Minimalist [[File:Runnering Shoes 1449592 m.jpg|right|thumb|500px]]{{DISPLAYTITLE:Best Running Shoes}}These reviews cover what I consider to be the best running shoes as well as some strong contenders and a few promising shoes that missed the mark. Based on [[The Science of Running Shoes]], I believe that [[What to Look for in Running Shoes]] is a shoe that does not interfere with the way you run, though I include some shoes that can be useful in transitioning from a more traditional shoe. '''These reviews are not being maintained'''. =The Best Running Shoe={{:Shoes-best}}=Shoe Categories=I've classified my shoe recommendations into several categories, each with their own pros and cons. * '''[[Maximalist]]''' (Minimum Drop, Maximum Cushioning). The minimal drop has been the hallmark of minimalist shoes, but these shoes also include lots of cushioning. At their best, these shoes can be like running barefoot on a cushioned track. Maximalist shoes offer lots of protection and comfort. They are great for longer ultramarathons where sore feet become a problem and for trail running where the cushioning makes it easier to ignore smaller rocks and stones. However, the extra cushioning may [[The Science of Running Shoes| increase the risk of injury]] compared with minimalist shoes and the extra sole thickness increases the stress on your ankle. * '''Optimal'''. These shoes ideally have just enough cushioning to improve [[Running Economy]] without the weight penalty of the Maximalist shoes. These shoes are often called "racing shoes", or "racing flats", but I don't believe this term is appropriate any more. Many years go, a "racing flat" had little or no cushioning, very thin flexible but with the advances in materials science, these shoes are now surprisingly comfortable. * '''Fast'''. These are the fastest shoes, often compromised in other ways to achieve their performance. * '''Minimalist'''. These shoes vary between the almost barefoot and those with a little more protection. I consider a shoe to be minimalist if it has insufficient cushioning to improve [[Running Economy]].* '''Balanced'''. These are shoes that are part way between minimalist and Maximalist, but are too heavy to be considered Optimal. * '''Traditional'''. The classic running shoe has a high heel, normally about 10mm higher than the forefoot . The biggest advantage of traditional shoes is the wide variety to choose from, making it far easier to find the right fit. =Unfamiliar Brands=You're probably familiar with brands like Nike, Adidas, New Balance, etc., but you may be less familiar with Hoka and Altra. * '''[[Hoka Shoe Review| Hoka One One]].''' The Hoka shoes started the 'Minimum Drop, Maximum Cushioning' style of shoe. The Hokas generally use extremely soft foam, with a wide base to improve stability. Their soles are thicker than most shoes so they are quite heavy, though not as heavy as they look. Most of the Hokas do well on both asphalt and rocky trails. The Hokas provide remarkable protection from rough trail surfaces, and the thick, soft solesmold themselves around stones to provide more grip on rocky trails than you'd expect. Other than the sole, the Hoka is a poor design, with a remarkably tight toe box and they are typically rather inflexible. * '''Altra'''. The two distinctive features of the same height at Altra shoes are their zero drop and their shape which mirrors the shape of the front human foot. Originally their shoes were quite minimalist with a thinner sole that was typically made of quite firm foam. More recently they have moved towards softer cushioning and backthe [[Maximalist]] style.* '''Topo'''. Like Altra, Topo make shoes that are designed for the human foot. It I find that the shape of Topo shoes is similar even better than Altra, with more room for my toes to barefoot move naturally. =How Long Will They Last?=There are a lot of variables in how long a running shoe will last, involving both the runner and the shoe. You'll need to understand your runningstyle to understand how long a shoe is likely to last for you. * A runner that lands harder will wear out their shoes more quickly. * If the landing forces are concentrated, this will dramatically increase shoe wear. So a runner than lands with a midfoot strike will tend to spread the landing forces, where a runner that lands on the edge of the heel will focus the forces in a small area. * Good [[Running Form]] ensures that the shoe doesn't scrape as it lands. Without this 'paw back', the scraping will wear away the rubber or foam quickly. If the scraping is combined with a concentrated landing area, the effect is a rapid removal of material under the initial contact patch.