What makes an expert an expert?
I followed an interesting article today that appeared in my email inbox. The topic was about minimalist running. As a triathlete, coach and physician I was eager to read the opinion of another sports medicine physician regarding padding in shoes.
The author responsibly brought up the fact that runners from other cultures…Kenya for example, grow up running barefoot as a matter of life circumstances, and that as a result, their feet are well adapted to run without shoes, and without shoe padding.
Check. I can accept that. Sometimes I wish I’d grownup totally barefoot. I distinctly remember in elementary school the first time I wore a pair of expensive Reebok running shoes that my parents had bought for me. I always loved running sports, mostly soccer and then later in college, ultimate. But as a 9 year old I remember slipping on those running shoes for the first time, taking my first few steps and feeling that oh-so-wonderful sensation of my heel being cushioned by the thick sole of the shoe.
It was magnificent and revelatory. I longed for that cushy sensation and stuck my heel out with every step so that I could feel that sensation over and over again. it shaped the way I ran from age 9 onward. What I wouldn’t give to have a video of my running from age 8 to age 10. What would have looked different? Well I can tell you that I felt different.
| It was magnificent and revelatory. I longed for that cushy sensation and stuck my heel out with every step |
Back to playing soccer…I loved the sport..I lived, ate, breathed and slept soccer. I was captain of our first girls team in high school, I played every position including goalie, I even played an age group up when they couldn’t field a talented goalie for the 15-17 year old state traveling team. But one thing seemed unfair…soccer cleats didn’t have padding! How was I supposed to run and run fast? No one could ever answer this for me and I suffered from heel pain, plantar fasciitis and used custom molded orthotics in my soccer cleats and still always had pain. (Could that be why I never pursued my dream of being on the national team?)
Back to the article I was reading today…after mentioning that the Kenyan runners had grown up running barefoot and there feet had adapted, he explained that you can’t simply remove a shoe of someone who has grown up running WITH them. So far so good. I would presume, and it has been my experience that there is a fair amount of adaptation needed by changing foot support dramatically.
He then goes on to talk about injuries & padding in the shoes and says…it helps! (helps what exactly? He didn’t specify..does it minimize ground force reaction? does it reduce injury?) The next paragraph then listed the litany of running injuries suffered by Americans…a list longer than I was able to brainstorm on my own. It read like an encyclopedic entry for any lower extremity injury known to sports physicians.
My mind jumped to a logical conclusion…that despite the presence of padded & supportive running shoes, Americans still suffer a large number of injuries so perhaps…just maybe…the padding isn’t helping?
I know that in my case, as a 9 year old…the padding gave me a false sense of comfort. I deliberately changed the way that I ran to take advantage of the extra padding. When the padding wore out or got thin I replaced my shoes (well, my parents replaced them). when I played the sport that was my passion, I paid with terrible pain because my running had adapted to the padded shoes, yet I was playing with non-padded cleats. Padded & elevated running shoes of course had no place on the soccer field as they provided no support or traction for fast, lateral movements and the incidence of turned ankles was already high enough.
| I was irritated with this so called “expert’s” conclusions about the benefits of padded running shoes. If there are a litany of injuries plaguing American runners then how can you suggest that the shoes we’ve all been wearing since the 80s are helping? |
I was irritated with this so called “expert’s” conclusions about the benefits of padded running shoes. If there are a litany of injuries plaguing American runners then how can you suggest that the shoes we’ve all been wearing since the 80s are helping?
I’m not going to suggest definitively that all American runners should ditch their running shoes, but I will suggest that you need to read and scour every piece of advice you read with a critical eye and in light of facts that you know, experiences that you’ve had and finally filter then through your own perception.
Does that mean that my opinion is more right than the authors? Certainly not, but I know that I could write a convincing “expert” opinion and reach the opposite conclusion of the sports doc. So, who is more correct?
What do you think about the benefits or lack thereof with padded running shoes?
funny that you just wrote this. i have been a runner for about 16 years, and am in my 3rd season of triathlon. i have always worn padded running sneakers. in april, i had arthroscopy on a torn meniscus. after the surgery, my bunions, which never hurt before while running, now hurt while running. i had a running analysis done and it was determined, among some other things, that i was a hard heel striker. i made some tweaks to my form/stride but that didn’t help the bunion pain while running. then my podiatrist, also a triathlete, recommended a certain pair of minimalist sneakers. he said they either are fantastic for runners w/bunion pain, or horrible. during my first run in them, the bunions miraculously didn’t hurt. however, after i was done the run, my low back was killing me. i stuck with them and in my next two runs no bunion pain and no post-run back pain. so it’s only been three runs in these minimalist sneakers, but i’m cautiously optimistic that this has solved my problem, which i’m thrilled about. so i’m happy to have been exposed to the minimalist sneaker and may have just become a big fan.
