what running trainers

hi you guys,

im confused ,nike free ,support ,neutral or what?

if a shoe supports your foot to much and stops a natural roll isnt thaat a bad thig .doesnt it just meran that the roll will hapen else where ie your knee or back .

can anyone explain thx very much

eddie, I think it's more that the shoe has to be the correct type for you and your gait rather than stopping you doing anything you would naturally do?...if you're not sure about your gait it's safest to get neutral shoes although they may not be the most beneficial, they shouldn't do any long term harm. However, it's much better to get to a decent sports shop and have a gait analysis done to see which type you really need. They are designed to counteract the damaging pressure and stress you are transmitting through your foot and up your legs so your overall form is good, rather than just simply moving the problem elsewhere. IMHO. Believe me, I've run in the wrong type and the difference is instantly noticeable.~

There's no substitute for getting a proper gait assessment.  Get yourself along to a running specialist who will take a look at you running on a treadmill and recommend the best shoes for you. While people on here will be able to advise there's no guarantee that the advice they give will definitely apply to you as everyone has a gait that is different, even if the differences are minor. 

thanks for your advise .

Anyone help me out? Thinking about gettinf into basketball. Used to play when I was a kid really loved it. No idea on footwear any hints.

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Anyone help me out? Thinking about gettinf into basketball. Used to play when I was a kid really loved it. No idea on footwear any hints.

 I'm no expert, but it's all hi-top trainers for basketball. Here's a guide that might be worth looking at http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/info/index.jsp?categoryId=222834

Yeah i figured that. Is ankle support important?

Need to buy my first pair of running trainers ever this week... didn't realise it was so complicated! However they're only to get me through a 5k event and then think they'll probably go into retirement, so maybe it doesn't matter too much which ones I choose

Yes and no, you could probably get away with 'normal' trainers for a 5k, but proper trainers make a big difference to comfort and support. I tend to buy from running shop, but this time they didn't have the right fitting trainers. I got analysed anyway, then found a suitable, well fitting pair in sports direct at a fraction of the price. I find supportive trainers beneficial for general walking though, so even when I'm not running they still get used regularly.

Are proper trainers more expensive though? I don't really want to spend too much as I really don't think I'm going to continue running after the 5k. I'm also hoping as I tend to live in heels and silly shoes that any trainers are going to seem quite comfortable to me!

Maybe not. Those silly shoes will probably have screwed your gait up big time. Also if you live in high heels you can typically expect some achilles problems. High heels are the devil's work!

More expensive definitely does not mean better trainers or less likely to cause injury though, so you may not have to break the bank.

Quoted from RS_

Nice. Nothing like putting someone off before they've even begun.

Duh, it's a warning - you will need to take care to stretch & strengthen your calves and not overdo it.

The message needs to get out to people about what regular use of heels does to your posture & structure.

Here you go, just for you:

http://www.realbuzz.com/articles/top-10-worst-female-health-habits/

I think everyone knows what wearing heels does (I certainly do), but everyone knows the damage drinking and smoking does too and people still do them. It's about making a judgement whether you mind the risk, and personally I think it's worth it.

To be fair I'm not a runner and if wearing heels stops me from ever being one then I'm not going to be heartbroken. Wearing heels makes me feel prettier, and that's worth it for me.

But to be honest, I really don't think I'm on my feet enough for it to cause any serious injury anyway, I spend most of the day sat down.

PS. Thanks for the warning though! Will bear that in mind for my training

Actually any kind of heel has a deleterious effect. I wore regular heeled shoes for years without even thinking about it - in fact we all assume it is normal. I'm sure many or most people could care less and that's their decision but it annoys me that it took me over 35 years to find out about them and now I have to spend time undoing all the damage! Like anything else, let's have the information out there so we can make up our own minds.

Maybe one day I'll be able to go into a normal high street shop & browse a selection of zero drop shoes.... but it will probably take another generation or two. 

I personally now find the stiff & exaggerated swayback posture produced by high heels less attractive than the natural effortless stance produced by barefeet/minimal footwear...

