Why Not Flat Foot Strike?

I think everyone should just run the way that feels most comfortable to them. Running should be fun

I also think you should just run however feels natural to you. Trying to alter stride seems like a sure fire way to injure oneself.

The more time you waste changing foot strikes, worried about heart rate, and doing other things not relevant to actual running the more time you lose that could be used for getting faster, running longer, or just having fun.

You want to work on something? Work on your stride. How far are you legs extending behind you as you run? Are you feet landing under you? Are you pushing off with force or are you just gliding along? Some of the gadgets you own can help you figure this out but you can't get lost in the numbers.

I can't run. Hurts too much. Don't want to another foot surgery.

OldAssDude wrote: »

youngmomtaz wrote: »

I used to just run. Until 3 summers in a row with no changes to mileage or terrain I ended up with stress fractures. I researched shoes, forefoot striking, all of everything I could read. Happened to mention it to the new Physio I was seeing for low back issues and he was all for the transition. So I started slow. 1 mile a week in a zero drop shoe with cushioning. Regular miles ran in my “regular” shoes. Then more miles in the new shoes. After a year of added mileage I changed to a zero drop shoe with zero cushioning and again started with one mile. My skinny lower legs suddenly gained an inch around in muscle and I have not had a stress fracture or a hint of pain since. Can run over half marathon distance with a forefoot/almost flat footed landing. I find running this way has me a bit slower but I am ok with that as I am in it for the enjoyment not for the numbers.

I am experimenting with sorta the same thing.

I have Altra Escalante's for zero drop cushioned shoes, and Merrell Vapor Glove 4's for zero drop non cushioned shoes. I have been taking it slow, and can run 10 miles in the Escalante's, and am up to about 3 miles in the Vapor glove's. I run mostly on asphalt, and using the Vapor Glove's, and being able to feel the details of the ground, really does change my form (in a good way). It's like my brain won't let me strike wrong, because I know it would hurt. I run slow anyway, so pace does not really matter to me.

I may even have a go at completely barefoot this summer.

What shoes do you use?

I have been running in Vibram 5 fingers for over 10years now. They are some of my favourite! What I don’t like about them is the $$. When I can find other acceptable shoes on sale I snatch them up. I am wearing a pair of Merrell trail glove 4 right now. And love them! If I could get all the colours and styles offered in the US I would be so happy but we seem to have very slim picking here in Canada. I have them in my “true” size, and a full size up for winter running with wooly socks or for when I hike 20+ miles with a heavy pack and need socks to help prevent friction. I would love to buy some vivobatefoot too. Maybe I will come across a shop that stocks them on my travels this summer so I can check out the sizing for future online orders.

People evolved pads on the ball and heel because those match the natural mechanics of full on sprinting/athletic running (ball) and walking (heel).

You could argue that slow long distance running has not been a large enough proportion of human activity so as to be a driver of how we evolve; the body simply doesn't have a universal adaptation to deal with it. Therefore, fore, mid, or heel doesn't matter. All that matters is landing your foot center of mass.

Whether you're talking foot strike position or stride length, those are never the goals in and of themselves. Those are only a means to an end; that end being to reduce the impact forces that travel up the leg and through your joints. This is why landing center mass is the key.

Re: OP's mechanics...I can think of no case where one would land forefoot and then roll their foot backward to flat? While I absolutely advocate not overthinking your footstrike, if that is your current running mechanic then you probably do want to change.

OldAssDude wrote: »

There is much debate over heel striking, mid foot striking, forefoot striking, etc...

I am basically a flat foot striker. Depending if I'm going up or down hill, my heel or forefoot may touch the ground first, but either way it goes right to the flat foot, and that is where the actual impact is. I try to run with good posture, and strike center weight.

People say humans have evolved for running for 2 million years, and that they should have a forefoot strike.

I say, humans have evolved pads on both the heel and the forefoot for a reason.

I do try forefoot striking once in a while without letting my heel hit the ground, and it feels like my calf muscles are going to tear right off the bone. And if feels like way too much stress on my ankle and achilles.

I can run with a flat foot strike in barefoot running shoes, and it feels fine.

