To Tone or Not To Tone? – Posted May 19, 2011

What can be better than a pair of shoes to get you into shape! The onus is no longer on the user. Just walk and get fit. How perfect!

Needless to say I’m skeptical. If it were that easy it would have been done a long time ago. I’m just disappointed that Joe Montana would fall for such a gimmick. But I’m sure he was paid well for his endorsement. The theory is an unstable surface (rocking sole or other) will cause other leg muscles or your glutes to engage while walking or standing. This will in turn cause more muscles to get used and therefore get in shape.

However, this is from WebMD.com:

“A new study, released by the American Council on Exercise (ACE), shows that toning shoes including Skechers Shape-Ups, MBT
(Masai Barefoot Technology), and Reebok EasyTone don’t help you exercise more intensely, burn more calories, or improve your
muscle strength and tone.”

And from CNN.com:

“Dr. Bruce Williams, a podiatrist and a past president of the American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine, said: ‘My point is that it's not necessarily beneficial even though there's an increase in muscular activity.’”

And here are my own thoughts: Be careful you don’t strain your Achilles’! We’ve already seen customers with Achilles’ issues. You will be landing much farther back than normal, particularly in the Skechers and that may cause problems.

Also be careful not to roll your ankles. While it may be helpful for some rehab (a foot that doesn’t flex properly perhaps) toning shoes should be used with caution. As with anything new, build up slowly and perhaps only use them for an hour or so at a time.

In a nutshell, if you are trying to get into shape, you will have to workout, run, walk or something. Just going about your daily business isn’t enough, no matter what shoes you are wearing!

Barefoot Running, Part 2 -- Posted Mar. 17, 2011 – Improving Running Form

So can running barefoot help your form? In a nutshell, yes. Running barefoot or in a true minimalist shoe like the Vibram 5-Fingers will force you off your heels. You will have to run more ‘flat-footed’ or on the balls of your feet. And this will help prevent over-striding.

In general, landing more on your mid-foot is a good thing. BUT, and here is the key, changing to a mid-foot or forefoot striker may not be a good thing for everyone. So keep that in mind if you seek to make changes!

Ideally, you want to land with good alignment… hips over heels and under shoulders – straight up! (We’re talking about running on a flat surface for simplicity.) Your foot should not be out in front of your knees – if they are, you are over-striding! One way to tell is to look at the heel of your shoes… if they are wearing out excessively then you are probably over-striding.

Also, if you notice a lot of “bounce” (and I’m not talking about sports bras here) you are probably over-striding. The best way to tell is look at a stationary object like a stop sign further down the road. If it’s going up and down a lot then you are over-striding (the sign certainly isn’t bouncing!)

Another thing to note… are you twisting too much? Are your arms crossing your center line? This is another indicator of over-striding (you are in the air too much and the twisting is a way to compensate). This may not be as noticeable if you are trying to observe yourself. You might need a running partner to tell you that.

Finally, count your stride rate. Count every time one foot strikes the ground for 30-seconds. Now multiply by 4. You should be close to 180, believe it or not. That would be 45 steps for one foot for 30 seconds. If you are less than 45, you are probably over-striding. Again, do this on a flat road not hilly terrain.

How do you fix it?

Well, barefoot running will get you off your heels! But be careful and follow the guidelines we mentioned last month. Here are some other tips:

1. Count your stride rate about once or twice a week and try to get to 45 steps per 30 seconds (at any pace).

2. Run tall! Chest up but not necessarily out.

3. Make sure your pelvis is not torque forward.

4. Work on hip flexor and hamstring flexibility.

Remember, changes take time. But if you are prone to injury, or even if you aren’t, good form is the key to staying healthy! We will try to add links to helpful sites later but you can look at www.runnersworld.com for some helpful hints.

Barefoot Running -- Posted Feb. 17, 2011

So to what can we attribute this barefoot running craze?

Was is Abebe Bikili winning the 1960 Olympic marathon running barefoot through the streets of Rome? Or was is Zola Budd, the star-cross barefoot waif of 1984 Olympic fame, aka, Mary Decker Slaney’s nemesis?

 Both of those events probably peaked interest but neither inspired a nation to throw their shoes into the nearest dumpster. The sequence of events that led to the current craze can best be listed as: 

1- introduction of the Nike Free, circa 2004

2- release of Born to Run by Chris McDougall, 2009

3- release of Harvard Study, Jan. 2010

 And suddenly everyone was looking for a pair of Vibram 5-Fingers. But is that a smart thing to do? The Tarahumara Indians of Mexico certainly benefited and suffered little. And East Africans have been doing it for years.

 As if on cue, Harvard released its study, which is summarized (in part) as follows:

“...runners who forefoot or midfoot strike do not need shoes with elevated cushioned heels to cope with these sudden, high transient forces that occur when you land on the ground. Therefore, barefoot and minimally shod people can run easily on the hardest surfaces in the world without discomfort from landing. If impact transient forces contribute to some forms of injury, then this style of running (shod or barefoot) might have some benefits, but that hypothesis remains to be tested. [emphasis added.]

 Unfortunately, the latter statement was over-looked when the New York Times, et. al. went gaga over running shoes being the villian of all injuries running-related. I’m afraid that’s a bit of a stretch. But let’s play along for a bit.

 The problem with shoes they say is that the heel is built up too much. That causes runners to land on their heels which promotes jarring and subsequently causes injury. I would say that’s a bit of confusion between cause and effect. Are shoes built up in the heel to promote heel strike or to accommodate the heel-striker?

 I would say more of the latter. Most runners tend to over-stride -- notice how you wear the outside corner of your heels first? That’s over-striding. Is that good? Absolutely not! I remember sitting up late at night when I was in high school putting Shoe Goo® on the heels of my shoes to build them up and get more life out of my shoes.

But once I got to college and started running more, my stride quickened and became more efficient. It had to or I would not have survived the rigors of D1 running. And that quicker stride got me off my heels and made me more of a mid-foot striker.

 The other part of the issue is that running barefoot is supposedly more natural. This is true. Running barefoot allows the foot to flex more, strengthens the muscles and truly is more natural. However, running barefoot on a hard surface is not. The problem becomes one of running surface.

The reality is, here in America where most of our running surfaces are paved, barefoot running is not so natural. We have a 3-dimensional foot in a 2-dimensional world. This prevents, for example, the first metatarsal from dropping down like it’s suppose to at push-off. Additionally we have to beware of obstacles like glass, nails, rocks, etc. on the roads or sidewalks. Long term, we must be careful that lack or support and or cushioning may lead to a stress fracture.

So when is running barefoot a good thing? My suggestions would be the following:

1- Run on grass or dirt, especially in ‘safe’ areas (minimal likelihood of glass or dog do)

2- Run stride outs at the end of runs

3- Stretch more after running, especially your Achilles’ tendon

3- Transition gradually to longer stride outs or longer runs

 This would also apply to ‘minimalist’ shoes such as the Free or a racing flat. While we don’t currently carry Nike, we do have other lightweight shoes such as the Saucony Kinvara, Asics DS-Trainer, Mizuno Elixir and numerous racing flats.

 Keep in mind that minimalist shoes will often not give great support and will not last as long as a ‘regular’ running shoe. These are perfect for racing or as a good ‘second’ shoe for shorter or faster days. They can be hard on your Achilles’ (as is barefoot running) because the heel is lowered and the tendon is stretched out more.

Also, some people can run in anything, slices of bread on their feet may be fine. And some people are confined to a maximum shoe like the Brooks Beast -- large variations away from that may lead to disaster. But many people can benefit from running in a lightweight shoe or no shoe at all. The key is to be careful.