Minimal

Minimal footwear is low profile, lower to the ground than the average running shoe, and has less heel to toe drop, even to zero drop. Many racing shoes work very well as minimal footwear because they are very low, light, and flexible. We recommend runners start slowly with minimal footwear, even going to a light-weight trainers, then lower profile shoes, then barefoot-like footwear if desired. Going too minimal too fast may cause more harm than good. We recommend barefoot-like footwear for natural surfaces like grass, and then for occasional workouts to improve running form and efficiency. We all can adopt and use barefoot/natural running form in running shoes on the roads. We do not recommend barefoot-like footwear for paved surfaces.

We stock a variety of minimal footwear.

ASICS

Excel 33 - 9.9 oz., 10mm Drop, Neutral
Neo 33 - 10.2 oz., 10mm Drop, Dual-Density Stability
Blur 33 - 10.4 oz.,10mm Drop, Neutral

Altra Running

Instinct/Intuition- Road - Zero Drop, 10mm

Lone Peak - Trail Shoe - Zero Drop - 10mm

Brooks

PureConnect - 4mm Drop - Lightest

PureFlow - 4mm Drop - Light

PureCadence - 4mm Drop - Light & Stable

PureGrit - 4mm Drop - Trail

Merrell

Pace Glove, Pure Glove for women

True Glove, Trail Glove for men

New Balance

Trail Minimus

Nike

Free Run

Saucony

Hattori - Zero Drop, 40% off

Kinvara - 4mm Drop - Very Light

Mirage - 4mm Drop - Very Mildly Stable

Cortanam - 4mm Drop - Light & Mildly Stable

Vibram Fivefingers

KSO - 40%

Trek - 40% off

Trek Sport - 20%

Bikila, Bikila Lace - 20%

Komodo - 20%

 

 

Transitioning to Minimalism

Quick tips and a range of shoe options
By Brian Metzler
As featured in the April 2010 issue of Running Times Magazine
1) GET NEW SHOES

To get the full benefits of natural running or a barefoot style of running, look for minimalist shoes with a few key characteristics. First, the shoes should be lightweight, low to the ground and flexible, have a limited heel-to-toe drop and have a thin layer of medium-firm cushioning under the forefoot. (Some minimalist runners prefer a slightly more cushy shoe for longer runs, but even a thin layer of soft foam under the midfoot and forefoot will dampen the foot's ability to feel the ground and respond accurately, particularly for faster-paced efforts and races.)

By nature, minimalist shoes offer little to no support and no stability control, based on the belief that the foot in an efficient gait can naturally off set much of the rolling (pronation/supination) that would occur after a heavy heel-strike gait. Essentially, minimalist shoes offer just enough protection from the pavement while letting the foot move naturally through a stride cycle.

Many traditional training shoes put the foot 22-24mm off the ground in the heel and 10-15mm off the ground in the forefoot, and the difference between the two -- typically 12-14mm in traditional training shoes -- creates a forward-leaning slope, designed to reduce stress on the Achilles. Minimalist shoes trend toward being much more level (a 2-10mm slope) with the assumption that the runner will land on the midfoot and use the natural cushioning of the arch, thus the built-up heel only adds weight and gets in the way of an efficient stride.

But understand that there are varying degrees of minimalist shoes. For example, a Pearl Izumi Streak has a 10mm heel-toe drop (20-10mm), a Brooks Green Silence has an 8mm drop and the Newton Gravity Trainer has a 3mm drop. Other current shoes within the minimalist realm include the New Balance 100, ASICS GEL-Hyper Speed 4, adidas adiZero Ozweego 365 CLIMACOOL, ECCO BIOM A, and K-Swiss Ultra-Natural Run II S.

2) TRANSITION SLOWLY

Even if you're a veteran runner who is used to running in lightweight shoes, you should take caution when transitioning to a more minimalist type of shoe. You're bound to engage muscles in your feet, lower legs and core differently than you're used to, partially because you'll be landing less on your heel with a braking angle and more near your midfoot with a more level landing. Th at will require a period of adjustment, especially if you haven't been doing general strength or dynamic strength exercises, says Mark Cucuzzella, M.D., a 2:24 marathoner and family practice doctor and faculty member of West Virginia University who has done running gait analysis to study running injuries.

