Lower body injuries - Foot, ankle, calf, knees, hips, etc.

[movdqa]

That average person doesn't want to try to run a Marathon in minimalist shoes unless they have a LOT of experience running in minimalist shoes. Some experienced runners do very fast marathon times in minimalist shoes (huaraches, racing flats, V5Fs) which are often made like running flats and give better energy return on the stride.

But the average bucket list runner is going to need a more cushioned shoe that doesn't rub and create any hot spots. Even those Hoka monstrosities are probably safer for a lot of weekend warriors doing a marathon, though with my foot shape I'd stick to something from Altra.

I think that most people at my age just want to finish it. The amount of time doesn't matter.

 

[Royce]

A good company does a lot of experimentation and has a number of failures for every success.

I'm quite happy that we have all of these companies with research and development teams that provide us with a myriad of products and services.

Would you prefer a world without modern medical technology? Antibiotics? Computers? Phones? Logistics mathematics? Airplanes? Automobiles? The wheel? Aquaducts? Modern plumbing?

Capitalism has its advantages and its disadvantages.

Advantages: we get amazing fun products and our technology and life-span increases rapidly.

Disadvantages: major corporations take advantage of uneducated people to milk money out of them.

There is always a pro and a con. It's just the way life is.

So arch support is a bad thing then why are there so many more foot problems with so many wearing flip flops and sandles then? My wife and I both had PF problems in the past after stretching and using roller massage for calf we both got through it but now she wears sole insoles and I wear Superfeet Orange insoles, I even glue extra piece from old insoles to the insoles in the arch section to give more arch support this also helps take stress off the balls of my feet.

We are both in our late 50's and play tennis at least 5 days a week all year long with no foot problems. When I had PF years back in was only in my left foot and once in a while I feel a little pain in my right foot but it is because my calves are tight. As long as I do some calve stretches and roller massage I have no problem.

I would suggest that tennis players should do the best calve stretch there is after playing which is were you stand with your foot on a board that is on a 45 degree angle and lean forward while standing straight. This is a tremendously effective stretch that will prevent PF, I like to do these and also the roller massage on the calves and like magic no PF problems. Don't wait until you get PF to do these stretches do them so you can avoid getting it in the first place.

So the millions that have been spent designing court shoes is all wrong, and the pro players that use insoles and the best court shoes made are all wrong? Okay whatever you say, they should be wearing cheap floppy shoes with little support you say okay I got it.

Tennis on hardcourts is tough on the lower legs no doubt about it, so I have found that it is very important to train the legs with squats and calve raises and do roller massage and stretching if you really want to avoid lower leg problems. Also wear premium insoles with premium court shoes and don't wear the shoes forever until they are worn out.

Like I mentioned I am 58 years old play tennis actively all year which is 95% singles on hardcourts and have no foot problems even though I did in my early years playing but figured out how to avoid them. And what your saying does not match my real life experience. I also wear ASO ankle braces when playing matches to help prevent ankle sprain, I have no ankle problems but like the extra support these braces give and use them more for injury prevention.

I know there are more people claiming that barefoot walking and shoes with less support will strengthen the foot and prevent foot problems. And there could be some truth to this and it may become more excepted but I have found that extra support and excersizing has been the best method for me.

"If it isn't broken don't fix it."

I said that in my original post. If you do not have problems, this post doesn't apply to you. Do what works for you.

However, there is undeniable truth in what I said as it works for a large number of people, including myself.

 

[r2473]

3. Striking the heel first when running is not proper form. Shoes with elevated heels (almost every shoe today) nearly forces you to strike the ground with your heel first and then with your forefoot following. It should be the opposite. Your forefoot should make contact first and your heel should follow afterward. The construction of our forefoot is better designed to absorb impact than our heel. Not only that, but doing this allows for optimal transfer of energy (more speed).

But yes, elevated heels in sports shoes are relatively new, Nike playing a big role. In old days all sports shoes were close to minimal. And second the idea about running silent and efficient. When I run barefoot I can hardly hear myself, and then I hear the runners in traditional shoes "kafump", kafump", "kafump"...
And the less power you use, the less strain you put on joints, ligaments. Som joggers, runners seem to have a flashy running style that involves, high, long steps etc.

