https://www.slowtwitch.com/...alf_disease_926.html

thanks certainly fits my symptoms - it's more like a spasm/cramp that comes out of nowhere and I'm in my mid 40's. Although I would still like to experiment with shoes a bit - Dan wrote that article in 2009 and alot has changed in the shoe segment since then

I've dealt with the whole calf attack deal a few times. No one is really sure why it happens but I believe it has less to do with shoe type than ou would think. For me, I make sure to loosen up my calf muscles with The Stick before every run. I roll over my calves really firmly. Also, calf raises about every other day (incorporating eccentrics with these as well). So far, no ore calf problems for years (knock on wood)

As for shoes, the only Hoka shoes I like are the Cliftons. I've ran in Asics, NB, Mizuno, Brooks etc...but I really like the Cliftons for the "cushion" they give my knees and hips.

I had similar issues, found that going up half a size in my trainers seemed to help and gave feet more room to move and avoided tightness which would move up into calfs.

Hoka’s support shoes are a pretty good balance. I found that the heal to toe drop and the rocker was a bit too aggressive to me so I had a medial post and heal lift put in mine and it has been my absolute favorite shoe.

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ART, MDT, DNS, MPI, FST

couple things. there's a utility we built that almost no one knows exists, even tho we often refer to it. you turn down the arrow, it's a threaded list of topics with an aggregation of the best threads on an issue. so, there's that.



beyond this, yes, this article missed the whole cushioned shoe movement. in my opinion, forefoot cushion has made a big *impact* on this issue. it's not a cure-all. i still have occasional trouble. just, where the calf contracts and shortens is during the forefoot landing and toe off. you acknowledge yourself the solution to the problem, i think. when there's cushion, it's better. when the cushion goes away, not better. but i suspect that forefoot cushion is the thing that's needed. i wouldn't worry about rearfoot cushion. nobody makes a shoe that has forefoot but not rearfoot cushion. but i just reviewed a shoe that i like a lot (HOKA elevon 2) that meets a lot of my needs, but it's a bit lacking in the forefoot cushion that i prefer.

my favorite road shoe for training is still the original bondi b reissue, but with an aftermarket flat shoelace.

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman