Archives for 2012

Inov-8 Bare-X 180 Review: A Top Choice Among Ultraminimal, Barefoot-Style Shoes

I have to admit that I’ve been very impressed by Inov-8 lately. So far I have only reviewed one of their shoes (Road-X 233), but I now own 4 additional pairs of Inov-8’s – the F-Lite 195, Bare-X Lite 150, Trailroc 135, and the Bare-X 180 (most purchased at steep discount via The Clymb). Of […]

Shoes Matter: Running Shoes Can Contribute to Injury

Damn you injuries! (Photo credit: aaipodpics) I’ve been part of an interesting email thread over the past few days. I’m not going to discuss any specifics, but the gist of the discussion has revolved around the question of whether shoes can cause running injuries. The refrain lately in the running community has been that “form […]

Barefoot Shoes: More Than Just an Oxymoron

Awhile ago I read a great post by Jason Robillard on the relative merits of using the phrase “barefoot shoes” to describe minimalist footwear. Here’s how he opened it up: “I’ve been trying to fight this trend for years now, but the masses have spoken.  In a battle that would rival BetaMax v. VHS, the […]

The Influence of Minimalism on Trail Running Shoes: Interesting Article in Footwear Insight Magazine

Quick post to direct you to an interesting article in the Sept/Oct 2012 issue of Footwear Insight.The article interviews reps from a variety of shoe companies on recent trends in trail running footwear. Among the topics covered are the rise of bright colors, the influence of minimalism on trail shoe design, and whether there market […]

Underfoot Pressure Tracings of Forefoot, Midfoot, and Heel Strikes in Barefoot Runners: We All Supinate!

There is a lot of misinformation out there regarding how the foot initially contacts the ground during running. For example, some people like to refer to themselves as “supinators,” as if it’s a diagnosis of something unique and bad. Some think that a midfoot landing involves the entire bottom of the foot contacting the ground […]

Running Form in My Son at 18 and 30 Months of Age

In a comment to a post I wrote earlier today someone suggested that I should take a video of my son running every six months to track how his form changes over time. This is a great idea, and my kids are used to being guinea pigs for me, so I thought I’d start by […]

Panasonic FZ200 Video – 2 year-old Child Running in Slow Motion at 120fps

Yesterday I was playing around with a new camera (Panasonic FZ200) that I recently purchased for gait filming that will shoot 120 frames per second in 720p high definition (a first in a sub-$1,000.00 consumer grade camera as I’m aware; it also shoots 240fps in VGA which is solid). So far I’m really impressed with […]

Altra Superior Trail Running Shoe: First Look Video

I just received a pair of Altra Superior trails shoes in the mail (I purchased them at Running Warehouse – they are now in-stock). My plan was to run in them today and write a first impression report tonight, but it turns out they run small so I need to send them back for a […]

Switching to a Forefoot Strike: How Does it Affect Lower Back Movement and Shock Applied to the Body

A new study was just released ahead-of-print on the Medicine & Science in Sport & Exercise website. The study was authored by Traci Delgado of UNLV and colleagues, and is titled “Effects of Foot Strike on Low Back Posture, Shock Attenuation, and Comfort in Running.” The goal of the study was to determine how heel […]

New York Times on the “Myths” of Running: Is There a Best Way to Run

Gina Kolata of the New York Times wrote an article that appeared in the paper today. The title is “Myths of Running: Forefoot, Barefoot, and Otherwise,” and the article opens with the following question: “Is there a best way to run, so that you use the least energy and go the fastest?” Kolata goes on […]

Merrell Bare Access 2: First Impressions and Giveaway

One of the things that I like about the Merrell Barefoot line is that they use the same last for all of the shoes in it. For example, today I spent the entire work day in a pair of brown leather Tough Gloves, and then finished the day with a 4 mile run in the […]

Neutral Running Shoes Need Not Be the Goal for All Runners: More on Pronation Control

Over the past few years I’ve written several posts on problems with the pronation control/arch height model of fitting running shoes. These include the fact that runners generally have poor knowledge of how much they pronate, that static arch height does not correlate well with dynamic arch height, and that studies have shown little benefit […]

Minimalist Running Results in Fewer Injuries?: Survey Suggests that Traditionally Shod Runners are 3.41 Times More Likely to Get Hurt

Last week a flurry of articles appeared linking to the abstract of a new survey based study that suggested that traditionally shod runners are 3.41 times more likely to suffer a running-related injury than minimally shod runners. I opted to hold off on posting anything about the study until I had a chance to read […]

Plantar Fasciitis: How I Beat My Long-Term Battle With Heel Pain

I’ve been meaning to write this post for a long time. However, I’ve been holding off because I wanted to be sure that I have in fact won my battle with persistent heel pain. I’m finally at a point where I think my war with plantar fasciitis is officially over. As a runner, I’ve been […]

New Balance MT20v2 Review: Solid Shoe, But Questionable Upper Durability

The New Balance Minimus MT20v2 is the sequel to the “mass market” version of the New Balance Minimus Trail MT10. I’ve never quite understood the rationale for why New Balance makes both the MT10 and MT20 since they are basically the same shoe with slightly different designs, but I guess they have their reasons. I’ve […]