So I guess this is sort of like arguing that all tennis players should be using wooden 65 sq. in. tennis racquets (minimalist racquets). All these modern racquets do is compensate for bad form, resulting in all sorts of form related injuries (tennis elbow, etc).

Just look at how graceful and efficient tennis was back in those days compared to how people play now. And rec tennis players back then never had the types of injuries they do now.

 

[Royce]

So I guess this is sort of like arguing that all tennis players should be using wooden 65 sq. in. tennis racquets (minimalist racquets). All these modern racquets do is compensate for bad form, resulting in all sorts of form related injuries (tennis elbow, etc).

Just look at how graceful and efficient tennis was back in those days compared to how people play now. And rec tennis players back then never had the types of injuries they do now.

No. Nice try at applying it to something else to make my argument look flawed but anyone can see how that is fallacious.

Walking is a function of our body.

Slapping a ball over a net is not a function of our body. Unless you want to tell me that we originally started playing tennis by slapping the ball back and forth with our bare hands.

I personally do believe in minimal racquets but only because I like the feedback. It has nothing to do with me believing minimal racquets are superior to other racquets. It makes me a better player by being punished whenever I mishit. I use a pro staff 6.0 85.

 

[Povl Carstensen]

A good company does a lot of experimentation and has a number of failures for every success.

I'm quite happy that we have all of these companies with research and development teams that provide us with a myriad of products and services.

Would you prefer a world without modern medical technology? Antibiotics? Computers? Phones? Logistics mathematics? Airplanes? Automobiles? The wheel? Aquaducts? Modern plumbing?

There is no evidence that the advent of modern running shoes has lowered the frequency of injuries.

 

[Povl Carstensen]

So arch support is a bad thing then why are there so many more foot problems with so many wearing flip flops and sandles then?

Flip flops are thick, unstable soles. They provide the opposite of arch support.

 

[Povl Carstensen]

So I guess this is sort of like arguing that all tennis players should be using wooden 65 sq. in. tennis racquets (minimalist racquets).

No its more like dont use gloves, or hand braces, handling a tennis racket.

 

[Royce]

No its more like dont use gloves handling a tennis racket.

This would be the more appropriate comparison or application.

 

[Povl Carstensen]

So arch support is a bad thing then why are there so many more foot problems with so many wearing flip flops and sandles then?

They are like instant quick sand for the foot. I don't even understand why you ask the question.

 

[Povl Carstensen]

So the millions that have been spent designing court shoes is all wrong, and the pro players that use insoles and the best court shoes made are all wrong? Okay whatever you say, they should be wearing cheap floppy shoes with little support you say okay I got it.

And please use the newest version of the pro staff 90, because it is better than all the earlier ones. If you are doing good/ok, I am happy, but do not expect every new model to be more advantageous or healthier than what came before. It seems Roger Federer is using low heel drop shoes with no insoles.

 

[Povl Carstensen]

That average person doesn't want to try to run a Marathon in minimalist shoes unless they have a LOT of experience running in minimalist shoes. Some experienced runners do very fast marathon times in minimalist shoes (huaraches, racing flats, V5Fs) which are often made like running flats and give better energy return on the stride.

But the average bucket list runner is going to need a more cushioned shoe that doesn't rub and create any hot spots. Even those Hoka monstrosities are probably safer for a lot of weekend warriors doing a marathon, though with my foot shape I'd stick to something from Altra.

Well I just ran a barefoot marathon 2011-12-13 with no physical problems. Training for a marathon is a lot (= adequate) experience for me.

 

[movdqa]

There is no evidence that the advent of modern running shoes has lowered the frequency of injuries.

And that's your reason against modern technology?

I'm running far more miles than I used to with this great modern technology.

But there are a large number of variables as to what may contribute towards injury or injury prevention.

I find a product that works and I keep buying it. That's evidence enough for me.

 

[r2473]

Well I just ran a barefoot marathon 2011-12-13 with no physical problems.

You're kidding me, seriously?

 

[r2473]

No. Nice try at applying it to something else to make my argument look flawed but anyone can see how that is fallacious.

Walking is a function of our body.

Slapping a ball over a net is not a function of our body. Unless you want to tell me that we originally started playing tennis by slapping the ball back and forth with our bare hands.

