Forums >Gears and Wears>Arches too high on minimalist shoes?
Cat Herder
I went to a running shop with a video gait analysis and the shop guys said my ankle is at 189 degrees, meaning slightly overpronate, but I have normal/medium arches. They also said my current shoe choices (Nike Lunarglides) are good for me. However, I want to try some minimalist shoes as I've been running around barefoot as a kid and I walk around barefoot or in bathroom slippers all the time, and the adults were always yelling at me to put on some good shoes.
Anyway, I tried Nike Free's and New Balance Minimus since that's what they had on display in my size, and both have archs that are really stiff and press into the arches of my foot. And walking around just a short distance (inside the shoe shop!) gave me really bad pain in my arches of my foot since the arches of the shoes were pressing in so hard. The shoes are otherwise really comfortable. Aren't minimalist shoes supposed to not have arch support? What type of minimalist shoes should I be looking at?
Thanks.
I wouldn't touch a Nike with a ten foot pole, let alone put my foot in it... Maybe a NB with a five foot pole... I'd try a shoe from a company that makes minimalist shoes. Maybe the shoes were too narrow or tight and were pinching your foot funny? I've been in Skora Phase for sometime now and have had zero problems. The sole on the Phase is very flexible, maybe it isn't on the Nike and NB? I'd be interested to hear how you do in other minimal shoes.
Ben
Running Life Between
not bad for mile 25
Minimalist shoes by definition do not have arch support.
Thanks for the replies. Yeah, unfortunately in my country, Nike is the only running shoe brand that sells at the equivalent of US prices, and often discounted after a few months. While more running specific brands tend to cost twice or more of US reatail prices, and then they are never discounted. So my choices are somewhat limited. (The Lunarglides I mentioned earlier normally sell for $140 and I got them discounted at $100.)
I'm guessing now the shoes must've been too narrow for my feet and it must be the contours of the shoes pressing into my arches and not the bottom of the shoes. I'll keep looking around. Thanks again.
rectumdamnnearkilledem
I find the arches in my Saucony Kinvara 4 to be aggressive, but less so in Nike Free 3.0.
Getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to
remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air.
~ Sarah Kay
I took out the insoles of the Nike Fee 3.0 and found that they run so much better. You may not be able to try that at the shops though, as my insoles were glued on.
Super Pro Lurker
Which NB shoe were you trying? I've run in a lot of their minimus line shoes (WR00 W10v2 Ionix and one more I forget) and none of them have arch support. The shoe upper kind of wraps around your foot in the in arch, but there's no support from the sole of shoe under the arch at all. Maybe they put you in some weird transitional shoe?