Plus, while your core will no longer be working so hard to keep your upper body balanced because you'll be running in a more natural position without a built-up heel, your body will have to adjust slightly for the newfound positioning. Elite coaches and Running Times contributors Jay Johnson (runningdvds.com) and Greg McMillan (mcmillanrunn ing.com) have both produced strength exercise videos geared toward distance runners. Michael Yessis' Explosive Running presents many resistanceband exercises targeted at improving elements of your stride. A regular dedication to general and dynamic strength is crucial for anyone running in minimalist shoes.

Should you eventually be running all of your miles in minimalist shoes? Purists will say yes, of course, but contrarians argue that this can lead to injuries for runners who are larger or not optimally fit. As you transition, consider using your minimalist shoes for short and fast workouts and wait until you're strong enough to crank out that 14-mile negativesplit marathon simulation run.

3) RUN BAREFOOT -- BRIEFLY

Barefoot running can be very useful in your transition to minimalist running, but it should be done safely under controlled circumstances. Physical therapist Mark Plaatjes, co-owner of Colorado's Boulder Running Company, doesn't condone a full-time minimalist approach for most runners, but says even if you're not switching to minimalist shoes, consistently running barefoot strides after workouts is a good way to help build dynamic strength in the feet and lower legs. The key is to focus on good form: light foot placements that don't entail heavy braking, a short, compact arm swing, and an upright, but slightly forward-leaning posture that allows your center of mass to be in front of your footsteps.

Consider ending your run where you can run on soft grass -- a park, the edge of a public golf course or the infield of a high school track -- and do a handful of buildup strides of 50 to 75m reaching 80 to 90 percent effort two-thirds of the way through. Start with a few during your first week and ease your way up to about six to eight after a few weeks, extending the length and your speed slightly but always focusing on optimally efficient running form.

Another form of barefoot strength-building can come through slow heel-toe walks on grass or through sand -- either on a beach or the long jump pit of a local high school track. Start a stride by pushing your heel into the sand and then forcefully rolling through the midfoot to the ball of the foot and then extending up on the toes. The resistance from the soft surface or sand will require more muscular exertion and, if done regularly, will help build foot and ankle strength.

4) DO FORM DRILLS

Boulder, Colo.-based running coach Bobby McGee is one of many form gurus who preach the need to do form drills before workouts when you're fresh as a way to develop efficient running form during a race when you're battling fatigue. By repeatedly working on the tenets of good running form -- light foot placements, high stride cadence, compact arm carriage, upright, forward-leaning posture -- you'll be able to instill in your brain and the rest of your body how your body should be functioning in the latter stages of a race, he says.

Drills come in many varieties and you can make up your own to make things more fun, but a few common ones include high-knee strides (alternating every other stride or every third stride with a "knee kick"), butt kicks (an exaggerated rear leg extension in which you alternate kicking yourself in the hind quarters) quick feet (doing as many fast, short strides as possible in about 20-30m) and acceleration strides (50-60m buildup sprints that top out at about 90 percent). Every drill should stress or accentuate some aspect of good form, even if exaggerated during the drill. Drills should be done several times per week.

Barefoot-style running shoes

NIKE FREE 
Nike was the first to mass produce minimalist running shoes specifically designed to work with a natural or "barefoot-style" running gait in 2004 with the introduction of its Free line of shoes. It continues to update three models that offer varying levels of foam cushioning, from next-to-nothing in the Free 3.0 v2 to moderate amount of foam in the Free 5.0 v4 to fairly thickly cushioned Free Everyday+ 2. Free shoes incorporate minimal outsole (only small pads of durable rubber in high-wear areas) and have a lightweight foam midsole that can flex according to the dynamic movement of a foot; however, they maintain a significant heel-to-toe drop and support under the arch like traditional running shoes. 

NEWTON RUNNING 
Since its inception in 2007, Newton has developed lightweight training and racing shoes with minimal heel geometry and an almost level heel-toe slope that allows a runner to avoid heel striking (and instead land near the ball of the foot) and utilize its innovative Action/Reaction Technology that captures downward energy and channels it into forward propulsion. 

SKORA FOOTWEAR 
This entrepreneurial effort from barefoot running proponent David Sypniewski is expected to launch later this year. The shoe will include a rounded minimal heel, an ultra-thin midsole/outsole with the same depth from heel-to-toe, an extra-wide toe box and adjustable lacing for a customizable fit. 

