Forums >Gears and Wears>extreme wear on outer edge of midfoot - what does it mean?
hairshirt knitter
I'll ignore the long story, but upshot is that my past two pairs of shoes, Asics GT-2000 and Mizuno Wave Rider 17 have both worn very quickly on the outer aspect of the midfoot, with a small amount of wear on toe off and almost none on the heel.
I've spent most of the last year with achilles / tibialis issues. I got the Asics after the injury came on, thinking that I needed the medial post and increased drop to help heal things up (historically I was a heel striker and over-pronator in motion control shoes), but after a few hundred km, I was through the outer sole and into the plastic.
That had never happened before, so I wondered if my gait change to mid foot strike meant that the medial post was now throwing me to the outside, hence the purchase of a neutral shoe in the Wave Rider. Now, after 400km they are headed the same way, plus I find them so firm, that my fett, ankles and calves are taking a real beating.
So now I don't know what to try. I know that Asics shoes generally fit me, so do I try a Asics neutral shoe, e.g. Nimbus, or something more controlling again, or is there a shoe with plenty forefoot cushion you could recommend. I tried Newtons, and although the fit was great, and I felt like I was flying, they corresponded with the original injury, so I'm wary of getting another pair.
Why have I suddenly created a new wear pattern and what kind of shoe would help bring it back to the centre, more control or less?
Thanks for any advice.
I can see how a stability shoe with extra support could cause a person to overcompensate the other direction. How about the Brooks Ravenna or the Asics GT 1000 ? Both have lower level of pronation control than the GT 2000 (or Brooks Adrenaline). I've seen the same thing happen when people use a custom orthondic or superfeet in a stability shoe.
Feeling the growl again
No help on why the sudden change, except that if it stayed after changing to the Riders it has clearly become the norm for you. Frankly I don't thing the Riders being "hard" is your issue. If you are creating fast wear in that area that goes through the sole, you are not just landing there but scuffing the shoe forward across the ground when you land. Not only with this wear the shoe quickly, it will also put extra stress on your lower legs.
"If you want to be a bad a$s, then do what a bad a$s does. There's your pep talk for today. Go Run." -- Slo_Hand
I am spaniel - Crusher of Treadmills
Thanks,
The hardness of the Mizunos didn't cause any heel trouble, for sure, though I have a callus/corn on the ball of one foot now, which they seem to have contributed to. Bit of a mess all round. The neutral shoe just hasn't seemed to have had an effect, either on the shoe wear pattern, or on the recovery of my ankles.
I'm getting some massage therapy which may help to level my landing again.
I'll probably stick to Asics, given that I haven't had much luck elsewhere. I also have bunions, mobile arches, aforementioned calluses and corns, knackered achilles and tibialis tendons and a bad attitude. Maybe I should take up darts instead.
What's better for a midfoot strike, GT-1000 or Nimbus, or neither really?
Im a supinator and land on the outer edges of my feet. The wear is all on the lateral forefoot. Lots of stress on the outer edges of my feet.
I have to have a neutral shoe to encourage me to roll in a bit and a cushioned shoe to protect my feet.
I think you would be similar. Neutral cushioned.
Try Saucony KInvara will help with your midfoot strike too.
55+ PBs 5k 18:36 June 3rd TT
" If you don't use it you lose it, but if you use it, it wears out.
Somewhere in between is about right "
Have you tried any of the Nike Lunar stuff? I have same/similar wear pattern and like a cushioned shoe. Lunarfly, lunaracers, etc.. Some of their newer stuff seems very pricey to me. Sometimes I'll find on sale or Ebay. Oh yeah, and I think the Kinvaras are sort of like that too. Not sure if heel drop matters much if your heel never really touches the ground. Maybe it does. So, not sure about that.
Current Goals: Run and stuff
Lunaracers work for me too and Nike Zoom Elite
There really is no substitute for seeing a podiatrist and getting a professional opinion...but with that said, my experience was similar. When I first started "seriously" running, I was diagnosed as a heel striking, over-pronator and put in motion control shoes by the LRS. Fast forward a year or so later, after I had switched to a mid-foot strike: I started having pain in the outside of my forefoot. After actually sustaining an ugly black bruise in the area after a particularly hilly race, I decided enough was enough and went to a podiatrist. After the examination, the podiatrist told me to throw out all my current shoes. He said I needed cushioned, neutral shoes because he could tell that, if anything, I was a supinator. Since changing to that type of shoe, my issues have gone away. Maybe there is something about switching to a mid-foot strike that promotes a tendency toward supination.
Maybe there is something about switching to a mid-foot strike that promotes a tendency toward supination.
This rings as very true to me. That is exactly what seems to have happened.
I've tried the Kinvaras in a wide fitting and they were very comfortable, but I need a higher mileage shoe at the moment - I think of these more as a race shoe. I don't think I've ever had a pair of Nike shoes. I live a long way from a shoe store and don't get much chance to try shoes on before buying.
Nike free 5.0? They are an ok cushioned neutral trainer despite the label "Free" and they have a pretty wide toebox. The heel height is moderate (9mm) so may help with the Achilles issues and they have plenty of flexibility so won't feel stiff like the Riders.
"Shut up Legs!" Jens Voigt
I have picked up a pair of Saucony Ride 5 going cheaply locally. They seemed to fit the bill as a neutral shoe , cushioned especially in the forefoot, slightly lower drop for forefoot running. I'll see how I get on with these as an everyday mileage shoe.
Race shoe is Asics DS Racer which is holding up pretty well but only has 100km on it yet. Maybe I'll try Kinvaras or a Nike shoe next.