Are trainers (sneakers) like HiFi?

[CapMan]

Trying to lose a few pounds and need some new training footwear to pound the streets.

I was all set to go to the local sports shop when I thought - what if expensive trainers are like HiFi - just a lot of marketing foo foo and branding !

When I read about the latest shoe tech it certainly sounds convincing, but then again so did the claims of boutique cable brands until I learnt better (thanks ASR).

What do you think - does paying top coin for the latest branded running footwear make a difference vs the cheaper stuff or is it just the same old expectation bias ??

 

[Dimitri]

Sneakers are a sociology topic unless you are a professional athlete. Then it's a matter of sponsorhorship contracts and performance. (mostly sponsorship contracts)

 

[Count Arthur]

There's a lot of misinformation out there, but consider this, we ran around barefoot for ~2 million years and we only started strapping big wedges of foam to out feet in the 1970s.

Over cushioned footwear can encourage bad running technique as it allows higher impact, whereas minimalist shoes force you to run gently, landing on the fore-foot and reducing impact on the knees and hips.

Knee injuries are rare in countries where people rarely wear shoes.

https://purelybarefoot.com/the-pros-and-cons-of-minimalist-running-shoes/

 

[Timcognito]

Arch support is critical, each lift of foot puts 100% of your weight on the other foot, especially stairs or uphill. These helped me a lot. $20 on Amazon in the US.
https://www.amazon.com/Plantar-Fasciitis-Insoles-Supports-Orthotics/dp/B075YGTSQT 64000 ratings

 

[kemmler3D]

I think you are right to examine the signal from your BS detector here (and everywhere!)

When it comes to shoes, I think they are a bit like Hifi. The marketing seems great, but do they show any objective correlation to performance or injuries?

Who is in a position to share objective data? Shoe companies? Individual runners? Not really.

Podiatrists, MDs in sports medicine, medical researchers, those might be better sources for guidance on running shoes. There must be some objective research on this.

I am pretty sure you want SOMETHING on your feet if you're going to run on anything other than grass or sand, but exactly what, I couldn't say.

 

[DVDdoug]

Of course, there are differences in comfort, cushioning. and pronation.

I'm not an expert but I'd look for something that's comfortable.

I'm not an expert on weight loss either, but weight loss is mostly about reducing caloric intake unless you exercise several hours a day. I'm slightly overweight and I've been jogging (slowly ) about 2 miles a day for a couple of months. ...It's for "general health" because I'm getting old (in my 60s), not specifically for weight loss But I should work on that more too!.

You burn calories when you're resting or sleeping, just not as much.

Funny story... A few years ago my girlfriend got an exercise bike. Like almost everybody else, she never used it that much. But there was a calorie meter and the 1st time she tried it out (low resistance for 5 or 10 minutes) it showed that she'd burned 4 calories! So then we started joking about a 4-calorie piece of cake, or anything else, but especially deserts.

 

[Count Arthur]

Arch support is critical, each lift of foot puts 100% of your weight on the other foot, especially stairs or uphill. These helped me a lot. $20 on Amazon in the US.
https://www.amazon.com/Plantar-Fasciitis-Insoles-Supports-Orthotics/dp/B075YGTSQT 64000 ratings

Feet don't naturally need arch support. Feet need arch support, if they've always had it, because the muscles that naturally create the arch atrophy.

Dave Caveman, did not strap on a pair of $300.00 Nike trainers before chasing down an antelope.

 

[CapMan]

I'm not an expert on weight loss either, but weight loss is mostly about reducing caloric intake unless you exercise several hours a day

I’m doing that too - it’s murder ! Even @DVDdoug’s pic is making me feel hungry as I’m reading this thread !!

 

[Timcognito]

Feet don't naturally need arch support. Feet need arch support, if they've always had it, because the muscles that naturally create the arch atrophy.

True but age and obesity tend to work against it. Doubt there were too many old obese cavemen, but maybe. My use case; 6'3" 250 lbs those things helped more than $250 shoes, but again that was me.

 

[Count Arthur]

For balance:

If you've been wearing, stiff, supportive shoes, perhaps with a significant heal, for many years, transitioning to a minimalist shoe, will take time. Myself, I've always favoured soft, fairly flat shoes, with minimal support, so it wasn't difficult.

 

[dasdoing]

lol, it's funny since there is a similar discussion with a divided crowd after the barefoot hype. I don't run but I use zero-drop light footwear for comfort so I researched.
As I am kind of outside the two poles I might summarize it like this:
yes, our feet are made to walk/run barefoot,
no they are not made to walk/run on concrete since roads don't exist in nature.
If you are a guy who complains a lot and has a hard time getting used to some pain until you adapt: go with good cushioning.
If you are a "nature guy" who likes to feel the ground and loves control: go minimal.....but carefully

 

[Leeken]

Go to your local beach,throw your shoes off and go for a short slow run,you should be running on your forefoot.
Buy a shoe without too much cushioning which will let you replicate that style,it’s that simple.