I'm not that serious with this argument, but I don't think its flawed.

If I follow your argument correctly, you claim that

1) People have flawed running technique (heel striking)

2) Modern shoes apply a dangerous band-aid to this problem, by allowing people to continue running with this flawed technique instead of fixing it.

3) The result is that they get hurt

4) If instead they used minimalist shoes (no drop or heel cushioning) or better yet ran barefoot, they would be forced to learn proper technique and would not get hurt

The same really holds true for modern powerful, large head, head heavy racquets. They allow a person to swing with their arm only and still play decent tennis and hit the ball fairly hard. But eventually their bad technique catches up with them and the get injured (tennis elbow). If they weren't allowed to use the crutch of modern technology and powerful racquets, they'd be forced to either learn proper technique or stop playing tennis. Have you ever tried to play with an old time head light, small head, heavy wood racquet from the baseline using an arm technique? You wouldn't last long before your arm started to hurt.

No its more like dont use gloves, or hand braces, handling a tennis racket.

This would be the more appropriate comparison or application.

I'm not following this at all. Are you insisting that, to be consistent, we have to stick with some form of cushioning argument? I thought this had to do with proper technique and avoiding injuries.

Clearly you'd both agree that a person with proper running technique (in your view forefoot striking only) would be as susceptible to injuries in shoes with a drop as they would be in minimalist or barefoot shoes.

If this isn't what you are saying, then I guess I really don't understand your argument.

 

[Royce]

And please use the newest version of the pro staff 90, because it is better than all the earlier ones. If you are doing good/ok, I am happy, but do not expect every new model to be more advantageous or healthier than what came before. It seems Roger Federer is using low heel drop shoes with no insoles.

Did I miss something? What did the pro staff 90 have to do with that quote?

 

[Royce]

I'm not that serious with this argument, but I don't think its flawed.

If I follow your argument correctly, you claim that

1) People have flawed running technique (heel striking)

2) Modern shoes apply a dangerous band-aid to this problem, by allowing people to continue running with this flawed technique instead of fixing it.

3) The result is that they get hurt

The same really holds true for modern powerful, large head, head heavy racquets. They allow a person to swing with their arm only and still play decent tennis and hit the ball fairly hard. But eventually their bad technique catches up with them and the get injured (tennis elbow). If they weren't allowed to use the crutch of modern technology and powerful racquets, they'd be forced to either learn proper technique or stop playing tennis.

Yes, in that case I agree. However, this only holds true if a person ONLY uses those types of -- let's call them maximalist racquets. Or if they never learn proper form and technique despite using a big racquet. If they practice with smaller ones, or have in the past, then going to a racquet with more technology can simply be an upgrade.

Where as with shoes, when I switch to shoes with more technology my performance as an athlete decreases substantially. That's just me though. I am so used to minimal shoes that my feet and legs just can't deal with it.

 

[jrs]

Is this true?

And please use the newest version of the pro staff 90, because it is better than all the earlier ones. If you are doing good/ok, I am happy, but do not expect every new model to be more advantageous or healthier than what came before. It seems Roger Federer is using low heel drop shoes with no insoles.

Is this true? Federer is not using any insoles? Is there link detailing this?
I removed my insoles a couple of years ago, and get ridiculed by my club members for doing it. Of course, if someone like Federer does it - they might stop leaning on me!
I just stopped using it because it felt much better and more connected to the ground. Also, had to learn to land on the forefoot more than the heels. Haven't felt any ill effects after removing it.

 

[Royce]

Is this true? Federer is not using any insoles? Is there link detailing this?
I removed my insoles a couple of years ago, and get ridiculed by my club members for doing it. Of course, if someone like Federer does it - they might stop leaning on me!
I just stopped using it because it felt much better and more connected to the ground. Also, had to learn to land on the forefoot more than the heals. Haven't felt any ill effects in removing it.

Good stuff man. Yeah it would be nice to have a source on that so I can link it when people say all the pros use arch support. I used to wear arch support and it always hurt my feet. Everyone said it was necessary though. I was always curious as to why walking barefoot was painless and walking in a shoe was painful so i took out my insoles and it felt like heaven.