Quoted from hannah_mc

Matching men drink for drink! That'll be Clairey then 

Wearing no heel isn't great though, completely flat shoes are just as bad for you. Let's face it seems everything is bad for you in some way!

Flat shoes are bad?

I think it's something to do with the support that you get from them - although I wear flat shoes all the time and have never had any problems. After a night out in heels I tend to be in a fair bit of pain.

Flat shoes are 'bad' if your body has adapted over years to heels and you jump straight into them.  Every years loads of women go from heels  to flip flops in the summer and get achilles problems. It's not the flat shoes that are the root of the problem.

Not true. While going from heels to flats can cause problems, flat shoes can be the root of the problem and can cause problems whether you wear heels or not.

This is an article (there are many around!) on the problems of flats:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2008/may/05/fashion.fitness

According to this "flat shoes can "strain the achilles tendon that runs from the back of the heel, and also the calf muscles in the back of the leg"."

And...

"With no shock absorbency and little heel support, there is the added risk of developing a painful heel condition called plantar fasciitis if you wear them constantly".

So yeah heels aren't that great, but neither are flats.

That's exactly what I'm talking about - the article only emphasises my point. The strained achilles is what happens.  It has shortened as a result of wearing heels all the time. The immediate cause is a different thing from the root of the problem, which is that the achilles has adapted to a shorter length. (By 'heels' I am talking about all shoes with a raised heel, not just high heels).

It would be quite ridiculous to say that human beings need a heel to walk safely, just because they are now the norm in one's own experience. The body works best without them (and has done for a very long time). They do not 'improve' your biomechanics. They actually encourage bad biomechanics, which are now the norm (you only have to observe your average runner to see this, or even people walking down the street.)

Where the confusion and problem arises is when people have grown up wearing heeled shoes and try to convert immediately rather than adjusting carefully over time. In these cases, the kind of problems you describe then occur. It's like an invalid taking off a cast and then expecting to go out for a hike. The best way to cure/avoid pf is to go barefoot, by the way, once you have learned to walk properly. The body has a natural shock absorbancy which is far more effective than that found in shoes, which is deceptive. The foot will strike down with greater force in cushioned shoes as a natural reaction to a soft surface. The cushioning in the shoe does not cushion the force which still reaches the knee and hips - and with the natural warning signal from the foot now dulled, hip & knee problems are more likely.

I disagree. Humans might not need a heel to walk safely, but walking barefoot (which is obviously what humans were made to do) is a completely different thing from wearing shoes - even flats. But anyway, people do wear heels, it's a fact of life, so really no point in debating the matter...

But on a high note, have experienced no problems at all so far in my transition from high heels to trainers, yey!

Quoted from hannah_mc

Absolutely crazy statement. That's like saying "people do eat junk food/smoke/drive carelessly etc, so no point debating it"! FYI, some people do not wear heels (me, for one). Mobility issues and back problems are reaching unprecedented levels in our culture at younger & younger ages (my osteopath has 20 & 30 year olds queueing out of his door) and although heels are not the only problem (computer use is right up there too), they are certainly a factor. Yes, flats are not the same as barefoot, quite obviously, but without the raised heel the associated postural corrections are avoided. People all over are waking up to it, and you can now get heel-free shoes for children to avoid starting them on the usual slippery slope. Long may the debate continue, frankly, however unpalatable it may be for you!! I just wish people had had the sense to question it when I was a child.

Good video for all parents...

http://vimeo.com/vivobarefoot/vivobarefoot-kids-barefoot-is-best

Firstly, eating junk food, smoking and driving carelessly can kill you, but I've never heard of anyone dying from wearing high heels! It's completely different.

Secondly, yes some people do not wear heels, I never said that wasn't the case. I said people wear heels, not everyone does.

Thirdly, I am quite happy to hear that people are going heel-free just as I am quite happy for people to wear heels... it's a matter of choice. All I'm saying is no matter how much you debate it people are going to wear heels. No not all people, but people. The debate can long continue, I'm just opting out that's all. It's allowed

Yes, let's end it here. You have a most peculiar way of 'arguing'! 

Perhaps. I have a peculiar way of doing a lot of things, but I'm OK with that!