* For most shoes, the limiting factor in shoe life is the foam cushioning rather than the harder rubber outsole. The means the foam becomes compressed and offers less cushioning. The reduced cushioning is generally not the problem, but rather it's the uneven reduction across the shoe that starts to cause biomechanical problems. A common situation is that the foam under the ball of the foot wears and so the foot is tilted inward. The foam insole often fails faster than the midsole, so consider [[Replacement Insoles]] to extend the shoe life. * Thinner shoes tend to last longer than thicker shoes, which is perhaps counterintuitive. This is because a shoe with a little extra protection 40mm midsole that loses 20% of its thickness due to wear would be 8mm thinner, where a shoe with only 10mm would only lose 2mm. * The life of the hard rubber outsole is rarely an issue, and by the time the outsole is worn through the foam is dead. However, there are shoes that use relatively soft outsole that can wear more quickly. If you're wearing through the outsole before the foam is dead, there's a good chance you're not pawing back correctly and your shoes are scraping as they land. This tends to waste energy and is a sign of poor [[Running Form]].* Shoes that don't have a hard rubber outsole can suffer from abrasionwearing away the foam. With these shoes the scraping due to lack of paw back has a much bigger impact on shoe life as the foam is much less resistant to being scraped. * Temperature can play a factor in shoe life. Hot temperatures can soften shoes and cause them to wear quickly. At Badwater I've had shoes wear away more in 30 miles than I would normally see in 300. On the other hand, foam gives far less cushioning in cold weather, so a shoe that might be okay in the summer might feel worn out in winter.* The running surface changes the rate of abrasion if that's the limiting factor. Rough concrete or asphalt will erode the shoe more quickly than a smooth surface or dirt. * How much wear is too much also depends on the individual runner. Some runners may tolerate very little wear, but I know runners that can continue to run injury free in shoes that most people would consider destroyed. {| class="wikitable" |- valign= Options for Minimalist footwear "top"|[[File:WornHS6Shoes.jpg|none|thumb|300px|This is a picture of a friend's [[Asics Gel Hyper Speed 6]] showing dramatic outsole wear. These shoes had only completed 230 miles but you can see the outsole is completely gone in places. I suspect that the runner in question is scraping slightly on landing rather than pawing back fully.]]|[[File: ComparisonHS6Shoes.jpg|none|thumb|300px|By comparison this is my Hyper Speed 6 shoes that have far more miles on them. You can see that most of the outsole still has its texture, and the only real outsole wear is on the extreme heel.]]|}==My Experiences with Shoe Life==If you want Since I started tracking my shoe life more accurately with [[MilestonePod]]s, I've found that there is far more wear on my shoes than I realized. With my [[Foot Strike]] the cushioning degrades so that the sole under the ball of my foot is quite a bit lower than the rest of the forefoot. I calculate that about 2mm of compression under the ball of the foot is like running on the camber of a standard road (~3°), which creates additional stresses and might be a cause of injury. In as little as 100 miles (160Km) I've had shoes compress by 4mm under the ball of my foot! Since I injured my meniscus I've found I can't tolerate shoes with that much wear, as this artificial camber irritates my knee. Prior to my knee injury I could get away with quite massively worn shoes, sometimes putting on as much as 3,000 miles (5,000 Km) before retiring them. {| class="wikitable" |- valign="top"|[[File:ShoeWear1.JPG|none|thumb|300px|This picture shoes the compression of the midsole that occurs under the ball of the foot.]]|- valign="top"|[[File:ShoeWear2.JPG|none|thumb|300px|Here's a cross section through the same shoe, showing how much thinner the foam has become due to wear. (This is from a left shoe, so the ball of the foot is on the right of the slice.)]]