Can I use racing flats as minimalist running shoes?

BerryH
BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Running friends who've converted to minimalist or barefoot shoes have convinced me they are the way ahead to help prevent injury and keep me running into middle age. A recent gait analysis confirmed I'm a biomechanically efficient mid-foot lander so I should be a good candidate.

I was going to invest in minimalist shoes with a small heel to toe drop before transitioning to fully barefoot, if indeed I make it that far in the long run, but to be honest I'm wary of paying for something that may not suit me in the long run, pun intended, and may be temporary if I do go to the next stage.

I've a pair of Brooks Green Silence which I bought for general wear because they were cheap, cool, eco-friendly and comfy. They're marketed as "racing flats" so I was wondering if there's any reason I can't use them as a transition minimalist shoe? They have an 8mm heel-to-toe drop which is the lower end of transition shoe scale.

A quick run/walk session on the dreadmill last night revealed them to be very comfy to run in. My feet have a mild ache like I exercised muscles in them for the first time, and I can feel I've stretched my calves more than usual, but other than that I'd like to give them a go.

Any thoughts?

Replies

  • darrensurrey
    darrensurrey Posts: 3,942 Member
    I'm no expert but have experimented. If you can run barefoot then there's no reason why you couldn't do "minimalist running" in any other shoes... even high heels. As long as the shoe is secure, I don't see why it has to be a £100 slither of rubber.
  • jonnie7053
    jonnie7053 Posts: 48 Member
    Racing flats would be just fine, the main point with minimalist running is removing as much of the cushioning as possible. I myself have a natural forefoot strike and never had a problem in transitioning into running barefooted, only ever running in shoes with very little cushioning anyway.
  • BerryH
    BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
    Just as I suspected, thanks guys.

    I guess this whole minimalist/barefoot thing boils down to "If it feels good, do it!"
  • BeachGingerOnTheRocks
    BeachGingerOnTheRocks Posts: 3,927 Member
    Just as I suspected, thanks guys.

    I guess this whole minimalist/barefoot thing boils down to "If it feels good, do it!"

    Pretty much.

    It isn't for everyone, but if you find that it works for you, then your racing flats would be just fine.

    I run barefoot on the beach right now. I can't do barefoot pavement running and have started to pick shoes that are very lightweight with just a little more heel strike than a 5-fingers or complete minimalist shoe. I'm running in Nike 3.0 and 5.0 right now. Before that, I ran in an Asics that was fairly flimsy. Before that, I ran in the padded, full-on support stability shoes. Turns out, all of them work pretty well.

    I also have a mid-foot strike and don't pronate or supinate.
  • CarsonRuns
    CarsonRuns Posts: 3,039 Member
    Running friends who've converted to minimalist or barefoot shoes have convinced me they are the way ahead to help prevent injury and keep me running into middle age. A recent gait analysis confirmed I'm a biomechanically efficient mid-foot lander so I should be a good candidate.

    If you are bio-mechanically sound and currently uninjured, there is absolutely no reason to make this switch.
  • BerryH
    BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
    If you are bio-mechanically sound and currently uninjured, there is absolutely no reason to make this switch.
    I've cut running back to almost nothing since I started getting hip pain following longer runs, and a nagging inner ankle pain that the internet tells me could be Tiibialis Posterior tendinitis. But my doctor says there's no tendons there... Either way I'm waiting for a referal to a physio.
  • BeachIron
    BeachIron Posts: 6,490 Member
    When it comes to shoes, definitely experiment and if you have found something that works for you, then go with it. I run either barefoot, or with 5 fingers or with Nike Frees, depending on the surface.
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
    An 8 mm drop seems high for "minimalist" footwear, but the whole definition has been distorted anyway so it really doesnt matter. For your purposes, you should be fine. Currently I run in 0 drop, 0 cushion or a 3mm drop and slight cushion shoes. I really only consider the 0 drop, 0 cushion shoes "minimalist".
  • BerryH
    BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
    An 8 mm drop seems high for "minimalist" footwear, but the whole definition has been distorted anyway so it really doesnt matter. For your purposes, you should be fine. Currently I run in 0 drop, 0 cushion or a 3mm drop and slight cushion shoes. I really only consider the 0 drop, 0 cushion shoes "minimalist".
    That's my ultimate goal!

    I think in general footwear parlance, the 0mm drop makes shoes barefoot, and anything in between is minimalist.

    I got this from one review of Green Silence (which should be a superhero name, BTW):
    The drop from heel-to-toe is only 8mm, vs. 12-13mm in most other Brooks shoes (and most other shoes in general). From a practical standpoint, this makes the Green Silence a good choice for someone looking to try and transition to a more mid-foot/forefoot gait.

    I think that makes it the same drop as Nike Free Run 5.0s.

    Much appreciating all the feedback, thanks everyone, I'll keep you posted about how I get on :flowerforyou:
  • __Di__
    __Di__ Posts: 1,659 Member
    Running friends who've converted to minimalist or barefoot shoes have convinced me they are the way ahead to help prevent injury and keep me running into middle age. A recent gait analysis confirmed I'm a biomechanically efficient mid-foot lander so I should be a good candidate.

    I was going to invest in minimalist shoes with a small heel to toe drop before transitioning to fully barefoot, if indeed I make it that far in the long run, but to be honest I'm wary of paying for something that may not suit me in the long run, pun intended, and may be temporary if I do go to the next stage.

    I've a pair of Brooks Green Silence which I bought for general wear because they were cheap, cool, eco-friendly and comfy. They're marketed as "racing flats" so I was wondering if there's any reason I can't use them as a transition minimalist shoe? They have an 8mm heel-to-toe drop which is the lower end of transition shoe scale.

    A quick run/walk session on the dreadmill last night revealed them to be very comfy to run in. My feet have a mild ache like I exercised muscles in them for the first time, and I can feel I've stretched my calves more than usual, but other than that I'd like to give them a go.

    Any thoughts?

    Yes, if you do go that route, you best ensure you build up distance gradually and I really do mean gradually.

    So many people try to run what they were running in their other shoes and then wonder why their legs are completely done in afterwards.

    Only start off with a very, very small distance and work up in small steps, if you don't you could end up with different sorts of aches and pains that may put you out of action.
  • BerryH
    BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
    You mean I can't train from C25K to an ultra marathon in 14 weeks? :wink:

    Yup, definitely taking it steady, especially as it's all about eliminating aches and pains, not making new ones.
  • Cherimoose
    Cherimoose Posts: 5,208 Member
    I think in general footwear parlance, the 0mm drop makes shoes barefoot, and anything in between is minimalist.

    I think what's more important than marketing labels is that people transition to a slightly lower heel-to-toe drop than whatever their current shoe is. A safe difference seems to be 3-4 mm. It's a good idea to avoid uphill runs the first few weeks, to avoid Achilles tendon strain (downhill is ok).

    As far as the inner ankle pain, check if your foot pronates more than the other, when standing barefoot, like this:
    http://i.imgur.com/ioPCd.jpg
  • __Di__
    __Di__ Posts: 1,659 Member
    You mean I can't train from C25K to an ultra marathon in 14 weeks? :wink:

    Yup, definitely taking it steady, especially as it's all about eliminating aches and pains, not making new ones.

    :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: You often think of that thread too eh

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