 

[tlm]

They are like instant quick sand for the foot. I don't even understand why you ask the question.

Because if going with less support is so good to build your feet stronger then why are there so many foot problems with so many wearing sandals and flip flops. There should be nothing hard to understand about that.

 

[tlm]

And please use the newest version of the pro staff 90, because it is better than all the earlier ones. If you are doing good/ok, I am happy, but do not expect every new model to be more advantageous or healthier than what came before. It seems Roger Federer is using low heel drop shoes with no insoles.

Nobody is talking about some new model, they have been developing better and better shoes and insoles for many years. And 99% of the pro tennis players use the best shoes with special insoles, but what do they know they only abuse their feet for a living. There is no way they know near as much as you and some of the other experts here.

 

[Royce]

Nobody is talking about some new model, they have been developing better and better shoes and insoles for many years. And 99% of the pro tennis players use the best shoes with special insoles, but what do they know they only abuse their feet for a living. There is no way they know near as much as you and some of the other experts here.

Just remember tlm, you don't *really* know what the pros are wearing. It's been shown that Federer is using custom made shoes and not the stock vapors. What you see isn't always what you get bro. They've been "paintjobbing" this stuff for years.

For example, If I were sponsored and forced to wear, let's say, Nike tennis shoes, I would demand that they be made minimalist and paint jobbed to whatever cosmetic they are trying to market and sell, otherwise I simply wouldn't be able to play in them. You, as the consumer, would never know.

Granted, Federer is the only one I'm suspicious of for being minimal. As for the other pros, I have no idea. I'm just saying it's possible.

http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/Nike_Vapor_Court_White_Black/descpageMSNIKE-NMVCWB.html

As you can see Nike is capable of making a minimalist tennis shoe. I want to try these but the reviews say the durability is so bad.

 

[Povl Carstensen]

And that's your reason against modern technology?

I'm running far more miles than I used to with this great modern technology.

But there are a large number of variables as to what may contribute towards injury or injury prevention.

I find a product that works and I keep buying it. That's evidence enough for me.

Please find a product that works for you and keep buying it, that is what I do. I just said that there is no resarch that shows that modern running shoes has lowered the number of running injuries.

 

[Povl Carstensen]

Did I miss something? What did the pro staff 90 have to do with that quote?

I am just saying that I would not believe a new running shoe was healthier for me because the producer said it had basalt in it.

 

[Nostradamus]

I have this back spasms and knee issues. but weird thing is that the Leg press I do on the machine about 100 lbs is building up some great muscles on my legs and butt area but it is making my Back worse.
Is this Normal ?

Any other exercise or machine work that will increase Leg strength and build up butt muscles ?

 

[Povl Carstensen]

I removed my insoles a couple of years ago, and get ridiculed by my club members for doing it. Of course, if someone like Federer does it - they might stop leaning on me!
I just stopped using it because it felt much better and more connected to the ground.

Exactly. The shoe is lighter, closer to the ground and more stable. I used to do that for years. There is plenty of cushioning in the shoe without. Might have to go a size down to get a proper fit hough.

 

[Povl Carstensen]

I'm not following this at all. Are you insisting that, to be consistent, we have to stick with some form of cushioning argument? I thought this had to do with proper technique and avoiding injuries.

For one thing: If someone persuaded us that we had to have our hand in a casket or plaster to swing a racket, it would lead to weaker hands, more sucsceptible to injuries.

 

[Povl Carstensen]

Good stuff man. Yeah it would be nice to have a source on that so I can link it when people say all the pros use arch support. I used to wear arch support and it always hurt my feet. Everyone said it was necessary though. I was always curious as to why walking barefoot was painless and walking in a shoe was painful so i took out my insoles and it felt like heaven.

More or less my story. I think some people are not even willing to try it.

 

[Povl Carstensen]

Because if going with less support is so good to build your feet stronger then why are there so many foot problems with so many wearing sandals and flip flops. There should be nothing hard to understand about that.

Because flip flops wobbly sole and poor fit provoke overpronation, especially when they get worn, but also from the getgo. Sandals are not bad per se, unless they have the thick, unstable sole problem.

