Running shoe design

[dominion]

"All running shoes are badly designed"

Well, almost. I've been at the physios today and he picked up the trainers that I'd gone in - although they're not ones that I currently run in. He reckons that most running shoes are badly designed due to having too much support in the arch.
To prove this he did a balance test on me barefoot, then in shoes, then in shoes without the insoles, and finally with shoes with the insoles that had the arch chopped out. You could tell the difference in my balance quite significantly. (I've always had rubbish balance anyway - which is probably why I can't run downhill.)

Interestingly when I got home and looked at my Walsh PB Trainers they don't have an arch support. So, did Norman Walsh really get his shoes right first time, which justifies not changing the design for a very long time? Or is it Norman who's wrong and Asics et al who are right? ...or am I just clutching at straws after 3 month out injured?

Thoughts, views, comments, opinions, verbal abuse?

[Pudgy]

I went to a lecture by Ron Hill a few years ago. He reckoned the reason why so many runners were chronically injured, was because they were all running on built up shoes. If I remember rightly (slightly before my time), Ron started off barefoot on cinder tracks. Even that great advance in running shoes, the Silver Shadow, look wafer thin now (you can still get them by the way). They didn't seem to do that generation of runners too much harm.

If the idea is that a shoe should be as minimalist as possible, and not interfere with the action of the foot, then Walshes will be very close to the ideal.

'Course, you wouldn't be able to sell lots of expensive shoes, magazines, gear reviews etc, if you went down the Walsh route.

[The Master]

I ran in "fancy" shoes for 17 years on roads/trails and from 1992 onwards was constantly injured. As soon as my long sunday runs got up to around 10-12 miles i'd end up crocked....usually calves but hips, knees and groin all got a look in. I wasted money on all the usual orthotics....gait analysis (confirmed i was a cripple) and physio.

I was going to knock it all on the head but had a pair of Walshes and started to run in Wales and the Lakes instead of walking there. I got used to running on bumpy ground and have been free of injury ever since (apart from falling down a hill and mangling ankle & breaking ribs ). I am also able to train much harder than i ever did before.

I never pay more than £35 for my shoes now and because i get them from the factory shop i dont have to listen to any guff about fancy technical features. Ive noticed that my feet are much stronger than they used to be as they are flexing a lot more.

[Fleeter]

the military still use silver shadows,i thought they were ok

[The Master]

the military still use silver shadows,i thought they were ok

My Nana had a pair, shes 92 you know

[Fleeter]

i think everyone should start buying silver shadows again

[Stolly]

I think there's a tramp in Skipton who wears Silver Shadows

[Fellhound]

...So, did Norman Walsh really get his shoes right first time, ? ?

Yes! Someone finally noticed!! Keep it simple and there's not as much to go wrong...

[A.G]

I find that in the summer, when I wear Walshes for 90% of runs, it is very hard to go back to wearing built up trainers for road runs. Instead, I usually just put on flats for my runs after dark on road.

[Glass Ankles]

"All running shoes are badly designed"

I reckon that you are spot on here Dom, I have had PF for a year, mild to start with and finally gave in at Christmas to give it 3 months rest as it had become too sore to train properly with.

Over the 3 months off I have tried to do some drills that will help reduce my stride length and increase my cadence.

I am now running again and 1 month back all feels ok, concentrating on landing on the balls of my feet, beneath my body (not in front). I am running on the road in my Innovate trail shoes as they are the flattest shoes I have. No way will I wear the built up brick shoes again.

The big shoes slow you down and increase the risk of chronic injury.

Our local running shop doesn't even stock racing flats any more, I want something pretty flat as well as light..... any ideas where I can get them from?

The 'running fast and injury free' article on this site is interesting and seems to agree that the big shoes are cr@p.

http://www.gordonpirie.com/