On Zero-Drop Shoes

To clarify this term, zero-drop means that there is no height difference between the heel and toe of the shoe. This does not necessarily mean that there is no cushioning (if there's an inch of cushioning at both the heel and the toe, it's still zero-drop). Zero-drop shoes mimic barefoot conditions because, when you walk without shoes, your heel and toe are at the same level.

So, obviously, we've been hearing about more "minimal" shoes for a while now... that 12mm (running shoes traditionally have a 12mm difference in height from the heel to the toe) are simply awful and cause all of these injuries blah blah blah. So, naturally, one would expect that everyone should be working to transition from 12mm down to 0mm and then no one would ever be injured again... right?

Nope.

Zero-drop shoes are not for everyone, just like neutral shoes aren't for everyone, or stability shoes, or super-cushioned shoes, or... you get the point.  If you're prone to calf-complex and achilles issues, plantar fasciitis... heck, any problem from your knee down, you might want to proceed transitioning with caution. While lower-drop shoes most definitely reduce the impact/torque forces on your joints (by promoting a more mid-foot strike pattern), they initially put more stress on your calf and achilles. So, running a few shorter runs in lower-drop shoes is also a good idea... really, it's the same advice I'd give for breaking in any new pair of shoes. Additionally, strengthening and stretching the muscles/tendons in your lower leg before and during a gradual move to a lower-drop shoe is a must.  

Boston Marathon

Good luck to all the Boston Marathon runnahs.

Run wicked fast and strong.

Speaking of running strong, the Kinvara 3's made an appearance at the expo. I haven't had a chance to speak to our team of super secret running ninja spies, but I did find a video explaining some of the updates:



Oh, and in case you aren't wearing the Kinvara 2's, here's a review by my new favorite running gear reviewer hero:

The Story of the 8mm Sneaker

Once upon a time, there was a runner.  He tried on a "traditional" running shoe, but it was too high in the heel. Then, he tried on a "zero-drop" shoe, but it was too low in the heel. Finally, he put on one of Saucony's new 8mm shoes and it was just right. Yes, thanks to the most ridiculous(ly awesome) product promo shirt ever, we've all heard about Saucony's "new 8mm concept". So, what's this all about? Traditional running shoes have ~12mm drop from heel-to-toe. Minimalist shoes have a 0-4mm drop and very little cushioning. However, there are also "zero-drop" shoes (that aren't necessarily minimal), but still use a 0-4mm platform (like the Kinvaras and the PureProject line... there are others too). And, to further complicate things, there are shoes that don't have a lot of cushioning, but still feature a 10+ mm  heal-to-toe drop. And... just kidding :-)

Ok, 8mm, why is this so special? Well, lets start off with why all sneakers aren't 8mm. Turns out, there's really no good reason. Back in the 80's, sneaker manufacturers started making more cushioned, supportive shoes. This was in response to an increase in the number of running related injuries... specifically Achilles tendinitis, metatarsal fractures, and tibial stress syndrome. In order to reduce these numbers, manufacturers built up the heels of sneakers to reduce some of the stress on the lower leg. Additionally, the number of people suffering from plantar fasciitis and runner's knee was also on the rise, which was attributed to the need for increased support. So, manufactures started making the medial sides of running shoes stiffer to prevent pronation. Makes sense... unless you consider that these injuries weren't the result of how the shoe was made, but rather the result of poor running form (I believe heel-striking was still recommended at this point). How they settled on 12mm exactly is anyone's guess.

However, due to the recent barefoot running trend, manufactures have begun to take a second look at how they construct sneakers. Basically, after reading Born to Run, a whole bunch of people started running in minimalist shoes because the Tarahumara did, and they're pretty awesome. Then, a whole bunch of people got injured from trying to jump right from traditional sneakers to no sneakers too quickly. So, "the experts" started looking at why, and found it wasn't so much the lack of cushioning, but rather the heel-to-toe offset. Then, manufacturers made the first round of "kind of minimal but not really" sneakers... namely a 0-4mm drop with cushioning. However, people still complained, so they went back to the labs and averaged the drops (I have no idea if they really did this, but (12+4)/2 = 8). People found the 8mm platform to be ideal in terms of "stride smoothness"... I'm guessing by chopping 4mm off the heel, it encourages mid-foot striking just enough without putting excessive stress on your calf/Achilles.