Body-Wise
Barefoot Running?
I bought new running shoes this summer—two pairs actually, and socks. I spent $212 and one hour of my time jogging around the parking lot of Charm City Run in shoes of varying degrees of “cushiness.” Even after complete attention from the salesman and that parking lot time, I’m still not sure I selected the right pairs for me.
Time was I bought running shoes at Kohl’s based on which style appealed to me most. I took in color scheme, logo coolness, how the shoe flattered my foot, and price, and, and, get this, I grabbed a bag of six pairs of socks for $10 on the way to the cashier. I ran uninjured for years under this buying policy, as irresponsible as it may seem.
But that was before I knew I had foot posture—a comprehensive measure of foot type, apparently, that now must be taken into account when purchasing shoes. This posture concept was brought into sharp focus when I suffered my first bout of Achilles tendonitis and was told I needed lifts—small foam-rubber inserts—fitted into motion-controlled shoes—big, boxy, cushiony things, to set me in the correct biomechanical pose. That cured the tendonitis all right, but I sustained injury several times when I tripped over these clunkers and went hurling through the air.
Yet I continued to wear these way past their unofficial expiration date, because if you have paid any attention to the running industry lately, you will know that “barefoot” running is now all the rage. It is a confusing and scary time for the running-shoe buyer, and I couldn’t face researching if going from my chunky clunkers into running shoes that fit your feet the way gloves fit your hands—tight and snug with no support at all, is actually a healthy idea. But the concept is sure popular. One new product is the new Vibrum Five-Finger “barefoot” shoe. So popular apparently, the stores can’t keep them stocked. Charm City had only one pair of women’s extra small that fit my 12-year-old daughter Nelle who was sitting next to me.
After 15 minutes of tugging and pulling, she finally got them on and gave it a go around the parking lot. “I hope no one saw me,” is all she said. But the store was packed with folks looking for this type of shoe—and there are lots of them on the market. While not a new training technique in any way, barefoot running touts using the body’s natural foot placement with its wider toe spread to allow for better balance, less problems with chronic foot injury, and greater agility. And the shoe allows for that, and I guess offers a little protection from gravel, glass, or roadway debris, but nothing else.
Would this work for me? Would I run better? Faster? Would I feel more in tune with myself? With nature? I pondered. But don’t I need a shoe that corrects for over-pronation? Underpronation? A glance at my old shoes suggests evidence of both. Do I run more from heel to toe or mid-foot to ball? I just can’t tell. I know I have a high-arch, but those cushy shoes—perfect for a high arch—I just don’t like. I began to sweat.
Here is what I did. I bought two pairs of “minimalist” shoes—ones that offer no kind of correction, but at least some arch and ankle support . One more minimal than the other because I was feeling healthy that day, even though I dismissed the Nike Free (a very lightweight shoe) a few years ago, because I could feel my ankle turning in even as I trotted around the parking lot. But I got all caught up in this minimal-barefoot-movement thing. While I really do like the lighter shoe in some respects, and they do add more support than their barefoot competitors, my left knee hurts during every run. Not enough to keep me home, but enough to know my foot posture requires more ankle motion-control from my shoe to help stabilize my knees. Alas, no barefoot running for me.
I miss Kohl’s.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 09/16/10 at 08:55 AM