 

[Povl Carstensen]

Nobody is talking about some new model, they have been developing better and better shoes and insoles for many years. And 99% of the pro tennis players use the best shoes with special insoles, but what do they know they only abuse their feet for a living. There is no way they know near as much as you and some of the other experts here.

Yes but still, I used to run in the Asics Gel Kayano, a top of the line running shoe. Every second year there would be a new model, the newest edition is number 20-something, with more technique in it, and it did not help me at all. Asics newer line of shoes are more minimal, lower to the ground. I think one should be open to this.

 

[Povl Carstensen]

Btw, I think the Altras look interesting. I would definitely use the ones with the lowest sole. And be prepared for the time when the sole gets so worn/skewed/dead that it starts to hurt using them. As has been the case with any running/tennis shoe I have ever used. This is not the case however with the Vivo Barefoot shoes I use for every day walking, squash, badminton and running in the winter. They can not get unstable because there is just a thin outsole, and a thin soft insole for insulation/comfort between you and the ground.

 

[movdqa]

Please find a product that works for you and keep buying it, that is what I do. I just said that there is no resarch that shows that modern running shoes has lowered the number of running injuries.

Then you're basically saying nothing.

 

[tlm]

Just remember tlm, you don't *really* know what the pros are wearing. It's been shown that Federer is using custom made shoes and not the stock vapors. What you see isn't always what you get bro. They've been "paintjobbing" this stuff for years.

For example, If I were sponsored and forced to wear, let's say, Nike tennis shoes, I would demand that they be made minimalist and paint jobbed to whatever cosmetic they are trying to market and sell, otherwise I simply wouldn't be able to play in them. You, as the consumer, would never know.

Granted, Federer is the only one I'm suspicious of for being minimal. As for the other pros, I have no idea. I'm just saying it's possible.

http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/Nike_Vapor_Court_White_Black/descpageMSNIKE-NMVCWB.html

As you can see Nike is capable of making a minimalist tennis shoe. I want to try these but the reviews say the durability is so bad.

Come on man paintjobing rackets is one thing but paintjobing shoes, please get serious.

 

[Ramon]

Come on man paintjobing rackets is one thing but paintjobing shoes, please get serious.

It happens a lot. Nadal is one of the worst when it comes to paintjobing shoes.

 

[movdqa]

> As you can see Nike is capable of making a minimalist tennis
> shoe. I want to try these but the reviews say the durability
> is so bad.

You should have bought the stock when I did. It's up about 24% since then.

 

[Chas Tennis]

I just bought Nike Zoom Vapor 9.5 shoes and was disappointed in that they have few minimalist characteristics. It has a thick cushioned heel and sole. I guess the only plus would bend at the big toe a little better than my other shoes. Disappointed.

Is this earlier model much different in design?

Thread on the 9.5.
http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showthread.php?t=486788

??????

 

[moonballs]

I doubt any tennis shoes are minimalist shoes. I can see minimalist shoes working in controlled actions like running.

 

[Royce]

Come on man paintjobing rackets is one thing but paintjobing shoes, please get serious.

Sorry but in all honesty I see no reason why a shoe cannot be paintjobbed. The shoe can be anything as long as it looks like the stock shoe from the outside. Same exact logic for a racquet paintjob lol.

I just bought Nike Zoom Vapor 9.5 shoes and was disappointed in that they have few minimalist characteristics. It has a thick cushioned heel and sole. I guess the only plus would bend at the big toe a little better than my other shoes. Disappointed.

Is this earlier model much different in design?

Thread on the 9.5.
http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showthread.php?t=486788

??????

The Nike Vapor Court is the only one I acknowledge so far to be minimal in nature.

I doubt any tennis shoes are minimalist shoes. I can see minimalist shoes working in controlled actions like running.

Lol. Well thanks for your input and telling us what you can see working and what you can't. Luckily, those of us who actually try different things and do research before speaking on it know that minimal shoes can be used in tennis.

I can play good tennis while barefoot. The only drawback? My feet will be bleeding after a few points. My muscles in my feet might be strong but the skin is not. Let's say you could super glue a flexible, protective outsole to the bottom of my feet, while leaving the rest of my foot bare -- that is technically all I need. One layer of protection from the ground.

You don't need extra technology to twist and turn. To say it helps you personally is one thing, but if you claim everyone needs that technology, well, that would be ignorant to say the least.

