Article discussing some of Lydiard's views.

Spin-off link from a discussion about minimalism on L&O.

Lots of food for thought about how incorrect shoes are possibly causing lots of the common running ailments -- PF, ITBS, etc.

Also interesting in that it throws out the whole neutral/stability/motion control dogma in favor of literally "if the shoe fits, wear it".

Thanks for posting this. I have been fitted for motion control / high stability shoes due to flat feet, overpronation, etc.  And while I didn't like how heavy / bulky they felt, I sort of resigned myself to the fact that this is what I needed to avoid injuries.  I even injured myself trying a less supportive shoe (that didn't fit the shape of my foot and was actually very soft and slipper like) and that further reinforced this idea.

I only recently got brave enough to try a couple less supportive shoes for speedwork and I was actually surprised that I seem to be able to run 8-9 miles without issues in minimal support shoes.   Now I'm not ready to abandon my max stability shoes but I do think there is something to this theory that it's not about fixing pronation and that different types of shoes can work.

Whew!!  Ok, I read thru most of that.

But, of course, I think I've shopped mostly this way from the beginning.  I don't know how I ended up in the Asics Cumulus, except to say that I was originally a Clydesdale and sought out Neutral shoes for bigger/taller runners.  Popularity being key, I think Cumulus just fell into place.  (Plus they felt good).  When I found out Ryan Hall trained in them, of course, I was sure I was in the right shoe.  But alas, Cumulus changed over time, p!ssed me off in one revision that left me w/ heel blisters & I haven't been back since.

The article REALLY got my attention when they started talking Pegasus as that's been my go-to shoe ever since.  I didn't like when they ditched the full-length Air insole in 2010 but it's still been a good fitting shoe.  (The Peg 28's SUCKED as they were too rigid & rubbed me wrong).  Sheesh......I totally agree w/ the author about paranoia over them changing within a style too much. (And I'm sure they all do it.)

And then, of course, after years of touting the Pegasus, I get injured in them.  My beloved Peg 29's.

Was it the shoes?  (The dreaded loss of the full-length insole.  Surely that was the culprit?)

Was it me? (Nah....I had a great run that night.  Couldn't have been me.  I'd only upped my mileage 33% of the last 2 months)

Was it mileage on the shoes?  (I normally give shoes 500 miles but each of my 2 pairs of Peg 29's had 400 on them.  Was that too much?  Is that my fault or Nikes'?)

Alas, all this article has done is spark my curiosity as to where I go from here.  I'll probably go Nike Pegasus again cuz I'm like a lamb to the slaughter in that regard but maybe I should try others.  But the Pegs feel so good on my feet.

  <---- How I feel about running lately

The idea that what is best for whippet thin world class athletes is also best for fat, middle age couch potatoes is stretching the concept of generalization a bit far.  I do think most running stores are far too quick to stick people in stability shoes.  I would almost always start someone in a neutral shoe and then see how things progressed.