Sacramento Running News

It seems we’ve gone nearly full circle in terms of running shoes, with this article in the Sacramento Bee about the rise of the “Maximalist Running Shoe.

The hot trend now is the opposite of minimalism – shoes pumped up with additional cushioning that is meant to provide stability and absorb shock. On the frontier of that movement is a brand called Hoka One One, a line of “maximalist” road and trail shoes with more than twice the midsole material of a standard model.

It’s not really a return to the gigantic, heavy running shoes of a decade ago. The Hoka One One shoes at the basis of the article are actually quite light. It could be seen as a the convergence of technology and a market need.

I think the key point here is to figure out what kind of shoe works for you and your feet, and use those.

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There has been a lot of hype about barefoot running and how shoes change the body’s natural mechanics.

Much of this makes sense, but the jury is out as to the significance of these mechanical changes with regard to performance and injury.

If running barefoot is a bit much for you, perhaps a “minimalist shoe” might help you achieve the mechanical benefits with fewer of the risks. Perhaps.

Then again, perhaps not.

A study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine investigated this question, comparing the mechanics of highly trained runners in minimalist shoes, barefoot, and traditional shoes. The findings are a bit surprising. (more…)

The Army doesn't want to see your toes.

The minimalist and barefoot running blogs are atwitter with righteous indignation over the US Army’s recently announced ban on “toe shoes.”

All Army Activities message 239/2011 states:

THERE ARE A VARIETY OF MINIMALIST RUNNING SHOES AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE AND WEAR. EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY, ONLY THOSE SHOES THAT ACCOMMODATE ALL FIVE TOES IN ONE COMPARTMENT ARE AUTHORIZED FOR WEAR. THOSE SHOES THAT FEATURE FIVE SEPARATE, INDIVIDUAL COMPARTMENTS FOR THE TOES, DETRACT FROM A PROFESSIONAL MILITARY IMAGE AND ARE PROHIBITED FOR WEAR WITH THE IPFU OR WHEN CONDUCTING PHYSICAL TRAINING IN MILITARY FORMATION.

There are limits to freedom, apparently.

If you read this website regularly, you’ll know that while I do like to make fun of barefoot running zealots, I’m actually supportive of some amount of barefoot running.

What I’m nervous about is the lack of solid science about what it’s good for and what it’s not going to help.

Thankfully, in large part due to the enthusiasm engendered by Christopher McDougall’s Born to Run, there is a growing body of science regarding the ins and outs of barefoot versus shod running.

There is also a growing body of medical anecdotes about injury rates and barefoot running zombies who are ready to shout down any nay-sayers. (Of course, there are also anti-barefoot running zealots, too.)

The New York Times Well blog has a nice wrap-up of current science. Here’s the money quote: (more…)

The Minimus Road in garish blue and yellow. (Go Bears?)

Until now, I couldn’t imagine finding a running shoe that I ever felt was worth writing home about. I always enjoy getting new running shoes, but for me shoes are by nature a utilitarian purchase, something not typically freighted with emotion.

But, there is something different about these particular running shoes.

Dear Mom and Dad,

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NB Minimus Trail

The New Balance Minimus Trail is another in the growing herd of “minimal” style trail running shoes. It was designed with the assistance of bearded ultra-runner phenom Anton Krupicka.

When you pick up the Minimus, the first thing you’ll notice about the shoe is that it is amazingly light in weight. The shoe weighs in at a measly 7.1 ounces–2.5 ounces lighter than my current light-weight trail favorites: the Saucony Peregrine!

Other details you’ll notice upon closer inspection are the lack of a removable insole, a rather thin and flexible sole, and a set of stretchy stability straps wrapping the forefoot and back of the heel. The heel-toe drop is a slight 4 mm, going from 15 mm in the heel to 11 mm in the forefoot. This is the same drop as the Kinvara or Peregrine, but in the Minimus you’ll feel considerably lower to the ground.

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The Saucony Peregrine in blue, cleaned up after a long, muddy run.

I’ve spent the last few months enjoying the roads in a pair of Saucony Kinvara, and I’ve come to appreciate their super light weight, soft ride and minimalist construction. I was looking for a shoe that was more accommodating to my increasingly fore-foot strike. I could feel the thick heel on my regular trainers interfering with the normal mechanics of my foot and Achilles tendon.

The Kinvara, with its lower heel feels much more natural to me. I’d be careful about them if you are a heel striker or need some motion control, as they are a completely neutral shoe. But as I said, I’ve been very happy with them, running distances of up to 22 miles.

But right now, I’m not training for a road race. I’m training for the Way-Too-Cool 50Km and the American River 50, both of which include a wide variety of trails—rocks, mud, technical, hills, etc. Whenever I’d hit the trails for training runs, I’d put on my Montrail Masochists.

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