|- valign="top"|[[File:Insole Wear and Foot Strike.jpg|none|thumb|300px|An insole where I've marked the area of compression, which is under the ball of my foot.]]|}=How Far Can I Run In That Shoe?=Many shoe reviews talk about "this shoe is good up to half marathon", or some other distance. Such advice is based on the idea that many people find that as close the distance increases, they want a little more cushioning to protect their feet from the pounding and to offset a little of the fatigue that sets in over time. However, because different runners want radically different levels of cushioning, generalized advice is unhelpful at best. Some runners may want a [[Maximalist]] shoe when they run a 5K, while others will run a 100-mile race barefoot . There is no maximum distance that can be run in any given shoe; it depends on what you want. I compare cushioning levels provided by the shoes I review, but remember a thicker, firmer shoe would have the same cushioning rating as you cana thinner, softer shoe, these are some good optionsbut would feel rather different.=Comparison Table={{:Shoes-table}}=Shoe Modifications=''Main article: [[Shoe Modifications]]''
=== Vibram FiveFingers (VFF) ===The VFF range of shoes are very popular Minimalist Running shoes [[File:ModifiedShoes. They are a thin sole combined with just enough material to hold them to your foot. Each toe has a separate pocket, hence JPG|none|thumb|250px|Clockwise from the name FiveFingerstop: Nike Free 3. VFF are close to barefoot running.VFFs were created for boating, not running, but they have become hugely popular. In fact, it can be hard to get some of the VFF shoes as demand outstrips supply. I would recommend either the KSO 0 (Keep Stuff Outearly version) or the KSO Treks. The Trek version has a leather upper and cut open more than most to form a thicker sole.It's been known for a long time that running barefoot is more efficient than running with shoes. Itsandal's been assumed that this is because of the weight of the shoes, but a recent study has shown running in FiveFingers is more efficient than traditional running shoes<ref name="VFF"/>. === Feelmax ===I have not used Feelmax shoesSaucony Hattori, NB Trail Minimus, but they have a very good reputation in minimalist runnersNike Free 3. Feelmax shoes have a very thin (1mm, 0.04 inch) sole made of a Kevlar composite. This sole is very flexible and provides great feel. It also provides very good puncture resistance, which protects the foot. The shoes are also very light at about 4 oz[[Hoka Shoe Review|Hoka]].]] === Huarache Racing Sandals ===With a few exceptions such as the Mizuno Curoris, I have no experience of these, but Barefoot Ted sells running sandals inspired by find that most shoes benefit from [[Shoe Modifications| cutting open the Tarahumara Indians - [http://barefootted.com/shop/ http://barefootted.com/shop/toe box]]. === Moccasins ===Some people have been running in moccasinsThis allows the toes to spread out as you toe off, especially in colder weathercreating more natural biomechanics and preventing toe blisters. == Options Shoes for near-minimalist footwear =Heavier Runners=If you want As a bit more protectionbroad generalization, foot length is generally proportional to height, then consider these options. === Nike Free ===Nike Free are running shoes that are light body weight, with very flexible soles. The Nike Free is a great minimalist running shoe and a half way house proportional to minimalist running. There is no outer sole (the hard rubber that meets the road)square of your height, just a robust midsole (the cushioning part). The midsole then has deep groves cut into it and foot area is proportional to allow the shoe to flex more than is possible with a traditional shoe. There are lots square of different models of Nike Freeyour foot length. These shoes have a number This means that indicates how flexible they are. The idea is that 10.0 would be a traditional shoe and 1.0 would be barefoot. I would recommend using the Free 3.0. I have been running in Nike Free for about 5 years and I believe they have helped me stay injury free in that time. The biggest downside of the Nike Free from a minimalist running standpoint is that it has a heel that is higher than forefoot. (Most shoes have 12mm high forefoot and 22mm high heel.) I take a knife and cut the heal down so it is