I’d dd though that although I feel good in the most minimal shoes, I think they fatigue me faster and are harder on the calves. Could proabably adapt with time if I went exclusive.

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Pete Larson’s Web Links:
My book: Tread Lightly – http://ow.ly/bdUO0
Blog: https://runblogger.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/oblinkin
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Runbl…

I wonder if the extra protection to the soles accounts for the “quicker” through the feet look in the Vibrams. I do very little pure barefooting because of gravel and goat heads. When I do barefoot, I tend to be slower overall and through my feet. I got a pair of Feelmax Osmas about three years ago (selection for minimalist shoes has exploded since then) and found that ground contact time was much shorter with those rather than bare skin on pavement.

I’ve never tried any of the Altras personally because I don’t think they’re available in Canada. However, the Instincts in particular seem quite heavy with a fair bit of cushioning and a pretty high overall stack height. My understanding is that the cushioning is on the firmer side, but it seems like the only things that are “minimalist” about these shoes are the wide toe box and the zero heel-to-toe offset.

Pete, there were some comments in the previous post about your “crossover gait”, but it does not seem as noticeable in these videos. And it seems that it’s mainly the left leg that crosses over. Was that something that you were consciously trying to change in these videos? I’m asking because I am also an “overpronator” who crosses over and it’s something that I’ve been working on by mainly trying to engage by glutes and hip rotators and abductors more.

Just several comments. I know from following all your posts that you are a well educated and smart guy, so I am sure you will agree with the following:

1) I am a little disappointed that your only reference to your running style is when you say “I am mid-forefoot in some, and mid-rear foot in others, for two reasons. First, because it frustrates me in the minimalist/barefoot domain that everyone JUST focuses on foot strike, like its somehow the sole representative of what these shoes are doing or how your running style is classified. “oh I used to heel strike but now I moved to VFF’s I only forefoot strike” is what we hear a lot. Running is comprised of a huge amount of movements, displacements rotations, flexions etc that all have some role in both impact attenuation and injury risk, and in fact we still dont know IF any footstrike is better than others – just look at how much elite athletes vary (my point here – we are all different).

And also actually because I dont think in any case you are remotely close to forefoot striking, but thats just a minor point.
2) yes your form changes in each clip, but does this really matter? over longer runs and with some volume do you have any problems? do you get specific niggles or injuries? It seems to me that you wear a huge amount of different shoes, and don’t report many injuries on your blog, which actually means “who cares” about how your running form changes if it works for you in each case. (this point can be debated from a performance perspective, but another time). Again, it comes back to the fact that there is no perfect gait – for ANYONE, so we need to find something that works and run with it.
3) it is very difficult to decide IF and WHAT form is better for you when you are jogging 100m in the clip, because generally we see that runners change or optimise their running style to something consistent somewhere around 2-6 minutes into a run (or faster for elite), since you also said that you fatigue a lot in the VFF’s, even though everyone is saying here that you look a little better in this condition, this may not be the case 2 miles down the road.
Just some points to debate, keep up the good work.

I’d say my form feels best in the Merrells, Vibrams, and Skechers among the shoes show here. Altras not bad, but a bit of a stiff sole and what looks like some medial compression under the forefoot.

—-
Pete Larson’s Web Links:
My book: Tread Lightly – http://ow.ly/bdUO0
Blog: https://runblogger.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/oblinkin
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Runbl…

Good question on contact time – I have video that would allow me to address that from the NYC Barefoot run, just need to analyze it!

Seems to be the common response!

—-
Pete Larson’s Web Links:
My book: Tread Lightly – http://ow.ly/bdUO0
Blog: https://runblogger.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/oblinkin
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Runbl…