Marathon Footwear: How Minimalist Is Too Much?

vibramfivefingers.com Here’s a post we thought you’d like by Liz Neporent of That’s Fit : Is it safe to wear minimalist shoes to run a marathon? Bianca – Newton, Mass. You may recall that a while back I wrote a column in praise of minimalist footwear . For those of you who’ve never heard the term, this is a newish category of running shoe that’s lightweight and meant to mimic the aspects of running barefoot – the same way our ancestors did before Nikes and New Balances were readily available. The big advantage to wearing minimal footwear is that it forces the foot and ankle to work harder to support the body during movement, just as nature intended. After years of lazing around in stiffly structured shoes with tons of support and cushioning, these joints must finally start pulling their own weight. As a result, much of their natural strength and flexibility is restored. Keep in mind this is all theory. There really isn’t enough research for or against it just yet. Since this is the case, I decided to ask two trusted experts for their opinions on this topic. Jason Karp is an adjunct professor of applied exercise physiology at Miramar College in San Diego, Calif. He holds a Ph.D. in exercise physiology and a minor in kinesiology, the study of how muscles move and function. He is a certified USA Track & Field coach and travels all over the country coaching and speaking to running athletes. Here are his thoughts on minimalist shoes: “I’ve been asked a lot lately about barefoot running/minimalist shoes. I’m not a big fan. For most people who run (who are also overweight), they are putting themselves at an increased risk by not having shoes with shock-absorbing qualities. We tend to copy what the best runners are doing, but while the Kenyans and Ethiopians grow up running barefoot, Americans do not, so it is not a natural way for us to run like it is for them. People can try it, but they would have to integrate it very slowly and systematically into their running. People tend to forget that running shoes have quite a bit of engineering associated with them that are meant to absorb shock and dissipate forces, so it’s not like shoes are bad for us.” Continue reading this post on That’s Fit . Post from: BlissTree Marathon Footwear: How Minimalist Is Too Much?

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Marathon Footwear: How Minimalist Is Too Much?