roughly level with the forefoot. The Nike Free is ideal for this as it does not have a separate outsole. The midsole (given BMI, the perceived cushioning bit) is designed to should be tough enough to withstand contact with about the ground. It is relatively easy to cut the heel same regardless of the Nike Free away to produce a flat shoe. I find this is much closer to barefoot than the unmodified Free.See [http://web.archive.org/web/20071213160847/http://www.american-trackandfield.com/features/nikefreereview04.html http://web.archive.org/web/20071213160847/http://www.american-trackandfield.com/features/nikefreereview04.html] === Racing Flats ===Some racing flats are popular as minimalist shoes. I have used the Nike Mayfly absolute weight, and I know that the Mizuno Universe you'll need more cushioning if your BMI is also recommended by the POSE method. I think the Nike Free offers better value for moneyhigher, but these shoes are worth considering. === Modify and less cushioning if your old shoes ===Another cheap option BMI is to take an old pair of running shoes and modify themlower. To do this, you would You may also need to cut off the heel of the shoe to be level with the forefoot. This may work more cushioning if your existing shoes feet are reasonably lightweight disproportionately small and flexible anyway, but not all shoes less if your feet are suitabledisproportionately large. === Canvas Sneakers ===Some people have got on well Of course, different runners prefer radically different levels of cushioning, with Converse style canvas sneakers. Cheap and easy to find. Note: this is not the same as cheap running shoes. These canvas sneakers have very little sole. == Run Barefoot ==Running barefoot is different to some liking an un-cushioned minimalist running, but both fit under the general concept of 'natural running'. There are advantages shoe and disadvantages to barefoot runningothers a massively cushioned Maximalist shoe. The biggest advantage is that it is cheap and easy. It is a great way of finding out what itBut if you's d like to run without traditional shoes. == A shoe to avoid - The Newton ==Newton shoes focus on forefoot running by adding extra height to the forefoot of the shoe. scale my reviews, I purchased a pair thinking they would move me closer to barefoot running. The result of the high forefoot is an unstable shoe. What 'm 5' 10"/180cm, I found was the Newton takes a bad idea (the traditional running shoe) and makes it worse. I hated running in the Newton shoesweigh about 140 pounds/64 Kg, but I think they are which is a valuable lesson. Natural running requires a minimalist shoeBMI of about 20, not and take about a more complex onemen's US 10. You can get a better alternative to the Newton just by hacking the sole off an old pair of running shoes. I would not recommend these shoes. I would advise you to avoid these shoes. ==Further Reading==* http:5/UK 10/www.feelmax.com/index.php?lang=en http://www.feelmax.com/indexEU 45 shoe size.php?lang=en* http://barefootted.com/2009/01/running-in-seattle-with-feelmax-shoes.html* The best video looking at barefoot and traditional running shoes http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jrnj-7YKZE&featureShoe Gallery=player_embedded The Barefoot Professor: by Nature Video]* A video Images of a persistence hunt [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wI-9RJi0Qo "Persistence Hunting" video by the BBC shoes reviewed on youtube.com==See Also==* this site can be found in the [[Are your running shoes injuring youShoe Gallery]]?.* [[The Journey to Minimalist Running]]=Shoe Dissection =* ''Main article: [[Toughening FeetShoe Dissection]]''
==References==<references><ref name="VFF"> FiveFingers footwear is more efficient for runners than conventional running shoeshttp[[File://wwwHokaOlympusSlice.pponlineJPG|none|thumb|x300px|A comparison between the Altra Olympus and Hokas.co.uk/encyc/fivefingers-footwear-more-efficient-runners-conventional-running-]]Ever wonder what the inside of your shoe looks like? Take a look inside; I've cut many of my shoes-41153 http://wwwin half to reveal their construction, as you can see above.pponlineYou can see a gallery at [[Shoe Dissection]], as well as in the detailed shoe reviews.co.uk/encyc/fivefingers-footwear-more-efficient-runners-conventional-running-shoes-41153</references>=Frankenshoes=''Main article: [[Frankenshoes]]''