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From Fellrnr.com, Running tips
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* '''Minimalist'''. These shoes vary between the almost barefoot and those with a little more protection.
* '''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.
=Shoe 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 soles mold 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 Altra shoes are their zero drop and their shape which mirrors the shape of the 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 the Minimax style.
=Shoe ReviewsComparison Table=
{{:Shoes-table}}
* '''[[Minimax]]. '''Minimax shoes have thicker, softer soles, and far less of a high heel (drop) than traditional running shoes.
=Shoe Dissection =
[[File:HokaOlympusSlice.JPG|none|thumb|x300px|A comparison between the Altra Olympus and Hokas.]]
Ever wonder what the inside of your shoe looks like? Take a look inside; I've cut many of my shoes in half to reveal their construction, as you can see above. You can see a gallery at [[Shoe Dissection]], as well as in the detailed shoe reviews.
=Foot Shape =
Very few shoes have a shape that mirrors the human foot. It often seems like shoe companies have never seen a human foot before given the strange shape they make their shoes. This is especially true of Hoka, which have a particularly small toe box. The main company with shoes for the human foot is Altra, and once you've tried their shoes the traditional shoe shape seems even more bizarre. (The Mizuno Cursoris is a notable exception that also has a nice toe box shape.)
