How to Safely Incorporate Minimal into Your Runs!
Simpler really can be better sometimes. Certainly you’ve seen or read about the rise of the seemingly very simple minimalist shoes like Vibrams, Suacony Mirages, Newtons, Nike Free and others. They’re the fastest growing category of shoes in all three of our FITniche stores and show no signs of letting up. So many of you are adopting the shoes (or at least talking about them), and so much information is swirling around out there (some of it downright dangerous), that I thought it important to share with you my thoughts on the key benefits, drawbacks and best practices for using minimalist footwear.
DEFINITION
Minimalist shoes, by definition, eliminate much of the weight and most of the structure, as well as the downhill slope from heel to forefoot in shoes. Traditional shoes usually have a 10-14% downhill pitch from the heel to the toe. Minimalist shoes usually have a 0-4% pitch from the heel.
MINIMALIST SHOE BENEFITS
- Makes it likely you’ll land closer to midfoot, or at least less heavily on your heels.
- The more impact force the midfoot absorbs, the more lightly your overall footstrike—usually!
- Minimalist shoes also lighter, so you’ll usually run faster. (Shaving ounces in a shoe is the equivalent to losing pounds from the rest of you because of centrifugal force and the acceleration and deceleration of each footstep!)
- You’ll also use more of the foot’s smaller muscle structures, theoretically making you stronger and less injury prone.
MINIMALIST SHOE DRAWBACKS
- You’ll need more elasticity in your calf and achilles to handle the nearly level heels, so it’s important to gradually work them in to your training.
- Many of the shoes have very little to no cushioning. Most have very little structure.
- Because of the lack of cushioning and structure, you’ll need to stay more focused on your form and technique.
- Running on engineered surfaces (uniformly hard, flat surfaces like sidewalks and paved roads) should be done with more engineered (traditional) shoes. The bare foot works best on natural surfaces where every footstep is a little different from the one before it and the ground is softer. Running on uniformly hard, flat surfaces where every footstep is just like the one before it requires more structure and cushion in a shoe to protect you from injury. Fat pads in the foot break down faster, stress fractures are more likely, and weak infrastructure links can occur more readily over time when running in extreme minimalist product on roads and sidewalks.
- No matter what anyone else tells you, the bare or close-to-bare human foot was neither designed nor created to operate on concrete or pavement. It was designed for natural surfaces.
BEST PRACTICES!
- Gradually get your body used to running in minimalist product. Start with just 5-10 minutes and add just
a couple of minutes more each time out–until you get to a total of 30 minutes. - Wear extreme minimalist shoes on natural surfaces only! If you don’t have access to a trail, run in the grass beside the sidewalk or road. It’s more fun there anyway!
- When you want to plug the earphones in and tune out from everything else (including your forma and technique), wear traditional shoes. Traditional shoes stabilize the foot extremely effectively when fitted correctly.
- When you want to be fully engaged with your environment and focused on your form and technique, wear minimalist shoes, which will strengthen your infrastructure and help make better form more likely.
- Keep both types of shoes in your arsenal.
- Use minimalistic shoes to enjoy running lighter, faster, and with better form!
- Let trained professionals (like the ones at FITniche!) help you select the right minimalist product for your training needs, body type and biomechanics!
Rich Wills is the owner of FITniche, a group of three specialty running stores located in Lakeland, North Tampa 
and Clearwater. Rich is a lifelong runner and triathlete and his stores have been selected by Competitor magazine as one of the Top 50 Running Stores in the country for 4 years in a row. Learn more at www.FITniche.com.
