest of their life.

I take a Bowie knife or a pair of big scissors or even a rusty soup can lid and begin by cutting into the leather a few centimeters past the first holes of the lacing system (right above the widest part of the shoe)

You have to apply a lot of force and it make take several minutes to chew through this synthetic leather section.

Just remember, once you do break through, immediatley pull back, man! Nylon is like butter and you'll scar that baby for sure if the knife slips. In fact, you'll instantly slice straight through the nylon or mesh of the upper right from the lacing system to the footbed with one false move.

Do the same to the other side remembering that once you relace you will be able to automatically adjust the width of the shoe with the laces.

It may not look pretty when your done, but barring buying an unsightly pair of New Balance, this is the only way a wide-footed runner can style in a pair of Nike Shock-a-Kahns or Air Storm Pegasus.

PS I also do work on household pets.

..."the achilles ripumdectomy"... Now that's funny!

All right, the deed has been done, the verdict is in. Oh - hang on, really hot temp worker at the photocopier... All right, where was I? Right - the shoes. Well, I secretly borrowed my ever-lovely better half?s (or is that halves?) super duper sewing scissors, which I obviously sterilized (hey rhymes with legalize!) Grabbed my faithful assistant Mozzie (family cat ? promptly fell asleep on the work table and had to be shifted ? TWICE). Anyhoo, started hackin? away at the heel. Tried them on, took off and hacked away a little more. This morning at 5 am I laced them up and headed out into the balmy 17-degree weather and realized two things. After 12 miles I surmised that these freakin? shoe companies have a high back on the heel to 1) keep the snow out (got a mite cold back there) and 2) for no other apparent reason. Being as I?m as tough as nails (as I?m most certainly sure most of you are) I suggest, if the shoes fit ? wear ?em, if not ? cut ?em.

..."the achilles ripumdectomy"... Now that's funny!

All right, the deed has been done, the verdict is in. Oh - hang on, really hot temp worker at the photocopier... All right, where was I? Right - the shoes. Well, I secretly borrowed my ever-lovely better half?s (or is that halves?) super duper sewing scissors, which I obviously sterilized (hey rhymes with legalize!) Grabbed my faithful assistant Mozzie (family cat ? promptly fell asleep on the work table and had to be shifted ? TWICE). Anyhoo, started hackin? away at the heel. Tried them on, took off and hacked away a little more. This morning at 5 am I laced them up and headed out into the balmy 17-degree weather and realized two things. After 12 miles I surmised that these freakin? shoe companies have a high back on the heel to 1) keep the snow out (got a mite cold back there) and 2) for no other apparent reason. Being as I?m as tough as nails (as I?m most certainly sure most of you are) I suggest, if the shoes fit ? wear ?em, if not ? cut ?em.