By Stevie B
As I drove to the gym, ready for some quality time with a tread mill, I started to mull over why my “strictly running” shoes were not the answer to my shin pain. Even with all the support and cell technology built into these shoes I was having the same problem. Heel strike. I have never been able to really change my stride. It has improved; my crippling shin splints have decreased dramatically with training how to run on my forefoot instead of smacking down on my heels, yet after any amount of running I still had soreness and pain in my lower legs. This is due to the tendons and muscles surrounding the tibia being unable to absorb the shock I force this muscle group to absorb in my bad running form.
When
researching how to correct my stride and relieve my pain, I found that
proper foot landing during running was critical, but improper footwear,
including worn-out shoes can also contribute to shin splints. This is
when I started treating my heavily padded Pumas as if they were my
children. My new kids were disappointing me. I thought back to an
article in Runner’s World*
about barefoot running. Proponents of the barefoot movement argue that
barefoot running is healthier for feet and reduces risk of chronic
injuries, notably repetitive stress injuries due to the impact of heel
striking in padded running shoes. Figuring that I would try anything, I
stopped off at my local REI store. After no less than five associates
warning me to break them in SLOWLY, I strapped my new Vibram FiveFinger
shoes on and headed to the gym.
The United States Army recently banned the use of Vibram FiveFinger toe shoes for image reasons*
I can see why, they… take awhile to get used too. On my walk from the
car, through the locker room, and to the treadmill I had four people
stop and ask me how they felt to wear. In spite of the friendly sales
associates at REI warning me that if I didn’t break them in slowly my
feet would fall off from pain, I hopped on the treadmill and took off.
I would like to report that my feet did not, actually fall off. Today,
they feel… amazing actually. My normal feeling of shin splints is
non-existent. The barefoot feeling forced me, without me knowing, to
land correctly on the treadmill’s belt. Yes, these shoes force unwanted
attention down to my toes, but with the help they give me running I’m
okay being a toe exhibitionist.
This post originally appeared on Steven Bennet's website Nice to See StevieB. Republished with permission.