Very flexible shoes and flat feet

[Greg Vaillancourt]

I’ve read with interest that companies like Inov-8 make shoes with very felxible soles to condition the foot and improve biomechanical efficiency.

As one who is cursed with horked-up feet {flattened arches and Morton toes) I wonder if these kinds of shoes only work with healthy normal feet?

I have found stiff soles like those found in backpacking boots or shoes like Montrail Comps to help combat foot fatigue.

Any thoughts or experience?

[Vick Hines]

Experience.
My limited experience is that I’ve been using Nike Free 5.0 Trails for about 25 trail days so far. I think they are about as flexible as you can get. I have flat feet. Or did until I started using the Frees. My shoe size has shrunk from 13 to 12.5 since my arch seems to have recovered a little since using them. They allow a longer stride with more foot leverage and feel GOOOD doing it. I had sore calves for the first several days because I was using them more, but that’s over now.

I have used trail runners for several years (AT thruhike, lots of other trail time)and have been through many brands and types without feeling good about them for more than a few days. Frees are different – and much bettter. So far.

[cary bertoncini]

and have experienced my share of foot problems

I don’t think there is any 1 shoe that can be ideal for more than 20% of the people out there

just too many variables

In my personal example, there is probably no 1 shoe that can be at once ideal for both my feet, as one has neutral pronation and one over pronates, one has over flexible ankles, the other strong, and one is about 3/4 size larger with a correspondingly larger arch

I would recommend some experimentation but with caution and a long break-in period

cardio vascular system and muscles improve quickly with new stimuli, but tendons and ligaments, especially in feet, are much slower to improve

some people can strengthen & improve arch issues, others will always need support structures, and some lucky bastards have bullet proof feet

[R K]

Don’t have flat feet but do have very low arches. If a shoes has a pronounced arch support I get foot pain. I’ve used lots of different trail runners. I agree with everything that Vick has said above about the Nike Free 5.0 trail runners. They are simply the most comfortable shoes I own. Compared to the Inov-8’s (I have the 330 terrocs) the Nike’s are way more flexible, but the Inov-8’s have a better lacing system and heel cup.

Roy

[Greg Vaillancourt]

Roy,

Do you think your feet have gotten better as a result of wearing shoes like the Frees or the Innov-8s?

Vick, that is encouraging to read!

Do these shoes have much in the way of arch support or an anatomical footbed or are they trying to force your feet to support themselves? Would using my usual pair of SuperFeet defeat the purpose of these kinds of shoes?

FWIW My feet flattened out from an 11.5 to a 13-14.

[Vick Hines]

Greg,
These ‘barefooting’ shoes permit (not ‘force’)your feet to support themselves.

The degree your feet have lengthened indicates pretty serious flattening. One thing that had to happen is your plantar fasciiti, the tendons under your feet, pampered and weakened by years of being needlessly supported, stretched out and no longer keep your arch…um..arched. Nike recommends a long conditioning period when you first start wearing Frees. My feet had a lot of recovery to do, but I did not have any discomfort in my feet, themselves. Only my calf muscles.

Yes, my feet are much stronger (and over 1/2 size shorter). My stride and hiking speed have both improved. I have adapted to them well enough for long days with a pack on uneven ground. The weakness of the Frees is the heel cup and general foot-holding structure is loose, so I slide forward on long, steep downhills and side-slip some when breasting. It isn’t so bad that I would change, although the Inov8’s sound interesting.

Frees are a lot like barefooting, but with a lot of protection against sharp rocks (among the best I’ve tried) and sticky rubber.

[R K]

>Do you think your feet have gotten better as a result of wearing shoes like the Frees or the Innov-8s?

Most definently. Again, Vick has taken the words right out of my mouth. Although, I hadn’t put the two together, my feet have gone down about half a size as well. I Never experienced any pain in my feet while wearing the these shoes(I’ve been wearing them for hiking and everyday use for about four months now), just a short period of soreness in my calf’s. I do alot of walking and standing while at work, and before the Free’s my feet would be howlin’ by the end of the day. Now my feet feel great when its time to go home. Another benefit I noticed is that some knee and lower back pain I had has seem to have gone away.

The Free’s do have a very loose fit and if I walking down hill my feet do slide forward, but this isn’t uncomfortable at all because the upper material is so soft and flexible.

That being said, if I were going to be hiking off-trail or on rough terrain I would rather wear the Inov-8’s. They feel a little more like regular shoes to me but the combination of a snug heel cup and effective lacing system gives very stable footing. They’re pretty comfortable too, just not quite as comfortable as the Free’s.

Roy

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