Have you ever noticed that running magazines never publish a negative shoe review? It doesn’t take an MBA to figure out why. Ad revenue has to come from somewhere and running has to be the sport that, theoretically, requires the least amount of equipment.
A year of suffering from a painful plantar fasciitis, which I blame, in part, on shoes gives me the right to rant. Allow me to note that:
- Shoe designs come not out of any kind of bio-mechanical research but simply out of the derriere of the handful of companies that make these horrid objects. Note what Daniel Lieberman of the Skeletal Biology Lab at Harvard has said, that there is simply not enough evidence to make any conclusions on how people should run or whether running shoes are a good idea or not. Remember that cushioned running shoes did not exist until the early 1970s.
- They cost an obscene amount of money, little of which goes to the sweatshop workers who make them.
- They are FREAKING UGLY. Who decided that all the principles of color theory should be thrown out the window when designing a running shoe? They look like the result of a dog eating pool toys and barfing them up.
Let me review my own sad running history. I ran in shoes for many years. Then I got a case of Plantar fasciitis. I cured that with barefoot running but, several years later, injured my knees due to (I think) weakness in my hip muscles. I decided to switch back to fencing for my cardio. This went well until I got a new pair of fencing shoes. Old style fencing shoes were very minimal. Then the shoe manufactures decided we needed the same cushy heels you find on running shoes. My bad PF came some months into a new pair of fencing shoes.
After almost a year of work at the gym and many trips to my doctor, I’m close to beating my bad case of PF. My running will, most likely, be barefoot. If I’m able to return to fencing I’ll follow Daniel Lieberman’s minimal footwear advice:
- The thickness of the cushioning in the rearfoot and forefoot should be about the same, and not too thick.
- You should be able to easily twist the shoe along the long axis and bend the shoe at the midfoot.
- There should not be a stiff arch support that prevents the natural movement of the arch of the foot.
And here’s a thought for an enterprising publisher: how about a running magazine modeled after Lucky Peach? In other words, a running magazine with integrity made up of honest reviews, research-based injury advice and thoughtful essays.
Resources:
An interesting article on Plantar fasciitis (thanks to Kathy Turk for the link)
The Skeletal Biology Lab at Harvard
Barefoot Ken Bob’s website (note his free running clinics in Southern California–I went to one and it was great).
As a runner with 40+ years of history at every distance from 400m to 100 miles, I can agree with parts of your rant. After all, we are the only place to sell barefoot running shoes, an oxymoron if there ever was one. A few years back I hosted the great New Zealand coach Arthur Lydiard and he was quite adamant that the best cure and prevention for PF was occasional barefoot running. I do it weekly in the park when the weathers warm enough and it is, I believe, very useful in preventing PF. With that said, however, I’m greatful we have decent shoes to run in. I can run a rocky 100 miler in my clown shoe hokas and my feet are very happy afterwards. Very few people have feet tough enough to do what lifetime barefoot runners do(ie Tarahumarans)-and frankly many of them would wear minimalist shoes if they could afford them. Frankly, most runners would do fine with the cheap, light shoes we had 40 years ago, although it is nice that they last longer now. And yes, many of the new colors are about as hideous as the ones they choose for the common garden hose!
This is a topic that gets me going. I used to get frequent stress fractures in my feet and one in my tibia. “Go to a “good running store” and have a “gait analysis” done they said. “Get good running shoes” they said. What a crock of multi-level marketing. Tell me what that kid at the running store actually knows about correct gait and how shoes are going to affect the entire body.
It took two years for my personal trainer to talk me out of working out in running shoes. I finally gave in. I got a pair of VFFs because my feet are really wide and don’t fit super well into a lot of flat athletic shoes. Thus began the transformation. I eventually ran up to 10 miles in my VFFs before deciding that, while that was nice, running wasn’t my thing. But no fractures or injuries. I used to struggle to jump rope. Now, I can jump rope all day long. I used to have serious knee pain. Haven’t had knee pain in years.
I weight train barefoot if at home and in my VFFs if I’m in public. I’ve been doing this since 2010…if the bad thing is going to happen, it would have happened. Only good things have happened.
Chucks, Converse, VFFs, these are the way to go.
I don’t run, but I think you certainly bring up some good points. And, I agree that sneakers are getting uglier by the minute. Perhaps they’re made that way to insure some reflective qualities for when running during the evening……but why all the kooky colors?
Some years ago, a group of Tarahumara were invited to enter the Leadville 100 endurance trail race. Sponsors provided them with high-tech running shoes, which they tried and discarded because they caused blisters. Instead, they got some old car tires, cut out soles and made their traditional huaraches.
During the 100 mile race over the Colorado Rockies, there was a failure of communication and the Tarahumara did not understand that the food at the aid stations was for them, so they made do with the beans and water that they had bought with them.
They totally thrashed all the other competitors, taking the top places in the race in record time.
As far as I know, they were not invited back.
That was the best description of the ugliness of running shoes that I’ve ever heard!
I wonder if you’ve heard of this company: http://www.allbirds.com/.
I just discovered it through the Knitter’s Review newsletter, of all places, and it intrigues me. I’m curious to know if any of your readers have tried them, and also in your opinion re: sustainability and carbon footprint (merino wool from NZ, processed into fabric in Italy, shoes made in South Korea).
Thanks!
Gosh– it’s hard to render an opinion on sustainability for these shoes–we just don’t know how to calculate those complicated factors. However, I like the idea of these shoes, I like all things wool. I also like the natural shape of the footbed, and the company seems to be good-hearted (or at least presents themselves as such).
What will keep us from trying these shoes, however, is the soles. They have a slightly raised heel and toe, which is bad for Erik’s PF. Meanwhile, I really like barefoot-style shoes even though I have no injuries to deal with–so if I’m going to buy fancy shoes, I want flat soles, also called “zero drop” soles– which is what Erik must wear from now on as well. This company would do well to court the barefoot crowd and make a zero drop version of their shoe, because they’ve got everything else right.
Thank you for your answer, Kelly.
I do agree that it’s difficult to speak of the company’s sustainabilty etc., and that their apparently are striving to be as sustainable and transparent as possible, but it does irk me when people use “sustainable” and “natural” for products that rely on materials and processes that move across such great distances.
I was also surprised, given the emphasis on simplicity and comfort, by their choice of soles. I’ve now checked their FAQ pages, and it promises “exciting products and novel natural materials”. Let’s see what that means!
Have you tried Lems shoes? http://www.lemsshoes.com I have a pair of their boots and love them, although I haven’t tried their sneaker yet. They’re zero drop and seriously the only shoes I’ve ever worn that have enough room in the ball/toe area. As in actually shaped like a human foot! Yes, they are pricey, but they run sales every now and then, and so far I’d say they’re worth the money.
I really like those boots! Why is it that Erik’s foot problem is tempting me to go shoe shopping?