>how quickly that shoe would roll through toe-off
that's an interesting way to think about the effect of forefoot last curvature. I came at it from a totally different angle. Last fall I began to incorporate significant amounts of barefoot running (I mean, literal no-shoes, glass-be-damned, yes-I-am-a-nut bare feet. Please don't flame:I'm just trying it, not preaching it). And something I came to notice was that while in shoes I really did feel like I was 'rolling through toe-off', as I figured out a comfortable barefoot stride, I didn't feel like I was rolling so much as putting my feet down and picking them up again. When picking them up again, my heel lifts first and toes last, of course, but there is a fully-down instant, where from toe-tip to heel my foot is flat on the ground, and quite relaxed. Also, when I have one foot in the air coming forward, it's very relaxed, and I bring my toes up just a touch before that foot hits the ground. If I've run a few times barefoot or in the VFFs, my first few minutes in *regular* shoes I feel like I'm wearing elf shoes, with my toes pointing up all the time. All that to say, I don't perceive any difference at all in quickness of roll-off, what I perceive is the difference in the shape of my relaxed foot in various parts of my stride: curvy all the time, instead of flat. FWIW, I like the feel of barefoot better, but I can go much faster and farther in shoes. For me it's kind of like swimming: nothing feels as good as skinny dipping, but a wetsuit is faster.
that's an interesting way to think about the effect of forefoot last curvature. I came at it from a totally different angle. Last fall I began to incorporate significant amounts of barefoot running (I mean, literal no-shoes, glass-be-damned, yes-I-am-a-nut bare feet. Please don't flame:I'm just trying it, not preaching it). And something I came to notice was that while in shoes I really did feel like I was 'rolling through toe-off', as I figured out a comfortable barefoot stride, I didn't feel like I was rolling so much as putting my feet down and picking them up again. When picking them up again, my heel lifts first and toes last, of course, but there is a fully-down instant, where from toe-tip to heel my foot is flat on the ground, and quite relaxed. Also, when I have one foot in the air coming forward, it's very relaxed, and I bring my toes up just a touch before that foot hits the ground. If I've run a few times barefoot or in the VFFs, my first few minutes in *regular* shoes I feel like I'm wearing elf shoes, with my toes pointing up all the time. All that to say, I don't perceive any difference at all in quickness of roll-off, what I perceive is the difference in the shape of my relaxed foot in various parts of my stride: curvy all the time, instead of flat. FWIW, I like the feel of barefoot better, but I can go much faster and farther in shoes. For me it's kind of like swimming: nothing feels as good as skinny dipping, but a wetsuit is faster.
Last edited by:
tri_philly: Mar 17, 11 7:46