If it's not broken, don't fix it.

How about prevention? A lot of impact over many miles can cause cumulative damage that may suddenly creep up on us.

I really think that Dan is onto something. There are two elements to the new wave of running shoes. One is the neutral or low ramp angle which he discussed at length in his slowtwitch article. The other is the intentional lack of cushioning in order to have a "feel for the ground". It seems to me that the non-cushioned minimalist shoes are good for soft surfaces, but probably not a good idea for extensive runs on hard surfaces.

So if you're going to run on a hard surface like concrete, why not maximize the cushioning, while keeping a low ramp angle? They seem to be the ideal shoe for running downhill since they absorb so much shock.

Having said all that, I recently ordered a pair of Hoka One One Mafates from Gazelle Sports and I should have them by the end of the week. I'll report back when I try them out.

im still waiting for any rational argument for low ramp angle.

- Man... remember 2011? Those were wacky times...
- Yeah! You remember those stupid running shoes with a 2-inch midsole, what were they called?
- Yoke one-one, I think...
- YEAH! That's right! Back in the day you were either running in the finger shoes, the barefoot craze, or the dumb pillow running shoes.
- Crazy times... what shoes are you running in now?
- DS Trainers XXIII, you?
- Saucony Fasttwitch17
- Yeah... Man, those were some crazy times...

---

-

The Triathlon Squad

Like us on Facebook!!!

Is there a rational argument for the high ramp angle?

Amen.

---

Proud Member of Chris McDonald's 2018 Big Sexy Race Team "That which doesn't kill me, will only make me stronger"
Blog-Twitter-Instagram-Race Reports - 2018 Races: IM Florida 70.3, IM Raleigh 70.3, IM 70.3 World Championships - South Africa, IM North Carolina 70.3

Why do you hate progress?

12mm isnt high and yes there is.

I've been thinking of getting a pair. Every once in a while I wonder what it would be like to be taller...

---

<If you're gonna be dumb, you gotta be tough>
Get Fitter!
Proud member of the Smartasscrew, MONSTER CLUB
Get your FIX today?

You forgot asics 9610's

---

__________________________________________________
Official Polar Ambassador
http://www.google.com/...P7RiWyEVwpunlsc2JtQQ

Anyone knows the ramp angle on these?

---

-

The Triathlon Squad

Like us on Facebook!!!

nah dude, if the asics ds racer goes back to the 7 with the lime green color well be set. the new bandito platform on the ds racer 8 is such a drag.

I prefer my platforms to have goldfish in them...

---

<If you're gonna be dumb, you gotta be tough>
Get Fitter!
Proud member of the Smartasscrew, MONSTER CLUB
Get your FIX today?

78 degre

---

__________________________________________________
Official Polar Ambassador
http://www.google.com/...P7RiWyEVwpunlsc2JtQQ

I have the bright yellow NB905's now they are the it along with m
Neon green canari wind breaker.

---

__________________________________________________
Official Polar Ambassador
http://www.google.com/...P7RiWyEVwpunlsc2JtQQ

You just out-googled me! FTW!

---

-

The Triathlon Squad

Like us on Facebook!!!

I personally actually have no interest in even trying them, plus even casually I would not be caught in any of these shoes. But I guess I will running in Asics DS Trainers until they discontinue making them or run out of numbers.

...or a baller

---

____________________________________________________
"I like you. I'll gladly sit down and have dinner with you after the race. But when the gun goes off, I pretty much hate you, and I want to stomp your guts out. That's racing." -Rappstar

http://train4autism.org/

What is it?

"im still waiting for any rational argument for low ramp angle."

i'll do my best.

there are a lot of crackpot arguments coming from the nouveau running experts. how you know the good stuff from the crapola, in my opinion, is when the arguments you hear are more or less the same as what's been known in running circles for a long time (as in generations). midfoot striking, with the strike occurring at a point roughly underneath (rather than in front of) the knee, is good technical running. the midfoot strikes, and almost intantly afterward the heel lands, depresses, and then the foot plantar flexes and you push off.

when the heel is overly tall, it interferes with this gait cycle. you never get a full extension of the calf/achilles complex. that's why spikes and aggressive racing flats don't have anything like a 10mm or 12mm ramp.

however, i still think that a 160 or 170 pounder, doing a lot of repetitive motion for hours on end on asphalt and concrete can really use the cushion. therefore, i'm not for getting rid of the heel, rather i'm for raising the forefoot.

google image the nike air mariah. that was a really nice racing flat from the 80s that had a lot of these features.

---

Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

Weren't they the shoes in that episode of Seinfeld?
George knows shoes !s

---

__________________________________________________
Official Polar Ambassador
http://www.google.com/...P7RiWyEVwpunlsc2JtQQ

Hooray for logic!

Now that I've gotten the sarcasm out of the way...as Dan has said, this isn't anything that we've radically discovered here. Good form running is the key to success. Looking at where that foot lands within the range of good form, coupled with the customer's preferences for road feel/cushioning/energy return etc., is just as determinative of shoe fit as determining the amount of pronation control proper for a specific person. This potential landing range will also be determinative of appropriate ramp angle/heel-toe offset/drop/whatever other term your neighborhood running store or shoe company is using.

---

----------------------------------
Editor-in-Chief, Slowtwitch.com | Twitter

i still dont see how a midfoot strike is superior to heel striking. there is no proof that midfoot/forefoot striking/180 steps a min is faster or more economical than heel striking or less than 180 steps per min.



while i dont agree with everything noakes says (central governer theory, hydration babbling), these quotes need to be repeated.

google image the nike air mariah. that was a really nice racing flat from the 80s that had a lot of these features.



based on what I see on the internet, Nike brought the Mariah back into production.