11–20 of 46 posts
If you have planar fasciitis (many people do), your running shoes are not a lie. Less padding is pure evil in that situation.
My feet feel much stronger than they did before.
My best friend is a varsity track athlete who swears by his running shoes. We always get into a debate about the merits of shoes - perhaps I have finally won!
barefoot running seems like a great idea, but not in a park where geese and dogs like to leave stuff on the ground
If you have planar fasciitis (many people do), your running shoes are not a lie. Less padding is pure evil in that situation.
Do you dare question the Daily Mail ?!
I've always wanted to try a pair of Vibram Five Fingers ( http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/ ), they are about as close to running barefoot as you can get while still having a little protection.
Also check out Terra Plana Vivo Barefoot shoes. They're more expensive ($140-$200) but they look cool. They're the most comfortable shoes I've ever owned. I like them so much I've bought 3 pairs.
http://www.nike.com/nikefree/ barefoot running seems like a great idea, but not in a park where geese and dogs like to leave stuff on the ground
"And then comes the grand finale: we cut back to the Kenyans, whose bare feet are now sporting some kind of thin shoe. It's the new Nike Free, a shoe thinner than the old Cortez dreamt up by Bowerman in the Seventies. And its slogan?
'Run Barefoot.'
The price of this return to nature?
A conservative £65. But, unlike the real thing, experts may still advise you to change them every three months."
As someone else said, these may be a better bet anyway: http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/
Yes, it's entirely possible that high-end running shoes aren't helping us as much as we think they are. Yes, it's possible that there's a correlation between high priced running shoes and injuries. On the other hand, the author claims a lot of things that are simply ludicrous:
"Logically, that should be obvious - the impact on your legs from running can be up to 12 times your weight, so it's preposterous to believe a half-inch of rubber is going to make a difference."
If my head was moving at 10mph towards brick wall, a half-inch of dense rubber would probably make a whole lot of difference. I don't see how it's "preposterous" to think that it might be a similar story for feet.
"Despite all their marketing suggestions to the contrary, no manufacturer has ever invented a shoe that is any help at all in injury prevention"
This is the sort of statement the author is especially prone to making. This is such a leaky assertion that it's difficult to address. Ignoring the obvious benefits of shoes in all-terrain situations, there are many medical conditions that are addressed by shoes that are undeniably helpful.
Basically, the author is claiming that with a bit of fairy dust and some marketing skills, the running shoe industry has hoodwinked everyone for thirty years. If the author provided more actual data and less statements like "no matter who you are, no matter how much you run, your odds of getting hurt are the same" with no source (how could it possibly be the same odds for everyone?), I'd be more willing to believe.
I dislike making personal comments, but this author simply seems to be a demagogue.
I've always wanted to try a pair of Vibram Five Fingers ( http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/ ), they are about as close to running barefoot as you can get while still having a little protection.
I have a pair and I really like them. They aren't expensive and they feel good :) Also check out Terra Plana Vivo Barefoot shoes. They're more expensive ($140-$200) but they look cool. They're the most comfortable shoes I've ever owned. I like them so much I've bought 3 pairs.
A couple of weeks ago I finally broke down and payed up for a pair of Vivo Barefoot Aquas ($109 on Amazon -- http://www.amazon.com/Terra-Plana-Mens-Aqua-Sneaker/dp/B0013...). I think they look cool but my wife rolls her eyes when I put them on. However they are incredibly comfortable to wear -- It's like wearing a moccasin only with a bit more style.
I run 5 miles barefoot every day. It's seriously so much more enjoyable than running with shoes on ever was. In fact, I didn't run at ALL until I went barefoot. It is also a very tough, rewarding workout on the right surface - for example, I run on soft sand (which, by the way, is the best way to run if you want to save your knees). My best friend is a varsity track athlete who swears by his running shoes. We always…
This is an interesting idea for discussion, but I think the author handles it very poorly. Yes, it's entirely possible that high-end running shoes aren't helping us as much as we think they are. Yes, it's possible that there's a correlation between high priced running shoes and injuries. On the other hand, the author claims a lot of things that are simply ludicrous: "Logically, that should be obvious - the impact on…
It could simply be that people that buy the most expensive shoe are also the people that jump into running too quickly, train too hard and do not have the body types (yet) for running. I run about 15 miles a week and all good runners that I know (they aren't injured all the time) do not own the most expensive shoes...they own the ones that feel the best.