 

[comeback]

Btw, I think the Altras look interesting. I would definitely use the ones with the lowest sole. And be prepared for the time when the sole gets so worn/skewed/dead that it starts to hurt using them. As has been the case with any running/tennis shoe I have ever used. This is not the case however with the Vivo Barefoot shoes I use for every day walking, squash, badminton and running in the winter. They can not get unstable because there is just a thin outsole, and a thin soft insole for insulation/comfort between you and the ground.

Hey Povl, This is a little off topic but 6 months ago i found out a had Morton's foot/toe; when your 2nd toe is longer than the 1st..Supposedly it causes imbalances mostly later in life..I had lots of back pain over the years but most recently terrible calf and lower shin cramps at night..I bought these inserts http://www.mortonsfoot.com/ specifically made for Morton's..What do you know about this? ps.
I still wear cushioned sneakers (Yonex) as i play on hard courts but now whenever i can i walk barefoot (in the house) and it's also made a big improvement (with the inserts) in my cramps..

 

[Chas Tennis]

Hey Povl, This is a little off topic but 6 months ago i found out a had Morton's foot/toe; when your 2nd toe is longer than the 1st..Supposedly it causes imbalances mostly later in life..I had lots of back pain over the years but most recently terrible calf and lower shin cramps at night..I bought these inserts http://www.mortonsfoot.com/ specifically made for Morton's..What do you know about this? ps.
I still wear cushioned sneakers (Yonex) as i play on hard courts but now whenever i can i walk barefoot (in the house) and it's also made a big improvement (with the inserts) in my cramps..

I got odd calf cramps at night after I started taking Lipitore. Cramps are a known side effect. Fortunately, I was able to get off statins.

 

[jrs]

This might work

I doubt any tennis shoes are minimalist shoes. I can see minimalist shoes working in controlled actions like running.

This shoe might be useful for tennis. Haven't bought it because it's so pricey....think a minimalist shoe would be cheaper but no....might have to pay someone to play barefoot!
http://www.newbalance.ca/mens/minimus/collections/167000,en_CA,sc.html

 

[Royce]

This shoe might be useful for tennis. Haven't bought it because it's so pricey....think a minimalist shoe would be cheaper but no....might have to pay someone to play barefoot!
http://www.newbalance.ca/mens/minimus/collections/167000,en_CA,sc.html

Yup. The reason I didn't get those is because they are extremely expensive and there is no guarantee on the durability for hard courts. So they might be really comfortable on the court, but if they have holes after a week, they are useless.

 

[WildVolley]

Come on man paintjobing rackets is one thing but paintjobing shoes, please get serious.

Federer's shoes are custom. You can get good close up pictures of them online (there are threads in the pro-gear forum with pictures of the shoes Fed has worn and auctioned off) and compare them to the commercial models and see that they are different.

While I don't believe it is necessarily correct to call them minimal, Federer's shoes are using different outsoles/midsole setups than on the commercial Vapor 9.5, are wider than the retail model, and appear (since I haven't seen anyone measure the drop, I can't be certain) to have less heel-to-toe drop.

There was a guy who owned a bunch of pairs of Fed's shoes (Fed auctions them off for his charity) who posted pictures of them at TTW. He actually tried them on his feet and remarked how wide they were, which provides strong evidence that they are custom lasted; most likely based on lasts made from molds of his feet. Taking molds of feet is standard in ice hockey and having custom made shoes.

The uppers of Fed's shoes seem to fairly closely match the commercial model.

So, yes, it is fair to claim that some pros are wearing "paint jobs" of commercially available shoes. If you look at the shoe forum, you'll see that a lot of people have fairly standard sized feet and mostly just care about cosmetics.

 

[Ramon]

Federer's shoes are custom. You can get good close up pictures of them online (there are threads in the pro-gear forum with pictures of the shoes Fed has worn and auctioned off) and compare them to the commercial models and see that they are different.

While I don't believe it is necessarily correct to call them minimal, Federer's shoes are using different outsoles/midsole setups than on the commercial Vapor 9.5, are wider than the retail model, and appear (since I haven't seen anyone measure the drop, I can't be certain) to have less heel-to-toe drop.

