Well gone - the thing with the blast

The atmosphere can be tense, even explosive, especially at the front of the field. It definitely has nothing to do with the demolition that we are talking about today. In running shoes, this means the height difference between the forefoot and heel.

Example barefoot: the ball of the foot and the heel are directly on the ground. No difference = zero blast. The McDougal disciples are striving for this ideal, i.e. those runners who, perhaps after reading "Born to run", which was recently recommended, indulge in minimalist running and are therefore mainly on the forefoot.

However, most shoes, regardless of whether they are street, leisure or sports shoes, have a more or less clear pitch. How this came about leaves room for speculation: Did people in the past want to appear taller with high heels? Or was it just practical to nail a few more layers of leather under the shoe bed to protect the heel, which is subjected to more stress? In any case, it is certain that modern people, thanks to the wearing of shoes from childhood on, cannot easily go barefoot overnight or even run minimalistically because of the untrained foot and shortened calf muscles. If you try it and overdo it, you risk problems with the Achilles tendon or even a heel spur.

The usual drop in running shoes is between four and twelve millimeters. In any case, beginners and heavy runners are recommended to start with a rather large drop, although it is then also advantageous to land with the whole foot. Over the years, the heel drop of the shoe can be reduced. But care must be taken here to avoid injury.

So what is the individually correct blast? Running Pope Dr. Six years ago, Matthias Marquardt (“The Big Running Shoe Book”) presented a calculation method that was not very simple. Since then, however, shoe material and sole geometry have developed enormously. That's why there is ultimately only one way to find out: Test and try out, if possible before you buy.

running@volksfreund.de

Next week: The right shoe for the right purpose.