I am also confused about the whole cushion support vs minimalist show debate. I have read countless articles by “experts” strongly defending each side. My father and mother, old school triathaletes and marathon runners swear by cushioned heels and padded arch supports. I am not a fan of bulky shoes and played soccer competitivley as well, however did not have many injuries. Now, as I have taken up running and triathlon training I have been wearing minimalist shoes and have not had any problems at all (although my legs have been sore for the last two months, maybe because I am pushing used too hard). It feels better to me to have less support and I like feeling te ground beneath me. But I still have that voice in the back of my mind of doubt, should I be wearing more padding? Should I be running 10+ miles on hard surfaces with no support?
I think that our culture tends to market products and make us believe we need them (even if we really don’t). Like having a different household cleaning product for every job (bakingsoda and vinegar is all you need). Or, the multitude of beauty products and assesories marketed to women. Especially for athletes; there is always the hot new gear, gadget, uniform. Vegan, gluten free or paleo?
I guess people should do what works for them. If you run with a heel strike minimal shoes will hurt you. Not all fads will pass the test of time and ancient cures and methods will emerge in the future. I do what works for me and I research ideas and take what makes sense to me. And I try to silence the doubting voice and listen to my body and mind; it will let me know.
I saw that article and was disappointed in the biased nature of it – especially from a physician who should know better that everyone is different and what works for one may not work for another. I hate running and I at least partly blame traditional running shoes. When I bought a pair of minimalist shoes and tried to run in them, it was a revelation! My run gait felt much more natural and fun and viola! No shin splints! No ankle rolls! I still am learning to like running, but I will never go back to high heel padded shoes. I now wear minimalist shoes for light hiking and at work – the only reason I need padding is to insulate my feet from the cold of winter. Thanks for rebutting the article.
I am absolutely convinced that padded running shoes are detrimental to running. I did a lot of research on the issue of barefoot running aver the past few years. There is no sense to all the padding if one is running mid strike, as they should be. And all that padding causes lots of problems. I was definitively convinced after reading Born to Run. I have been successfully transitioning to my Vibrams for about 6 months now. The day after I ran my first marathon in the spring, I ditched my running shoes and have not put them on again. I run just as fast, if not faster now and have zero knee and hip pounding. I do get a better calf workout though! I have had to adjust my running style, but it is such a lighter more natural experience now. The experts are soooo wrong.
I have/do run in both padded and unpadded. I don’t run real long distances (1/2 marathon my max distance), but I don run between 15 and 20 miles a week. My favorite shoes are a pair of Pumas which are “soft”, but the soles are pretty flat. I am 51 years old and don’t have joint issues, but the soles of my feet do hurt sometimes after a long run. I find the softer, flat sole the best – a little padding, but not much “built up support” is what works best for me. I also spend a fair amount of time in soccer cleats (for rugby) – don’t mind the flatness of them, but they are definitely “hard-soled” and after a day in them, my feet definitely feel it.
Hi, I’ve been running in minimalist shoes for the past 3 yrs. I did a 50K Daances with Dirt X country in March 2012. I wore minimalist and had no problems and didn’t have to throw away my shoes afterwards like the runners who wore the padded shoes. To run in M.Shoes you have to gradually build up milage. When I wore padded shoes my feet got numb qnd began to ache after 12-14 miles. I do bare feet now when I walk with my wife for about 2-4 miles and go bare foot around the house. “PERSEVERE!”
I am writing as someone whose next pair will most likely be a minimalist version. ( how is that for commitment ;))I have gone through PF on one foot and now have it on the other and am just running through it, icing, etc. I wore Asics gel nimbus through 3 pairs. Ditched them recently for the mizuno wave creation which I love because of the comfort in my forefoot (always had numbness & tingling previously). I can’t say that the running shoes caused the PF or if it is the constant barefoot and wearing of flip flops in the summer when it seems o hurt worse? But, I will give a different shoe a try if it just might make running more comfortable and efficient! Loved reading the other feedback, too!
Jen, I was particularly interested in your post because I am on my 4th pair of Asics gel nimbus. I really never thought there could be a better shoe…but I,too, get a little numbness & tingling in the forefoot. I am not a proponent for minimalist shoes but if you get some, please let me know how they work out. I’m not against trying them-just don’t agree with the concepts yet. Shoot an email if you think of it. A7733676@yahoo.com.
Jen, I’m with Cheryl and you. I’m a Asics Gel Nimbus owner also (3rd pair – two marathons) and each year at the end of the season without fail plantars fascitas or achillies. My feet also go numb in these shoes after a bit. I’ve got a new pair of brooks that are not complete minimalist but not the heavy duty asics either. Looking forward to seeing the results
I have not done any extensive research on minimalist running but I do not agree with the idea of it. Even if some people grew up running without shoes or with less advanced shoes than others, striking feet against the hard surfaces for prolonged periods of time just seems damaging to the anatomy. If I’m not mistaken, humans are the only mammals that will run for a length of time than exceeds the necessary time required for survival (food, fight/flight). So I don’t think our bodies are designed to absorb that type of impact. I’m not completely against minimalist running but I don’t see buying any new shoes in the near future. (My opinions are only in reference to distance running.)