There was a guy who owned a bunch of pairs of Fed's shoes (Fed auctions them off for his charity) who posted pictures of them at TTW. He actually tried them on his feet and remarked how wide they were, which provides strong evidence that they are custom lasted; most likely based on lasts made from molds of his feet. Taking molds of feet is standard in ice hockey and having custom made shoes.

The uppers of Fed's shoes seem to fairly closely match the commercial model.

So, yes, it is fair to claim that some pros are wearing "paint jobs" of commercially available shoes. If you look at the shoe forum, you'll see that a lot of people have fairly standard sized feet and mostly just care about cosmetics.

I think Nadal is an even more extreme example. I remember seeing past threads with closeups of this shoes. Apparently, he was not a fan of the Lunar Ballistecs when they first came out. He liked the Court Ballistecs better. His shoes were made to look like the LB's, but the soles were CB outsoles. Even the Adaptive Fit was paintjobbed. His shoes had the more standard CB lacing system, but the loops for the Adaptive Fit were painted!

 

[movdqa]

Nike really doesn't do wide shoes which is why I don't wear them. Raonic, on the other hand, shouldn't have any problems with New Balance as New Balance goes up to 6E.

 

[WildVolley]

Nike really doesn't do wide shoes which is why I don't wear them. Raonic, on the other hand, shouldn't have any problems with New Balance as New Balance goes up to 6E.

This also explains why, if Federer has wide feet, he is wearing custom shoes.

Federer is the most important player in Nike's Tennis shoe empire (followed by Nadal) and they're not going to lose him as an endorser just because his feet are wider than average. Solution: custom shoes.

 

[jrs]

I wonder if they give outsole guarantee?

Yup. The reason I didn't get those is because they are extremely expensive and there is no guarantee on the durability for hard courts. So they might be really comfortable on the court, but if they have holes after a week, they are useless.

Perhaps you can ask if they will provide outsole guarantee? I believe the vibrim soles are supposed to be very strong. If I'm not mistaken the inventor of the sole first created the shoe (low profile) for playing tennis in UK.

 

[Povl Carstensen]

Then you're basically saying nothing.

I have posted more than this one post.

 

[Povl Carstensen]

I can play good tennis while barefoot. The only drawback? My feet will be bleeding after a few points. My muscles in my feet might be strong but the skin is not. Let's say you could super glue a flexible, protective outsole to the bottom of my feet, while leaving the rest of my foot bare -- that is technically all I need. One layer of protection from the ground.

You don't need extra technology to twist and turn. To say it helps you personally is one thing, but if you claim everyone needs that technology, well, that would be ignorant to say the least.

I play barefoot tennis on clay and Rebound Ace. Have not tried concrete fx. If I have not played for some weeks I can get a blister on a toe or something. Apart from that it is nothing a bit of progressive training can not fix.

 

[Povl Carstensen]

Hey Povl, This is a little off topic but 6 months ago i found out a had Morton's foot/toe; when your 2nd toe is longer than the 1st..Supposedly it causes imbalances mostly later in life..I had lots of back pain over the years but most recently terrible calf and lower shin cramps at night..I bought these inserts http://www.mortonsfoot.com/ specifically made for Morton's..What do you know about this? ps.
I still wear cushioned sneakers (Yonex) as i play on hard courts but now whenever i can i walk barefoot (in the house) and it's also made a big improvement (with the inserts) in my cramps..

I would not know. Apart from that I used a lot of money on inserts in my life, and now I am doing better without. If you and your body enjoy the barefoot walking, it could inspire you to look in the minimalist direction.

 

[Povl Carstensen]

You're kidding me, seriously?

No I ran the Copenhagen Marathon 2011-13 without shoes.

1) People have flawed running technique (heel striking)

Then you're basically saying nothing.

I would just like to say that the potential problems with hightech running/sports shoes are about more than the heel drop. Here is some of it:
The heel drop and its influence on the gait and foot strike.
The torque and twist from higher and soft mid- and insoles.
Arch support and inserts doing the foots job, and thus weakening it.
Stiff shoes diminishing foot movement/biomechanics.
Too narrow toe boxes doing the same.
Stack height making it easier to roll your ankle and aggrevating the consequences.