New Kicks

After losing my on-court tennis shoes this morning, and subsequently having to wear my running/workout/CF shoes, I realized that I was long overdue for a new pair of shoes. The shoes I settled on were these Nike Dual Fusion ST's. Flat soles, lightweight, lookin' all fly... And they were in my price range. How could I not?

There are a few points to remember when you're looking at buying new workout/running shoes. First, you want to make sure that you NEVER, under any circumstances, buy Nike Shox. And on that note, don't ever buy anything with some sort of "spring" or "shock" system in the heel of the shoe. Here's why...

If you were to take off your shoes and go and run a mile, your running form would most likely change. By the end of your run, you would be landing on the balls of your feet, as opposed to landing on your heels like most people do when they run in normal running shoes. If you didn't your heel would be shot to hell. The human foot was designed as a spring (i.e. the arch of your foot); when you land on the ball of your foot, you engage the spring in your foot, and you move forward in the way that your body is supposed to move.

Nike Shox try to move the spring action in your foot from your natural arch to the heel of the shoe. When that happens, all sorts of bad stuff happens, mostly in the form of running-related injuries in the lower body. Long story short: don't buy any of this spring/shock technology bull.

Second, at the very least, make sure that the shoe that you buy has a flat sole. Again, you want to let the natural design of your foot do what it's supposed to do. When you get shoes that don't have flat soles, you take away some of the natural action your foot engages in.

Third, especially for CF workouts, you want to make sure that your shoe has some sort of side stability. The new Nike Free shoes are fantastic for running, but have no side support. Don't get me wrong, the Nike Free shoes are great... for running... and that's about it.

Last, and more or less completely optional, is the weight and the color of your shoes. Lightweight is always good, since nobody wants to be wearing cinder blocks on their feet while doing a set of 30 box jumps. As for the color, it is a scientifically proven fact that color-coordinating your outfits (shoes included) makes you perform better at both athletic and non-athletic endeavors. Be faster. Be stronger. Be fitter. Look damn good doing it. Any questions?

Along with this CF Journal article (where I got a lot of great information for this post), here's an excellent article from King CF about different shoe types and designs, especially when it comes to CF. And then there's this great video clip of CF Endurance trainer Brian Mackenzie talking about running shoe technology, and the awfulness of Nike Shox...

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So, since I basically just told you what you should look for in your next footwear purchase, I figured I'd at least give you a few specific recommendations.

Nike Free TR: WiscFit's best overall choice for CF athletes. Good side support, lightweight, flat soles, look pimp... Overall, they are the complete shoe package.
Inov-8 F-Lite 230: Great CF shoe as well. Only difference between these and the Nike Free TR's: the Inov-8's have less side support, which means that they'll wear out quicker if you end up doing any side-to-side drills, lateral movement work, or shuttle runs/sprints. They sure do look cool though...
Chucks: I hate endorsing these because they look so stupid, but they are a solid, flat-soled shoe, and they can be very cheap. Also, they are good for basically any activity you want to throw their way; short sprints, longer runs, weightlifting, whatever. Chucks will get the job done, even if you look ridiculously foolish in the process.
Vibram FiveFingers KSO: How cool are these shoes?!? Even though they make your feet look like some sort of reptile, they are some of the best minimalist shoes out there. Basically, these are just durable coverings for your feet, and they are as close to running barefoot as you can get without actually being barefoot (something that has great advantages). If you feel like spending the money to get these, I highly recommend them.

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Gwen Stefani - Sweet Escape

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WOD 100721 Wednesday

Rest Day