You obviously don’t have a Labrador retriever 😉
True! True! 🙂
Interesting thoughts and comments. I had run for several years before developing a knee issue, I stopped running and started swimming regularly as a low impact workout. After swimming with many Triathlete’s I gave in to the osmosis peer pressure. This year is my first year of sprint triathlon’s. Having a heel first strike makes me wonder if miminalist is the way to go, before, during or after a transistion from full support shoes. I am contemplating the change over a period of time.
Vibrams for me everytime tried various running shoes lots of aches pains and injuries with them switched to vibrams never looked back run quicker and for longer with no problems whatsoever
This is a topic I have been following for over a year now. I am 33, and been a runner since I was 17. I was a serious winter sports enthusiast until moving to a hotter climate. As a result, I now find myself training for my first Tri.
I’ve been running in the Saucony Guide and Hurricane for about 10 years and plan to continue running in them as of right now. I’ve tried running in Nike, Asic, and New Balance, but I always come back to Saucony.
Kenyans may run barefoot, but the country itself does not have the technology or medical care than we have. If they had the same access to medical care, reports might show that running barefoot has its downsides. Additionally, our diets are different and our lifestyles are different.
Best of luck to those who believe in minimalist running… I will continue to read up on this topic. Who knows, I may be sold on the idea eventually.
I have read both the for and against- I own a pair of vibrams but do not train in htem since they are not legal according to USAT (I could be wrong but when I looked into it it wasnt) Honestly I think the reason you hear about more injury problems in the US – is economic. the US runner is far more likely to go to the dr to continue running whereas in other countries they may not. they may just quit or run with the injury etc. personally I dont think its a shoe thing but a culture thing… My 2 cents anyway
Current USAT rules say nothing about shoes or barefoot on the run for standard events. For Youth events, shoes are required.
I REALLY DON’T UNDERSTAND HOW PEOPLE CAN BE SO CLOSED TO CHANGE WHEN SO MANY PEOPLE WITH INJURIES HAVE HAD SUCH POSITIVE RESULTS TO MINIMALIST RUNNING SHOES. MY OWN SON WHO HAD KNEE PROBLEMS WON’T EVEN GIVE THEM A TRY. LIFE IS AN ADVENTURE! I AM EVEN TENDING TOWARDS A VEGAN DIET AND I’M 72 YRS. OLD. YOU CAN ALWAYS SAY THAT YOU’VE BEEN ON AN ADVENTURE AND ARE NOW BACK. ENJOY THE TRIP IT;LL BE OVER BEFORE YOU KNOW IT AND REMEMBER OUR BODIES WON’T LAST FOREVER BUT I WANT TO BE HEALTHY WHEN I DIE.
I have struggled with pf for many years and have gone through everything except surgery to correct it. Have always ran in padded shoes and for the last 6 years had custom orthotics. In the meantime I earned my massage therapist certification and through that did extensive research on pf. As a result of that I decided to try Vibrams. I SLOWY transitioned into them. I have been without pf pain ever since and have developed no other pain or injury. I have not done much running on hard surface though, as most of my running is on dirt roads, grass and trails. I too adjusted my running style, landing mid-foot, running with a shorter, lighter stride. As a result of my experience and research I truly believe that traditional, padded running shoes cause problems for many people, but I also believe that you as an individual need to experiment and figure out what works best for you.
Im an Orthopedic surgeon and I run on barefoot. I run faster and achieved my PR unshod. My long runs are a combination of minimalist (Vibrams) and mid-foot strike shoes. My transition from padded to minimalist to barefoot was gradual and with the expected aches and pains in the legs and feet. Nothing serious. I took it as an adaptation of my body from a heel to mid-foot striker. Short of doing a running gait analysis, have yourself videotaped and you will realize what this fuzz is all about. My running form changes which I now carry-over even when I’m using padded shoes. Now I’m a stronger runner and enjoying every minute of it.
I read Born to Run a few years ago, and decided that I would gradually build barefoot running into any of my treadmill runs. Before I did this I always had pain in my arches and the bridge of my feet, my solution was to keep adding arch support, padding etc… When I started working the barefoot running in, as well as wearing harder soled chacos when I hike are just walk around, I started to notice immediate improvement. I still don’t do my long runs barefoot, but I truly believe the short runs and the removal of cushion and support in my everyday life has gotten rid of any podiatry problems I felt I had, and I haven’t had a shin splint in 3 years. Hard to argue with results.