4 ms·

Runner who reads a lot about the sport here. Like another comment said, there isn’t really a consensus that any particular foot strike is better. Even pros have

by md2020 4y ago

Runner who reads a lot about the sport here. Like another comment said, there isn’t really a consensus that any particular foot strike is better. Even pros have variation in foot strike when wearing very minimal racing spikes [1]. There’s some thinking that the thing to focus on is your cadence, and as long as it’s not too slow then your form should just naturally become whatever is most efficient for you (for some that actually is a heel strike or mid-foot strike). And it’s also worth noting that you naturally have different form at different speeds. The most useful variable for shoe choice is honestly whatever you find to be most comfortable. [1] https://youtu.be/uJSJSETFPwI https://youtu.be/uJSJSETFPwI

upsidesinclude 4y ago
Consensus isn't required. Heel striking is provably detrimental to human physiology. Big thick extended heels are designed today to lever the foot into position and place heel & toe on the ground concurrently, reducing impact at the heel. Spending an entire lifetime walking with augmented feet means that people do not use their stride correctly or efficiently in the the manner it has been evolved to operate. There is little argument about these facts outside of the realms of marketing and sales from shoe suppliers. You can't very well advocate for your product if you admit that it mostly acts as a crutch for poor form
- evandijk70 4y ago
  Could you provide a source for these statements? In another comment I gave a link to a publication that summarized the literature comparing heel striking to forefoot striking, which showed no consensus on which is better.
  - upsidesinclude 4y ago
    ! I would direct you to the studies on the natives of Copper Canyon and the various studies completed at Harvard on impulse loading in the knee and hip relative to foot orientation. Here's a crappy article about it: https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2010/01/barefoot-running-easier-on-feet-than-running-shoes/ https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2010/01/barefoot-runn... The take away here is that while you can make a big ass goofy shoe that takes all the force away from your poor form and prevents injury, the natural body mechanics are subverted. If you grow up and spend a lifetime with a prosthetic (soft shoe), everything about your movement is altered and augmented by the use of the prosthetic. Just think on that for a moment as opposed to directing me to some argument or article in a study.

by md2020 4y ago

upsidesinclude 4y ago

Consensus isn't required. Heel striking is provably detrimental to human physiology. Big thick extended heels are designed today to lever the foot into position and place heel & toe on the ground concurrently, reducing impact at the heel. Spending an entire lifetime walking with augmented feet means that people do not use their stride correctly or efficiently in the the manner it has been evolved to operate. There is little argument about these facts outside of the realms of marketing and sales from shoe suppliers. You can't very well advocate for your product if you admit that it mostly acts as a crutch for poor form

evandijk70 4y ago
Could you provide a source for these statements? In another comment I gave a link to a publication that summarized the literature comparing heel striking to forefoot striking, which showed no consensus on which is better.
- upsidesinclude 4y ago
  ! I would direct you to the studies on the natives of Copper Canyon and the various studies completed at Harvard on impulse loading in the knee and hip relative to foot orientation. Here's a crappy article about it: https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2010/01/barefoot-running-easier-on-feet-than-running-shoes/ https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2010/01/barefoot-runn... The take away here is that while you can make a big ass goofy shoe that takes all the force away from your poor form and prevents injury, the natural body mechanics are subverted. If you grow up and spend a lifetime with a prosthetic (soft shoe), everything about your movement is altered and augmented by the use of the prosthetic. Just think on that for a moment as opposed to directing me to some argument or article in a study.