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Minimalist vs cushioning
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Currently training for the amsterdam marathon in October and am running with a pair of brooks cushoned shoes and i am not having any problems with them but i am thinking of getting a pair of new balance minimus zeros.
question is do i stick with cusioning or do i change to minamalist?
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why change if you are having no problems?
I need some new shoes and after reading alot about barefoot/minimalist running and how it improves your technie just seeing if any one had maby tryed minimlist and cushoned and could tell me what there opion is?
If you're going to make the change, you need to commit, which would include possibly (probably) changing the way you run. It's not just a matter of changing shoes and the rest just falling into place.
not an expert, but if you're tempted maybe try something in between. I have run in Mizuno wave riders and Brooks ghosts, just got a pair of brooks pure flows - very nice and still cushioned, but they need transition period anyway
i have done 2ironmen and a few marathons in cushioned shoes
now i have started running in vibrams i love them they make me smile as i run
You can't buy a new pair of shoes and go out and do your normal training. If you do you will almost certainly hurt yourself.
If you are running a lot and have no issues, you might be better sticking with the shoes you have now.
Go for a 4mm heel-toe drop at first with a shoe like the Saucony Kinvara 3! If it works out for you then you should go on to a shoes like the Minimus Zero but I think the jump is too big to make so quickly.
I bought some VivoBarefoot Neo shoes to help me change my running gait to a more "barefoot" style. Spent a long time wearing those for some runs and more cushioned shoes (e.g. Mizuno Wave Rider) for others while gradually increasing the distance I could run in the Neos. Now able to run marathon distance in them, but that's a year on. Intending to wear them for a 30-mile in a fortnight.
I had the same thoughts. I bought some Brooks Green Silence and for a while they were good but as I upped the mileage I was getting pains down the inside of my shins as they wern't giving me the medial support I needed. Basically, I have gone back to my Ascis 2160's but just run with more of a forefoot style than before. Things seem fine now!
Nope.
You can still smash your feet, legs and back to bits quite merrily in Vibrams.
You're the only one who can improve your technique. All minimalist shoes can do is help you to stretch out your achilles, strengthen your feet and get more feedback from the ground. These are good enough reasons to want to try minimalist shoes, in my opinion.
...And, as Runboy is proof of, then only if you have a neutral gait (or mildly under-pronate) and have fairly average foot arches.
As a slightly different approach, I've been running in cushioned shoes since I started in November last year. I recently picked up some Vibram Five Fingers, and I've started fitting in shorter runs around my usual runs. I figure that as I get the distance up and transition, I'll shift to just the barefoot shoes, but for now it's a good mix. Also, Mrs Angrybees has just started running, so I'm off on her early runs in the VFFs as they're shorter distances. Two down so far, and it's working well.
I switched from cushioned to minimalist shoes last year and love it! But, you need to build up very gradually to running in minimalist shoes (or barefoot running) and prepare by doing the strengthening and conditioning to make sure that your body can cope with the change in footwear.
You could incorporate some barefoot training into your marathon training schedule in addition to your regular runs, but what you shouldn't do is switch shoes and start doing all your training in minimalist shoes - that will only lead to injury.
Merrell have a good barefoot training program - but as you can see from the link below, they think it will take you 40 days to build up to a very short run! So don't just jump in at the deep end.
http://www.merrell.com/~Uploaded/Assets/MERR/Files/Merrell_BarefootTrainingPlan.pdf
Merrell also have a barefoot training plan just for women, Mrs Angrybees might be interested in incorporating some of the exercises to compliment her barefoot runs :
http://www.merrell.com/~Uploaded/Assets/MERR/files/womens_barefoot_training_program.pdf
(I don't even own a pair of Merrells, I just really like their barefoot training plans!)
Nice one xine - will pass it on.
I too have been looking at this whole subject after reading 'Born to Run' and other articles. Started running last year and I kind of just naturally run on the mid/front part anyway rather than the heel . Think I'll go for either the Nike free 4.0 or Brooks Pure Flows next time I get new shoes as they seem to be somewhere in between.
As with Joe Tilley, my cushioned shoes don't cause problems so don't want too drastic a change too fast. If it ain't broke.....
Depends on your natural footstrike. I've got a midfoot strike and find running in very cushioned shoes very uncomfortable - I like to feel the road beneath my feet and respond to it. I'm also quite overweight and just coming back to running after an 8 year haitus so took advantage to retrain myself after reading chi running which was really helpful (although I think I've always had a natural midfoot strike). I'm transitioning at the moment from my old Nike Zoom Airs to Inov-8 225s, which are halfway between regular shoes and totally minimalist. I'm alternating the two pairs on short runs and in a few weeks will go on a long run with the new shoes when I'm a bit more used to them. I noticed some mild heel pain and stronger calf pain, which suggests I need to take the transition slowly. The Inov-8s are great though and will definitely stick with this shoe - the Saucony Kinvaras are too tight in the toe box, which I find really uncomfortable as my foot splays when I set down. Would be very interested to hear how you go if you decide to change.