Is my podiatrist the anti-Christ?

The re is no such thing as "the anti-christ". Read your Bible; it says there are many anti-christs, not a singular entity.

Huge Clunky Shoe Guy wrote:

It seems to me that the majority trail runners are joining the minimalist shoe bandwagon. I have never heard any gripes about minimalist shoes, only praise.

If you google: barefoot running injury

you'll get many hits. Virtually all of them were "barefoot running" in minimalist shoes.

After many years of also using orthotics, I ditched mine about 2 - 3 years ago before the big wave of minimalist shoes hit the mainstream. At the time, I was constantly getting injured, so I thought I would give it a shot.I gradually made the switch, alternating days, etc. using shoes that are designated as 'lightweight' or now they have zero-lift. I still get minor injuries here and there, can usually run through them. I am happy I tossed them, and the motion control shoes, won't go back.But directly to your question, I have not heard of orthotics in minimalist shoes. BTW, male, 50+, been running 30+ years.Everyone is different. Just proceed with caution.

Huge Clunky Shoe Guy wrote:

It seems to me that the majority trail runners are joining the minimalist shoe bandwagon. I have never heard any gripes about minimalist shoes, only praise. I have never heard of anyone wearing orthotics with minalist shoes. Anyone? Is there anyone out there who has had a bad experience with minimal shoes? I have run with orthotics for 10 years. I would really like to give them up (primarily for the expense). Please share your experiences if you have quit orthotics successfully or swear by them.

I ditched my orthotics, but did so in favor of a strong stability shoe. No great revalations in my running as a result. In fact, I think the main problem I had with orthotics was that they were poorly made. I would really like to get some that are well made and provide just the support I need.

I've never used orthotics, but as I understand the theory, I don't think you would want them in trail shoes anyway because your feet don't hit the ground in any consistent way that would make the orthotics helpful. That's why they typically don't sell "support" or "stability" trail shoes - trail shoes are almost all neutral. If your trail is a flat dirt road, then maybe the orthotics would do something.

Like I said I've never used orthotics, but I used to wear stability shoes. Since I've gone to light neutral trains (not really "minimal" like Vibrams) I've had fewer injuries, but that's a sample size of 1. Personally, I think it's worth giving a try, especially if you're running on trails. I wouldn't go straight to Vibrams - first try a light trail shoe like the Saucony Peregrine ect and if you like it you can try something more minimal.

wrong, hillary clinton is the anti-christ.

I bought some Altra Instincts. I've got pretty bad pronation and have had orthotics since sophomore year in college.

I walk around in the Altra's w/o orthotics but run with orthotics in.

they aren't purely minimalist but are zero rise. They also are cushioned pretty well. I definitely feel smoother running in them than my Brooks but I haven't made a full switch and think I'll continue to wear my orthotics. Better stride (IMO) but with cushioning.

They'll also be more useful in the winter.

Anyway, my footstrike is more natural but I don't get funky motion that has consistently caused achilles issues in the past (w/o orthotics).

I haven't had an injury since I got my orthotics 3 years ago. Being e years old I'm pretty certain I wore them out a year ago (I run about 25-30 mpw. That's what got me thinking they were flim-flam. I'll try slowly alternating between what I wear now and and a less stable/guided shoe. I run 50 trails and 50% roads.

I was curious if anyone thought one could just "adjust" to running without orthotics.

I've run in minimalist shoes for a year now - currently in Merell Barefoot trail on pavement. Minimalism is not the cure for injuries, but it does make your feet and legs strong. I would never recommend anyone ditch their orthotics, but if you are wearing them because you have weak arches, I would think about strengthening your feet and running occasionally in less shoe.

My only bad experience with minimalist shoes is it takes some time for your feet and legs to adapt to running high mileage and your feet and legs will feel trashed until that happens. It took me 6 months of daily running to adapt. At this point, it would be impossible for me to run in a regular cushioned shoe because it feels like I'm running on pillows - even a flat seems too cushioned.

For me, the benefits of a minimalist shoe outweigh the negative aspects.

Check out Gordon Pirie ("Running fast and injury free") for his advice on training shoes.

as i just posted in another thread, i work in a running shoe specialty store, and i see just as many, if not more, injuries caused by barefoot shoes as i do by normal shoes. and dont put orthotics in minimalist shoes, because that defeats the purpose. the purpose of minimalism is to build up the strength in your feet so you dont need them. if you put them in, essentially you have a less comfortable stability shoe. try it and work into minimalism incredibly slowly, like no more than a couple miles a week, split up into several sessions, and do the rest of your running in normal shoes. slowly build upon your minimalist running. it takes some people years to make a full transition, other can do it immediately, but they are usually totally neutral, natural forefoot strikers. in my opinion though, one is not better than the other, in terms of minimalist versus regular shoes, its all about what works for you.