Let's talk running shoes!

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  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
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    Drinking the "Born to Run" Kool-Aid?!

    To each his or her own, but if you KNOW you have issues...talk to someone before you go try out and try barefoot running or minimalist. And yes I'm going to call it a fad, it is a fad because people "want to wear the finger shoes"... maybe people didn't wear them 2000 years ago, but wearing "cushioned" shoes isn't really the "cool" thing to do like VFFs. My shoes have minimal cushioning but still enough stability and none of them weighs more than 8 or 9 oz.

    My problem also isn't my form, it's years of injuries from soccer and other sports - mainly I have no stability in my right foot due to stretched and torn ligaments and tendons. Surgery is an option, but not really a guarantee in the slightest. Pure Cadence are as minimalist as I am willing to go, and I'm still not quite there, need to strengthen my right side more in order to run in them (per my Physical Therapist's orders).

    No. My curiousity about trying the minimalist shoes came from the head of my running group long before I ever heard of barefoot running and minimalist shoes or laid my eyes on my first pair of VFFs. He also happens to be a doctor with an interest in sports medicine who I have a lot of respect for and certainly not the type of guy that is into fads. I did read the book about 2 weeks ago and almost didn't because I thought it was really going to oversell the barefoot running. It touched on it a bit, but I wouldn't say it oversold the idea. The book did not convince me anymore to do it.
    My post about knowing it is not form was in response to the comment that cushioned shoes allow for poor form which causes problems. My point was that I don't think my issue is form, so I don't think the shoes cause the problem, which is part of the reason I have decided against minimalist shoes for myself. I said that I am not going to try them for the reasons I gave above. I would like to, but I am not going to.
  • dixiech1ck
    dixiech1ck Posts: 769 Member
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    Funny enough I've tried the asics, vibrams, and the brooks..but the best I've found is the K-swiss tubes. It's crazy how comfortable they are and they feel better the longer you run in them. I saw reviews on them online and decided okay I'll give them a shot and I'm glad I did.

    Will have to check these out. I'm a wide width so I definitely need the room and always thought K-Swiss was a more narrow maker. Thanks for the tip!
  • jillybeanruns
    jillybeanruns Posts: 1,420 Member
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    Drinking the "Born to Run" Kool-Aid?!

    To each his or her own, but if you KNOW you have issues...talk to someone before you go try out and try barefoot running or minimalist. And yes I'm going to call it a fad, it is a fad because people "want to wear the finger shoes"... maybe people didn't wear them 2000 years ago, but wearing "cushioned" shoes isn't really the "cool" thing to do like VFFs. My shoes have minimal cushioning but still enough stability and none of them weighs more than 8 or 9 oz.

    My problem also isn't my form, it's years of injuries from soccer and other sports - mainly I have no stability in my right foot due to stretched and torn ligaments and tendons. Surgery is an option, but not really a guarantee in the slightest. Pure Cadence are as minimalist as I am willing to go, and I'm still not quite there, need to strengthen my right side more in order to run in them (per my Physical Therapist's orders).

    No. My curiousity about trying the minimalist shoes came from the head of my running group long before I ever heard of barefoot running and minimalist shoes or laid my eyes on my first pair of VFFs. He also happens to be a doctor with an interest in sports medicine who I have a lot of respect for and certainly not the type of guy that is into fads. I did read the book about 2 weeks ago and almost didn't because I thought it was really going to oversell the barefoot running. It touched on it a bit, but I wouldn't say it oversold the idea. The book did not convince me anymore to do it.
    My post about knowing it is not form was in response to the comment that cushioned shoes allow for poor form which causes problems. My point was that I don't think my issue is form, so I don't think the shoes cause the problem, which is part of the reason I have decided against minimalist shoes for myself. I said that I am not going to try them for the reasons I gave above. I would like to, but I am not going to.

    Sorry, I should have clarified - that whole post wasn't for you :-D Certainly not the Kool-Aid part! I'm sure you've done your research enough to know what you should/shouldn't run in! So many people are just "fascinated" by the Vibrams and it's just stupid, frankly...it's like me going to run a marathon in a pair of Converse sneakers?!
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
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    NP :-D
  • thesarahsundae
    thesarahsundae Posts: 240 Member
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    New Balance for me!! I currently have 2 pairs but am looking to get a 3rd pair as the miles have been adding up on these ones. After the holidays are over I'll be purchasing a new pair for sure.
  • caseyp1122
    caseyp1122 Posts: 79 Member
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    I used to be a Nike Free Run guy and put roughly 4-600 miles on them before I changed up (bad idea). I just bought my first pair of Reebok Real Flex running shoes that form to your foot. It feels lighter and I'm looking forward to breaking them in.