 

[Blumlein 88]

Arch support is critical, each lift of foot puts 100% of your weight on the other foot, especially stairs or uphill. These helped me a lot. $20 on Amazon in the US.
https://www.amazon.com/Plantar-Fasciitis-Insoles-Supports-Orthotics/dp/B075YGTSQT 64000 ratings

Then there is the idea feet have arches that work just like arches in old ancient buildings. By supporting the middle of the arch you remove its potential to work like an arch does. If you have pronation adding extra arch support is like a pad to sort of make the foot arch. Seems to me flat feet would be better served with a flat insole that has a slope inside to outside to align the flat feet better to the ground, but not support the arch more. Hey, maybe I should start a shoe company.

Nike's first shoe was made on a waffle iron. The main aim was to produce a very light weight shoe with enough stiffness in the sole and grip without being heavy. Guess that is better than the much older New Balance inspiration. Chicken feet. Chickens have sort of a tripod foot pattern and the guy thought this would be a stable way to help athletes. So they started using arch support with three points of contact. Heal, and the outer edges of the toes. He did name his company New Balance rather than chicken feet shoes.

 

[Ken1951]

Go to a good podiatrist. I no longer run, but did for many years. My podiatrist is a fan of both the Brooks Glycerin and the Hoka line of shoes, particularly the Cliford model. He consults with the local running clubs as well. Good shoes help.

 

[Oso Polar]

I’m doing that too - it’s murder ! Even @DVDdoug’s pic is making me feel hungry as I’m reading this thread !!

This just means that you are doing it wrong. One that looses the weight fast by an uncomfortable diet will inevitably gain the weight back, and it'll be bigger weight than the starting point before diet! Because something that is uncomfortable and causes constant hunger is unsustainable long term. The key is to find a food regime that you actually enjoy - this is something you'll need to follow the rest of your life, healthy weight is always a lifestyle change. Don't try to loose weight too fast, you need a small calorie deficit, just enough to steadily drop 1-2 pounds a week.

From my own personal experience (I lost ~75 pounds in 2017) I'd recommend to start by skipping one meal (e.g. eat two times a day instead of three) and avoid "fast" carbs (e.g. pretty much anything sweet), in general increase fat and protein, decrease carbs. Decrease alcohol. Exercises are irrelevant for weight loss but they matter a lot for your health - without exercises the first thing you'll lose will be muscles, not fat, this is not a good thing. Because of this I'd recommend to mix different exercises, so all muscle groups are somewhat loaded. And because of the (I assume) excessive weight I'd really, really not recommend running - unless you want to kill your joints fast. Cycling, swimming, elliptic training - but not running!

 

[Ken1951]

Walk and change your diet. Slow and steady wins the race. Still, get good shoes even for the walking.

 

[Deleted member 21219]

I’m doing that too - it’s murder ! Even @DVDdoug’s pic is making me feel hungry as I’m reading this thread !!

I use chia seeds. Soak 1/4 cup of them overnight (in the refrigerator) in 1 cup milk, or 1/2 cup milk and 1/2 cup flavored yogurt. Eat a small meal, then take 3-4 spoons of the seed gel (this concoction will form a gel overnight) to induce satiety.

I'm not claiming it will work for everyone, but it works for me.

Jim

 

[Deleted member 48726]

Knee injuries are rare in countries where people rarely wear shoes.

Ha! -Yeah. Maybe there are some other reason(s) for that than that they just don't have shoes on their feet..
I bet, for example, the average life expectancy is somewhat lower than compared to countries where people wear shoes..

 

[CapMan]

But back to my original question - are trainers the same as HiFi?

 

[Count Arthur]

But back to my original question - are trainers the same as HiFi?

No, ones for listening to, the other you wear on your feet.

In seriousness, a large proportion of trainers are never used for sport, much like most off-road vehicles, never go off road. As such, there's an awful lot of marketing nonsense to sell them to people that are never going to use them for their intended purpose anyway.

Maybe try: https://runrepeat.com/catalog/running-shoes

I like a zero drop running shoe, with minimal or no cushion, like the Merrell Trail or Vapor Glove, as I find that too much cushion makes my feet feel unstable; I don't feel "planted". In addition, I don't do huge distances, typically less than 5k.

If you typically wear stiff very structured and supportive shoes with a significant heel, you may need something quite different, at least to start.