The problems with running shoes

[Hakkola]

Good article.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/moslive/article-1170253/The-painful-truth-trainers-Are-expensive-running-shoes-waste-money.html

[Kloubek]

This is totally misleading. I work for a sporting goods company, and I can assure you that although there are blatant acts of marketing and bs by the manufacturers, that there IS a purpose for quality footwear.

I'm not talking about the latest Adidas product which uses a microchip. And honestly, I'm not sure about Asics' latest multi-directional gel pads. Nor am I claiming whether or not decent footwear will help prevent serious injury.

However, good footwear WILL help support your arch, and DOES cushion impact. The article mentions that people who ran without any footwear at all were faster - which is likely true. They don't not get weighed down, nor are they working against any of the protective measures installed in good footwear which helps your foot in the long run.

Put it this way: If footwear did little or nothing for you, do you all think professional runners would wear shoes?

I'm calling, for the most part, :bullshit:

[lint]

^^^ Doesn't sound like you read the article because you're missing the fundamentals, mainly that mainstream shoes alter our biomechanics and therefore cause a lot of the problems that runners are plagued with. One key point they make is that humans are not designed to be heel strikers, which is what shoes with cushioning encourage you to do. Shoes cushion the impact that they cause by the way they make you move. Remove the shoes, remove the impact, remove the need for cushioning.

[msommers]

UofC is developing a shoe right now (or may be finished) that simulates the mechanics of wearing no shoe at all, much like a particular African tribe they were studying (I forget which one). Was on the news a few weeks ago on Global if anyone caught it.

[revelations]

Originally posted by lint
One key point they make is that humans are not designed to be heel strikers, which is what shoes with cushioning encourage you to do.

Bingo... running with a heel strike is like driving with your e-brake on.

Forefoot strikes are the way to go.

Its far easier on my knees as well.

[kaput]

.

[Oz-]

http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/

[msommers]

Originally posted by Oz-
http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/

Those look fuckin retarded but man I wanna try them out!

[kaput]

.

[lint]

Originally posted by kaput
Those look awesome, anyone know where they're sold in Calgary? Thats perfect for the beach and surfing (fucking stingrays), and if they work for running then all the better.

MEC and Fitter carry them in Calgary

[98type_r]

Originally posted by Oz-
http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/

I saw two guys at my last 10k run in these.

I'm going to have to agree with Kloubek on this one, proper footwear isn't entirely a waste of money. I don't work in the industry, but I have been a fan of proper footwear and firmly believe in it.

wearers of expensive running shoes that are promoted as having additional features that protect (eg, more cushioning, 'pronation correction') are injured significantly more frequently than runners wearing inexpensive shoes.

A key contributing factor to this could be training volume. Someone who spends $150 on a pair of shoes is more likely to be running more than once a week, or maybe even more than 10k at a time. I'm wondering if they took that into consideration.

[Oz-]

Originally posted by 98type_r


I saw two guys at my last 10k run in these.

I'm going to have to agree with Kloubek on this one, proper footwear isn't entirely a waste of money. I don't work in the industry, but I have been a fan of proper footwear and firmly believe in it.

wearers of expensive running shoes that are promoted as having additional features that protect (eg, more cushioning, 'pronation correction') are injured significantly more frequently than runners wearing inexpensive shoes.

A key contributing factor to this could be training volume. Someone who spends $150 on a pair of shoes is more likely to be running more than once a week, or maybe even more than 10k at a time. I'm wondering if they took that into consideration.

I use the five fingers to lift weights in, I don't use athletic shoes when I squat or deadlift. Have gotten a couple strange looks so far, but to be honest I love them.

[lint]

Originally posted by 98type_r


I saw two guys at my last 10k run in these.

I'm going to have to agree with Kloubek on this one, proper footwear isn't entirely a waste of money. I don't work in the industry, but I have been a fan of proper footwear and firmly believe in it.

What do you define as "proper footwear"?


Originally posted by 98type_r
wearers of expensive running shoes that are promoted as having additional features that protect (eg, more cushioning, 'pronation correction') are injured significantly more frequently than runners wearing inexpensive shoes.

A key contributing factor to this could be training volume. Someone who spends $150 on a pair of shoes is more likely to be running more than once a week, or maybe even more than 10k at a time. I'm wondering if they took that into consideration.

In the paragraph right above the one you quoted:

Dr Marti's research team analysed 4,358 runners in the Bern Grand Prix, a 9.6-mile road race. All the runners filled out an extensive questionnaire that detailed their training habits and footwear for the previous year; as it turned out, 45 per cent had been hurt during that time. But what surprised Dr Marti was the fact that the most common variable among the casualties wasn't training surface, running speed, weekly mileage or 'competitive training motivation'.

It wasn't even body weight or a history of previous injury. It was the price of the shoe. Runners in shoes that cost more than $95 were more than twice as likely to get hurt as runners in shoes that cost less than $40.

Here's another article in the NY Times from last year echoing the same thing

http://nymag.com/health/features/46213/

[Hakkola]

Originally posted by lint


MEC and Fitter carry them in Calgary

Awesome! I was going to ask about them as well. :thumbsup:

[pinoyhero]

Barefoot running and training FTW!

squats/deads etc in superheeled running shoes aint right

i'm going to buy vibrams this weekend, didn't know they were available in town

[liquidboi69]

Just buy weightlifting shoes/chuck taylors for weightlifting/powerlifting.

Payless has chuck T's really cheap, and buy 1 get one 1/2 price right now.

[lint]

Originally posted by liquidboi69
Just buy weightlifting shoes/chuck taylors for weightlifting/powerlifting.

Payless has chuck T's really cheap, and buy 1 get one 1/2 price right now.

Know of any places in town that sell weightlifting shoes?