Lets discuss...

It sounds to me like what you’re calling flat foot strike is what I would call a midfoot strike. You’re landing not on the ball of the foot, nor in the heel...so midfoot?

If you’re comfortable with it and your center of gravity is in the right spot when you land, I would think you’re fine. But then I never gave my footstrike a second thought after getting my shoes.

I’ve heard that a common problem with a heel strike is overstriding, but in and of themselves the heelstrike and midfoot strike are fine.

OldAssDude wrote: »

dewd2 wrote: »

The more time you waste changing foot strikes, worried about heart rate, and doing other things not relevant to actual running the more time you lose that could be used for getting faster, running longer, or just having fun.

You want to work on something? Work on your stride. How far are you legs extending behind you as you run? Are you feet landing under you? Are you pushing off with force or are you just gliding along? Some of the gadgets you own can help you figure this out but you can't get lost in the numbers.

I'm not getting lost in the numbers, and I am having fun. I don't think there is anything wrong with working on/experimenting with different forms of running.

You gotta remember... you have been running for decades, and many other people have not.

You have helped me a lot on this forum, and if you had not challenged me to do that running program, I would not be able to run over 13 miles today.

But, I don't think it's a waste of time to experiment. To me it's part of the fun...

Fair enough. And you are having fun.

It feels like I'm landing on the bottom of my heel, to me. Nearly flat-footed. I switched to zero drop, minimal shoes fairly early on, and it was like magic. As soon as I made the transition, and I didn't bother with gradual build-up, either, I was running nearly a minute per mile faster (from 12 min miles to 11).

A couple years ago, I was persuaded to give cushioned shoes another try. I went with a neutral shoe, around 10mm drop. I don't wear them. They're ok, but the toes are a little too narrow to be comfortable. The cushion causes my heels to sink in when I stride, and the top of the heel cup abrades my ankle. They're not so bad that I couldn't wear them for short distances, but anything over 6 miles means I'm gonna need some bandaids.

I'm convinced that it's not what part of the foot hits first, but how hard you're slamming it into the ground. I know I feel best when I'm landing lightly - it feels springy and gazelle-like, and I tend to startle the people I'm coming up behind. I don't know how they don't hear the huffing and puffing, even if they can't hear my footfall... I must be doing better with that than I realize, too.

I am a natural forefoot striker and I do believe that gives you more natural shock absorption and more spring in each step that translates to being faster somehow.
That said: I remember a study done by physiologists at Harvard a few years back. This was back when the whole forefoot and barefoot running movement was starting and getting much attention.
I'm pretty sure that at that time it was taken for granted that forefoot running was the evolutionarily preferred running style of the caveman and African savanha dweller.
So they tried to train heel strikers to forefoot run. They could not and, I believe, they also found that heel strikers did experience more pounding force with their strides but did not have more injuries.
Whatever it was they found specifically, they definitely concluded that if flat foot is your style, you probably cannot change it very much and it really doesn't matter.
I am pretty sure my running form is exquisite and people out there are passing me all the time.

GiddyupTim wrote: »

I am a natural forefoot striker and I do believe that gives you more natural shock absorption and more spring in each step that translates to being faster somehow.
That said: I remember a study done by physiologists at Harvard a few years back. This was back when the whole forefoot and barefoot running movement was starting and getting much attention.
I'm pretty sure that at that time it was taken for granted that forefoot running was the evolutionarily preferred running style of the caveman and African savanha dweller.
So they tried to train heel strikers to forefoot run. They could not and, I believe, they also found that heel strikers did experience more pounding force with their strides but did not have more injuries.
Whatever it was they found specifically, they definitely concluded that if flat foot is your style, you probably cannot change it very much and it really doesn't matter.
I am pretty sure my running form is exquisite and people out there are passing me all the time.

I don't know if it was the same study, but a study also found that training heel strikers to run forefoot generally leads to more injuries for those runners even with a careful transition and adaptation period.

Contrary to popular belief, forefoot striking doesn't eliminate landing force, it just shifts it to another place on the body. There is some belief that your natural running style is your body's way of telling you which part of your own body will be best able to deal with the stress.