There is a lot of literature on heel - toe drop in minimal running shoes and lighter shoes.
But very little info on stack height. As I have moved to lighter shoes and less heel-toe drop, the stack heights are falling also.
I think the lower stack heights are very tough on the calves and achilles tendons…esp for older age groupers.
For example, for very long training runs (15 miles +) and any marathon or IM, I use over-the-counter gel heel inserts under my orthotics to raise my stack height a few mm.
For speed work and shorter races, Olys and 10ks, I use racing flats or lighter shoes, with a lower stack height.
It is very hard to find published data on stack heights and I usually resort to a crude measuring system to compare my different shoes and set-ups (I use ultra lightweight orthotics for racing and beefier ones for training, sometimes with gel inserts and sometimes without). Basically, I put a mark on the wall 12" off the floor, then place the shoes heel first against the wall, then place a ruler in the shoe and measure the total stack height by subtracting from the 12" mark.
Does anyone out there have similiar experience or insights in to stack height?
runningwarehouse.com publishes the heel and forefoot heights for the shoes that they sell. For instance, here is the NB 890V2:
excellent, very helpful, thanks!