i spent many months rehabbing from my achilles injury including Graston and correcting my form (which is an endless journey). The only shoe that allowed me to run again were Hokas. Not only did the cushion help relieve the pounding but also allowed my foot to relax. I became a believer.
Fast forward a year later and I am starting to develop plantar issues due to my arches getting flatter. I am wondering if the “relaxed” foot from the cushion is causing my foot muscles to get lazy. Has anyone with full cushioned shoes seeing this too? Could there be a long term negative affect on too much cushion?
If your arches are truly falling get a pre fab orthotic and see if it helps. Or, get the right pair and size of Hokas. If your foot is cradled properly in the footbed, the cushion will only help. Also, stretch/glide your achilles/sciatic nerve. The heel toe drop onmost models of Hoka are 4-5 mm. You may have been in a 10-14 mm drop for years. That can and will manifest in plantar nerve/fascia pain when you make a switch in shoe.
For fasciitis, I’m a believer in firmness. This means fairly stiff sneakers from the heel to the ball of the boot, a good over the counter insole, or a custom orthotic.
If the Hokas allow significant motion with too much cushioning, they can aggravate the fasciitis as well as the achilles.
For achilles rehab, eccentric heel drops are essential.
As far as Hokas causing fallen arches, that’s not really the case. If you have a ‘flexible flat foot’ type (which is inherited), lack of proper support allows over pronation, resulting in a foot that looks like the arch has fallen. Over the years this may progress from a flexible to a rigid deformity, which is often associated with significant osteoarthritis.
Everyone is different but I’m in my third year with Hoka Stinsens with on issues.
No, they can’t cause fallen arches.
Way too many variables, but this can be anything from excessive tibial torsion from ankle mobility to increased intensity due to not having perceived discomfort when you run (in other words, the pain has subsided, and our pace increases as a result of it not hurting, setting up other potential injury). The “relaxed” sensation you describe is a function of running in a shoe that is not causing discomfort, and allowing you to run. You are just as likely to have any (insert brand/model) assistance with the recovery if the shoe fits, for you it just happened to be the hoka.
However- if you changed the Hoka model from the model you gained decreased pain from, then the model (not the brand) you changed to could be at fault.
Too much cushioning can be a cause of PF, but if this was the case, the hoka would have caused it month ago. You mentioned correcting run form- many don’t realize that a significant change in your run form (especially if you attempt mid/forefoot form), the amount of plantar overuse increases significantly, and can be traced back to repetitive strain such as PF. Very often, many shift to the mid/front foot and end up “overstriding” because they have not addressed the knee flexion angle or the impact to center of mass. If you came from a traditional trainer to a hoka, depending on your background and experience before the achilles, if the heel-toe drop moved from a 12(ish) to a 6(ish) from the hoka, that can build up repetitive strain as well.
Everyone has an arch slightly “flatten” as they get older (especially woman after childbirth- not uncommon to increase .5 to 1 shoe size), but there are way too many reasons for the PF issues other than a fallen arch.
why triathletes usually stink on the run…
using the same shoes all the time - giving injury.
I cycle between 3 pair of shoes in the week (run 7 times a day). I had a few injuries and shoe cycling helps
Some research to back that (basically the investigators surveyed injury hx with the number of shoes in the stable), but from a practical standpoint I would agree 100%. If money were no object I would make sure all of the athletes I work with cycle 3-5 shoe brands/models a week. I currently rotate between the bondi, NB 980 fresh foam, stinson tarmac, huaka, kinavara, and the NB 870 v2.
Same model/multiple pairs is not as effective, b/c you’re only factoring for midsole resiliency and impact absorption which can decrease with repetitive days of use.
I mix my shoes up depending on colour… i’m all over this…
Excellent post. This was what i needed to give a reason for my wife why i have purchased 3pairs of running shoes this month…
why triathletes usually stink on the run…
using the same shoes all the time - giving injury.
I cycle between 3 pair of shoes in the week (run 7 times a day). I had a few injuries and shoe cycling helps
No, triathletes stink on the run AND get injured by running more often because they don’t run enough. So when they ramp up intensity/volume, it’s often too fast a rate, and that’s when injury occurs.
There is no magic shoe or shoe rotation regimen that has been shown to effectively reduce injuries. (Sorry minimalist and five-fingers.) If there were, athletes would be using nothing but that shoe type or that regimen of shoe rotation.
It is true that midsoles eventually get compressed, soles thin out, but modern running sneakers do so at so slow a rate that YOU will wear out much faster than your shoes will. There are no scientifically accepted quality research that shows that preferentially running in ‘new’ or ‘low mileage’ shoes statistically reduces injury, contrary to what the shoe manufacturers would love for you to believe.
I love my new running shoes as much as the next guy, and I love that there are so many cool makes/models, but I’m under no illusion that they’re reducing my injuries or making me faster. My training (or lack thereof) is the limiter, not the shoes. I’ve done lots of A/B testing on brand new shoes, and old ones - no surprise, no difference compared to near-new shoes compared to shoes with literally 1200 miles on them for speed. (The new ones are softer and look much better!)
I started to develop pain in the arch of my right foot after 3 runs in Hokas and promptly got rid of them. I never had any issue like that before, ever.
But, some people love them.
If you feel they aren’t working for you just move on.
Some folks love Newtons too. I’m pretty sure I’d end up with a stress fracture using them because they don’t match my running style… and I see no need to change it.
You have to pick a shoe that matches your running style. Most of the Hoka line is deceiving. The Clifton’s for example…the only one I’ve tried at least, are a very neutral, less stable shoe. I think less support/stability overall than my Kinvaras. That’s not an issue for me. To be fair, I’ve yet to do a long run in them. They don’t magically fix ITBS overnight…surprise, surprise. But they don’t aggravate it any more or less than my other shoes.
You just have to recognize what a particular shoe is, and what it is not.
I developed PF after switching to Hoka Bondis (from 5+ iterations of Saucony Hurricanes) in 2013. I switched because the Hurricanes seemed to change around that time, causing me blisters when they never had before.
my guess is that the reduced drop and lack of arch support vs the hurricanes caused me problems. Ironically it was the cushioning of the hokas that allowed me to get back running again, and I continue to use them (Stinsons now) but I use Superfeet Green insoles as well which add some of the drop and arch support back in. touch wood no problems since
why triathletes usually stink on the run…
using the same shoes all the time - giving injury.
I cycle between 3 pair of shoes in the week (run 7 times a day). I had a few injuries and shoe cycling helps
Is each run separated by at least 1hr? If your answer is yes, you need to get in the 100/100 challenge pronto.
So what are saying is that i can’t just blame my shoes instead of my tight hip flexors, and weak calves? where is the fun in that?
why triathletes usually stink on the run…
using the same shoes all the time - giving injury.
I cycle between 3 pair of shoes in the week (run 7 times a day). I had a few injuries and shoe cycling helps
No, triathletes stink on the run AND get injured by running more often because they don’t run enough. So when they ramp up intensity/volume, it’s often too fast a rate, and that’s when injury occurs.
There is no magic shoe or shoe rotation regimen that has been shown to effectively reduce injuries. (Sorry minimalist and five-fingers.) If there were, athletes would be using nothing but that shoe type or that regimen of shoe rotation.
It is true that midsoles eventually get compressed, soles thin out, but modern running sneakers do so at so slow a rate that YOU will wear out much faster than your shoes will. There are no scientifically accepted quality research that shows that preferentially running in ‘new’ or ‘low mileage’ shoes statistically reduces injury, contrary to what the shoe manufacturers would love for you to believe.
I love my new running shoes as much as the next guy, and I love that there are so many cool makes/models, but I’m under no illusion that they’re reducing my injuries or making me faster. My training (or lack thereof) is the limiter, not the shoes. I’ve done lots of A/B testing on brand new shoes, and old ones - no surprise, no difference compared to near-new shoes compared to shoes with literally 1200 miles on them for speed. (The new ones are softer and look much better!)
yes i totally agree on lack of focus on run and over focus on bike and what can you buy for the bike for it to go faster.
why triathletes usually stink on the run…
using the same shoes all the time - giving injury.
I cycle between 3 pair of shoes in the week (run 7 times a day). I had a few injuries and shoe cycling helps
Is each run separated by at least 1hr? If your answer is yes, you need to get in the 100/100 challenge pronto.
I am doing the USAT NCC challenge. Logging into more sites takes away running time!
http://www.race-tracker.net/...andings_athletes.cfm
I won 2 years ago but that eulean lady beat me and does more volume… I can probably top that but then I lose a lot of speed.