Are running shoes the most destructive force to ever to touch a human foot?

markeroon wrote:

jo ho wrote:

I saw a guy in the gym today wearing Vibram Five Fingers. He was about 5 ft 8 or 9 and weighed over 200lbs I am guessing. And it wasn't all muscle. He had a very round body type, an apple I believe is how they described it. I had to chuckle at his shoes, thought I don't know if he was running on the treadmill or just wearing them to workout in.

Why did you feel the need to chuckle at his shoes? Because he's doing something unorthodox or because he's fat?

I wear them, and having people constantly staring at my feet gets so tiresome. If they weren't such great shoes, I would've stopped wearing them long ago just because I hate the attention that they draw. It's a shoe -- get over it.

Read the thread that I was replying to.

I chuckled because he was a big fat guy wearing VFF. I'm sure if his feet/ankle/knees get injured he will blame the shoes or just say that running is bad for you. In no way is the extra 50 or 60 lbs to blame.

Nah. Definitely spikes.

http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/187057main_spike4_330.jpg

Touching a foot with a sledgehammer wouldn't be damaging. If the sledgehammer weighed 200 pounds and you rested it on your foot then it would cause some damage. I just don't see anyone being able to wield a 200 pound sledgehammer effectively.

Now touching with a jagged piece of glass would be destructive.

The Stache wrote:

"Are running shoes the most destructive force to ever to touch a human foot?"

I don't know. Sledgehammers are pretty bad.

I was going to say that, almost literally. Nice.

Delicious Bean Soup wrote:

I'd say sledge hammers have probably done more harm than running shoes.

Or that.

The guy winning that marathon in Boston without shoes was pretty impressive. I may even start running barefoot.

Agree totally with this! I always wear racers and have never had an injury.

Ah but do always wear racers therefore have never had an injury, or have you never had a injury and therefore can always wear racers?

jo ho wrote:

Read the thread that I was replying to.

I chuckled because he was a big fat guy wearing VFF. I'm sure if his feet/ankle/knees get injured he will blame the shoes or just say that running is bad for you. In no way is the extra 50 or 60 lbs to blame.

Okay, that's a good point. However, I don't know if anyone has proved that heavy trainers are better for heavy people. He might still be doing himself a favor.

aquafina wrote:

if you watched boston you probably noticed that most everyone there was wearing shoes, even the leaders.

i'm beginning to hate this book because every kook in the far corners of the running world has latched on to it.

Totally agree, good read, but just the basic premise is idiotic from a common sense stand point. What would you rather damage...a 1" compilation of foam and polyurethane, or the connective tissue of your foot. Duh.

ScrapIron Steve wrote:

aquafina wrote:

if you watched boston you probably noticed that most everyone there was wearing shoes, even the leaders.

i'm beginning to hate this book because every kook in the far corners of the running world has latched on to it.

Totally agree, good read, but just the basic premise is idiotic from a common sense stand point. What would you rather damage...a 1" compilation of foam and polyurethane, or the connective tissue of your foot. Duh.

yo are missing the point. the point is that if you grew up barefoot your whole life and were fit your whole life you would never have to worry about hurting the connective tissue in your foot just by simply running. concrete and asphalt changed all that of course...

This is a terrible analogy.A better analogy would be the baseball player using a foam stick with 5 heads instead of a bat. I bet people would pay attention (and laugh).

bigboy765 wrote:

If a player in the local baseball recreational league changes his swing and gets a little better nobody pays any attention. After all, he's still a rec league baseball player

How come if this person's running equivalent changes their shoes and sees their 5k time drop from 23:40 to 22:50 people pay any attention at all?

maybe we should stop wearing clothes because we weren't born that way. the stigma of being all fat and disgusting while naked would shame people into eating healthy and working out.

the idea is so stupid, just wear some da mn shoes like a civilized human being.

statistician wrote:

I believe that honor goes to Paul McMullen's lawnmower.

You win.

But Porter's toes individually getting smashed by a hammer was pretty destructive.