Last week I posted up all about weightlifting shoes (and I expect to see some on your feet in the near future) but today, I want to talk about a more general, all around good crossfitting shoe. What we are looking for here is a light shoe that will keep us injury free if we step on pebbles or other sharp objects and give us a little padding when we are running on the cement, without weighing us down, or exacerbating our bad running habits.
Shoe companies would love to have you believe that their $200 running shoe is the only way you can safely run. Nike, Reebok and their ilk have spent fortunes to be sure that you believe this. However, the truth is that what will help you to perform at your best, and become the best athlete you can will be something with far less “technology” than the highly advertised shoes that you might be wearing now. The problem with these shoes isn’t that I have some deep hatred for technology, the problem is when technology hurts us.
Before the 1970s when the term “shoe technology” was invented, people ran in thin soled shoes that didn’t have much padding in them at all. Today, we have moved to the opposite extreme, running or CrossFitting in the virtual Cadillacs of podiatry. They are soft and cushy, with plenty of arch support. So much so, it is as if our feet don’t even have to do any work. Herein lies the problem; They allow our feet to become deconditioned from a lack of work. Doubly unfortunate is that all of this shoe technology has done nothing to prevent injury. In fact, the occurrence of achilles blow outs is up more than 10 percent since the 1970s.
Don't tell my wife I had my shoes on the counter, She'll kill me!
The good new is, we have a solution. Our goal is to get everyone out of their super cushioned shoes and into something a little flatter that will build your feet to become as strong as you have. The best solution that I have found for this are shoes called “racing flats”. They are generally used by short and mid distance (and sometimes even long distance) runners. They have a minimal heel (which will require you to learn to run correctly) and just enough cushioning to protect us from the hard cement and sharp objects that we encounter in our daily lives.
You can find racing flat shoes at many running specific stores, although they will probably have to order them in for you. If you are open to ordering online, I really like the VS Athletics as that their pricing can’t be beat. I recently purchased a pair from them for $20.00 (that’s not a typo). I’ll keep everyone updated on their durability, but the fit and feel is great.
VS Athletics Racing Flats and Trainers
A word of caution: once you get a new pair of shoes, please gradually move into working out in them. Start walking around the house in them, and wearing them more and more each day until your feet are comfortable in them. When you do wear them to CrossFit or to run in for the first time, please bring your old shoes too. Remember, if you are deconditioned, wewouldn’t throw you directly under a 500lb back squat, and the same goes for your feet!
As always, if you have any questions, or need help selecting a shoe, just shoot me an email: ryan@wccrossfit.com
DON’T FORGET: This weekend marks the change in our weekend schedule! Class will be held on Saturday at 9am. There will be no class on Sunday.
-Ryan
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Thanks for the post Ryan.
$20 you can’t even get a good haircut anymore!
500lb squat?
What else is on that counter that your wife should not see?
marco
I think it is something in that red water bottle he is always carrying around. I think we should maybe have a lab test done on its contents.
this might have been a little more ‘sly’ had ryan not taken the picture WHILE I WAS HOME! other things that probably shouldn’t have been on the counter- homemade oreos…not quite paleo!