    On another note this idea that barefoot is bad for the majority of Americans is incorrect, at least according to one finding. They compared the feet of our ancient ancestors who wore no shoes to members of the current society and they found that the feet structures of our ancestors were in dramatically better shape than those of today. Just some food for thought.
  • AZTrailRunner
    AZTrailRunner Posts: 1,199 Member
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    I really really would like to go minimalist and VFF but I am too nervous. I know it is supposed to strengthen your weakness, but like I said above, I have problems in neutral shoes and have no issues with my stability shoes.

    Don't do it. Only a very small percentage of the population can run barefoot without issue. Ask any physical therapist, orthopedic surgeon...it is not for most, really it's for like .1% of the population. Stick with what you know, a lights stability shoe is you're best bet, that's what I run in. I see VFFs as a huge fad as well, I'm not about running fads...

    Obviously you have a lot of negativity towards minimalist running shoes. Instead of just giving us your biased opinion on the matter, can you please point us in the direction of documentation supporting your argument (peer-reviewed)? I'm interested to see where all of your hostility comes from. Maybe you're right about all of this, or maybe those physicians and podiatrists are treating people who jumped into something without doing things properly. I'm sure your same physicians are treating thousands of people who get injured in the gym by not being smart about lifting properly. Should we avoid the gym as well?
  • runs4zen
    runs4zen Posts: 769 Member
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    There's alot to think about in this post...it's awesome...

    Definitely going to check into the Mizuno's--never heard of them. I've tried on a few pairs of Brooks but they don't feel right on my foot. Of course, I'm loyal to the Asics but apparently it's okay to have MANY pairs of running shoes! :)
  • AZTrailRunner
    AZTrailRunner Posts: 1,199 Member
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    There's alot to think about in this post...it's awesome...

    Definitely going to check into the Mizuno's--never heard of them. I've tried on a few pairs of Brooks but they don't feel right on my foot. Of course, I'm loyal to the Asics but apparently it's okay to have MANY pairs of running shoes! :)

    In the end, you want to shop by "proper fit", and not by popular brands. And yes, you can have numerous pairs of running shoes. :smile:
  • Rocking_Robin
    Rocking_Robin Posts: 238 Member
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    bump for later, just start running 2 months ago
  • acasey0123
    acasey0123 Posts: 640 Member
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    bump
  • bert16
    bert16 Posts: 726 Member
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    Drinking the "Born to Run" Kool-Aid?!

    To each his or her own, but if you KNOW you have issues...talk to someone before you go try out and try barefoot running or minimalist. And yes I'm going to call it a fad, it is a fad because people "want to wear the finger shoes"... maybe people didn't wear them 2000 years ago, but wearing "cushioned" shoes isn't really the "cool" thing to do like VFFs. My shoes have minimal cushioning but still enough stability and none of them weighs more than 8 or 9 oz.

    My problem also isn't my form, it's years of injuries from soccer and other sports - mainly I have no stability in my right foot due to stretched and torn ligaments and tendons. Surgery is an option, but not really a guarantee in the slightest. Pure Cadence are as minimalist as I am willing to go, and I'm still not quite there, need to strengthen my right side more in order to run in them (per my Physical Therapist's orders).

    No. My curiousity about trying the minimalist shoes came from the head of my running group long before I ever heard of barefoot running and minimalist shoes or laid my eyes on my first pair of VFFs. He also happens to be a doctor with an interest in sports medicine who I have a lot of respect for and certainly not the type of guy that is into fads. I did read the book about 2 weeks ago and almost didn't because I thought it was really going to oversell the barefoot running. It touched on it a bit, but I wouldn't say it oversold the idea. The book did not convince me anymore to do it.
    My post about knowing it is not form was in response to the comment that cushioned shoes allow for poor form which causes problems. My point was that I don't think my issue is form, so I don't think the shoes cause the problem, which is part of the reason I have decided against minimalist shoes for myself. I said that I am not going to try them for the reasons I gave above. I would like to, but I am not going to.

    Sorry, I should have clarified - that whole post wasn't for you :-D Certainly not the Kool-Aid part! I'm sure you've done your research enough to know what you should/shouldn't run in! So many people are just "fascinated" by the Vibrams and it's just stupid, frankly...it's like me going to run a marathon in a pair of Converse sneakers?!

    So was it for me?!? I'm not "just fascinated" with Vibrams... I've been running in minimalist shoes for years and have read a number of books and articles (beyond "Born to Run", in case you were wondering), so am thinking of making the transition to barefoot from minimalist. Frankly, it's "just stupid" to assume that you have any knowledge of the source of people's fascination with shoes based on an MFP thread. And, if it wasn't for me or the other poster in this quoted chain, at whom was it directed? Just curious.

    And I'm stilll re-reading this entire thread to see where anyone told anyone else that they have to buy them...

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