TERRA PLANA VIVO BAREFOOT 
Another new player to the natural running game, Terra Plana's new featherweight EVO running shoe (expected to debut this spring) is made from a pliable, soft plastic cage interlaced with a thin mesh fabric and a minimal footbed. The company is already selling several shoes with its Vivo Barefoot Technology, including a superflexible model designed to help transition runners into the minimalist movement. 

VIBRAM FIVEFINGERS 
With a thin, durable rubber outsole, micromesh upper and a glove-like design that encases the foot and individual toes, these are about as minimal as you can get. Vibram has continued to evolve the concept since the initial launch in 2007, with various models for road running, trail running and cold-weather running (as well as other activities like yoga, hiking, surfing, martial arts and boating). 

Copyright © 2012 Running Times Magazine - All Rights Reserved.

 

 

Harvard Study Supports Barefoot Running Benefits 

SportsOneSource Media     Posted: 1/10/2012

A recent Harvard study led by Harvard Professor Daniel Lieberman, "Foot Strike and Injury Rates in Endurance Runners: a retrospective study" finds that that runners -  at-least cross-country runners -who rear foot strike - at least cross-country runners -  have approximately twice the rate of injury than those who forefoot strike.

The study tested if runners who habitually forefoot strike have different rates of injury than runners who habitually rearfoot strike. Researchers measured the strike characteristics of middle and long distance runners from a collegiate cross country team and quantified their history of injury, including the incidence and rate of specific injuries, the severity of each injury, and the rate of mild, moderate and severe injuries per mile run.

Of the 52 runners studied, 36 (59 percent overall) primarily used a rearfoot strike and 16 (31 percent) primarily used a forefoot strike. Approximately 74 percent of runners experienced a moderate or severe injury each year, but those who habitually rearfoot strike had approximately twice the rate of repetitive stress injuries than individuals who habitually forefoot strike. Traumatic injury rates were not significantly different between the two groups. A generalized linear model showed that strike type, sex, race distance, and average miles per week each correlate significantly (p<0.01) with repetitive injury rates.

The report concluded, "Competitive cross country runners on a college team incur high injury rates, but runners who habitually rearfoot strike have significantly higher rates of repetitive stress injury than those who mostly forefoot strike. This study does not test the causal bases for this general difference. One hypothesis, which requires further research, is that the absence of a marked impact peak in the ground reaction force during a forefoot strike compared to a rearfoot strike may contribute to lower rates of injuries in habitual forefoot strikers."

The study ran in the January issue of Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, the official journal of the The American College of Sports Medicine.

In conjunction with this study Dr. Lieberman's team also put out a study in regards to performance in minimal shoes, titled "Effects of Footwear and Strike Type on Running Economy" that showed that runners in minimal footwear have increased efficiency than those in traditional running shoes.  

The study tested if running economy differs in minimal shoes versus standard running shoes with cushioned, elevated heels and arch supports, and in forefoot versus rearfoot strike gaits. Researchers measured the cost of transport (mlO2/kg/m) in subjects who habitually run in minimal shoes or barefoot while they were running at 3.0 m/s on a treadmill during forefoot and rearfoot striking while wearing minimal and standard shoes, controlling for shoe mass and stride frequency. Force and kinematic data were collected when shod and barefoot to quantify differences in knee flexion, arch strain, plantarflexor force production, and Achilles tendon-triceps surae strain.

The results found that after controlling for stride frequency and shoe mass, runners were 2.41 percent more economical in the minimal shoe condition when forefoot striking and 3.32 percent more economical in the minimal shoe condition when rearfoot striking (p<0.05). In contrast, forefoot and rearfoot striking did not differ significantly in cost for either minimal or standard shoe running. Arch strain was not measured in shoes condition but was significantly greater during forefoot than rearfoot striking when barefoot. Plantarflexor force output was significantly higher in forefoot than rearfoot striking, and in barefoot than shod running. Achilles tendon-triceps surae strain and knee flexion were also lower in barefoot than standard shoe running.

The study concluded, ""Minimally shod runners are modestly but significantly more economical than traditionally shod runners regardless of strike type, after controlling for shoe mass and stride frequency. The likely cause of this difference is more elastic energy storage and release in the lower extremity during minimal shoe running."

The second study likewise appeared in the January issue of Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise.