My 17 year old son forefoot strikes like nothing I’ve ever seen. His heel NEVER touches the ground, his midfoot only lightly and on rare occasions–and this is the case even at slow jogging speeds. He’s a strapping six footer who looks the part of the Navy SEAL or Force Recon Marine he hopes to be after HS; thus, when he breaks into a run and gets up on his toes you’d swear he was pulling your leg. I used to refer to his running as “prancing,” but now he can kick my ass on the track, in the pool, on the bike, so I just stare open-mouthed in wonder whenever he breaks into a run.
Q: can any of you forefoot strikers recommend a running shoe for my lad? He tends to like minimalist shoes, the Saucony Hattori being a recent favorite, albeit a chilly one in winter. The Hattoris and one or two other minimalist shoes seem to work fine, but I wonder if they are the best given his stride. (Recently he’s suffered from plantar fasciitas, though is on the mend with the help of a podiatrist-provided stretching plan targetting his achilles.) Mostly we’d love a list of shoes to consider.
Merrell Road Glove or Bare Access, New Balance Minimus Road or Minimus Trail, or the 730 (cheaper version of the Minimus Road), Altra Instinct or Adam (or wait a month or so for the Samson), and Inov-8 has some low-drop models as well (look for the ones built on the “anatomical” last).
As others have eluded, Newtons (while not a minimalist shoe) do work well for the 10% of the population that are true “prancers” - I like that term as well.
Since he appears bent on the NAVY, “prancing” fits right in …
Yeah, that last line from a Soldier … best of luck to your son.
I would say Newtons but does he land on his midsole or mostly toes like a sprinter? Newtons might not last long enough if he doesn’t land on his midsole where the lugs are.
I would say Newtons but does he land on his midsole or mostly toes like a sprinter? Newtons might not last long enough if he doesn’t land on his midsole where the lugs are.
He’s right up on his toes–it’s really quite odd to see. Picture a 6’1" broad shouldered toddler running a 17 min 5K. That’s my boy.
I like both of those shoes. They have more support than the hattori and are more affordable than newtons.
but, the saucony kinvara wear out quick. you can pick up a pair of the original on the internet for around $50 these days. There really is no significant difference between the 1 and the 2.
They’ve actually had “minimalist” shoes for decades only they used to call them “racing flats”. And that’s probably not a bad thing to get him. Some of the Adizero flats are my personal favorite (If I were buying now I’d probably try a pair of Hagios but I have not put them on yet) but many manufacturers make good models. Of course, they do make “racing flats” that are much like the big heavy shoes. But look for relatively something light – under 9.5 ounces – and without a huge drop from heel to toe. Stay away from anything that says “motion control”. Basically stay away from shoes with long lists of “features”
One of the nice things about racing flats is that they’re nowhere near as expensive as Newtons and in fact are usually less expensive than most companies regular shoes models. And you can often get last years model even cheaper.
I would stay as far away from Newtons as possible. He doesn’t need any help running on his toes.
My 17 year old son forefoot strikes like nothing I’ve ever seen. His heel NEVER touches the ground, his midfoot only lightly and on rare occasions–and this is the case even at slow jogging speeds. He’s a strapping six footer who looks the part of the Navy SEAL or Force Recon Marine he hopes to be after HS; thus, when he breaks into a run and gets up on his toes you’d swear he was pulling your leg. I used to refer to his running as “prancing,” but now he can kick my ass on the track, in the pool, on the bike, so I just stare open-mouthed in wonder whenever he breaks into a run.
Q: can any of you forefoot strikers recommend a running shoe for my lad? He tends to like minimalist shoes, the Saucony Hattori being a recent favorite, albeit a chilly one in winter. The Hattoris and one or two other minimalist shoes seem to work fine, but I wonder if they are the best given his stride. (Recently he’s suffered from plantar fasciitas, though is on the mend with the help of a podiatrist-provided stretching plan targetting his achilles.) Mostly we’d love a list of shoes to consider.
Many thanks.
First off, unless sprinting very fast his heel should touch the ground. Otherwise he is begging for injury. Landing too far forward is just as bad as landing too far back on the heel. I am no surprised he has plantar fasciitis!
As for shoes, there are a lot of great ones.
Brooks Mach series
Skora Base
Newtons
Merrell
Mizuno Wave Universe
Saucony Hattori
Saucony Hattori would be a good place to start. 0 drop but still has some cushioning and they fit well.
I feel like the Hattori is not a very durable shoe. However, it is 20-40 dollars cheaper than other minimalist shoes, so I suppose you get what you pay for.
