Healus shoes--And you thought you got weird looks running BF!

[C. Beth Run.]

(Click on the photo to go to the website.)

So these shoes start with a good purpose, eliminating heel strike. But they also eliminate the heel altogether, which I would think might take it too far. And because of the funky sole that supposedly guides you into the right form, you still end up with a lot of "stuff" between you and the road. Watching the video on the site, it looks like the big ol' wedge on the bottom does compress as you're running, so that's good. On another positive note, they are light. Better than traditional running shoes? Quite possibly. But I'd prefer to let my feet do the work, not my shoes.

So no, I'm not considering buying any! I don't think they're for sale yet anyway. I just thought they were odd and fascinating, and I'll be interested to see if they take off or not.

Thoughts?

 

[saypay45]

This shoe is kind of like the

This shoe is kind of like the Newton on steroids. I think the concept of Newtons is all unicorns and fairies, but some people swear by them...so this shoe might have potential. I tend to agree with you C.Beth, that the feet are probably much better at propelling your foot down the road after a forefoot strike than a piece of rubber. But hey, if you wear shoes, maybe this is the best you're going to do?

 

[Jimmy Hart]

 problem here is they still

problem here is they still keep your foot from doing what it's designed to do. i am all for a shoe that gets you off the heels because i believe that is the root of all running evil but if the shoes keep the foot from getting stronger then they aren't really helping you.

 

[Barefoot TJ]

These are so far from natural

These are so far from natural in so many ways, that they can't possibly be any good for you.

Another gimmick!

 

[miqie]

Seems like they would

Seems like they would counteract the biomechanics of the arch. When your foot comes down, that whole cushioning thingy pushes up on your arch, which I think is just the opposite of what you want the arch to do. I think they would be fun to try out if I didn't have to pay for them.

 

[nature runner]

You still don't have a full

You still don't have a full range of motion that works all the foot muscle groups like barefoot or vff's would. I am not sold on it. Looks like a regular full blown shod shoe to me?

 

[saypay45]

nature runner wrote:Looks

Looks like a regular full blown shod shoe to me?

Actually it kind of looks like a space ship.

 

[Norm Deplume]

Tommy Tucker - High Heel

Tommy Tucker - High Heel Sneakers

 

[deviantrunner]

Looks like a recipe for a

Looks like a recipe for a rolled ankle. There will always be a market for those looking for the fountain of youth. Pure snake oil.

 

[capmikee]

Reminds me of Earth Shoes and

Reminds me of Earth Shoes and ShapeUps, both apparently designed to simulate the experience of walking barefoot on sand.

There's a lotta weird shoes out there right now.

 

[Jimmy Hart]

 earth shoes i give some

earth shoes i give some merit to but very little. their purpose is not to simulate barefoot so much as to get rid of the heel to toe drop. they actually go the opposite and give you a toe to heel drop which feels crazy but helps alleviate back pains due to tight/weak muscles that we get from the usual heel to toe drop. outside of that i dont see much use for them but they at least have a fair and measurable purpose.

the shape ups however are just a cheap knock off of the MBT shoe which i could care less for either of them. one of the worst tricks perpetrated on the public i've ever seen.

 

[peacekaren]

Jimmy Hart wrote: earth

earth shoes i give some merit to but very little. their purpose is not to simulate barefoot so much as to get rid of the heel to toe drop. they actually go the opposite and give you a toe to heel drop which feels crazy but helps alleviate back pains due to tight/weak muscles that we get from the usual heel to toe drop. outside of that i dont see much use for them but they at least have a fair and measurable purpose.

Earth shoes also turn out to be a fairly good option for letting the foot rest and heal from extensor tendinitis (TOFP).



Peace,

Karen

 

[Barefoot TJ]

I wonder if we will hear any

I wonder if we will hear any reports of injuries with the Shape Ups. I mean, article after article says barefoot runners are flocking to podiatrists complaining of stress fractures, PF, etc., etc.; like there are just so many barefoot runners out there to flock anywhere. These same articles don't talk about the numbers of boat anchor runners coming to them with the same injuires. Now we have Shape Ups. Did I mention malpractice?

 

[Yorkshire Rob]

Maybe someone should invent

Maybe someone should invent the Sharp shoe. The footbed could be lined with broken glass and needles to simulate barefoot, seeing as how that's what people always assume we run on if we don't wear shoes.

I agree, there's loads of weird shoes on the market at the moment. Reminds me of these

 

[Barefoot TJ]

And people think we barefoot

And people think we barefoot runners are crazy!

 

[C. Beth Run.]

I talked to someone a couple

I talked to someone a couple of years back who was a huge fan of the ZCoils. (You could buy an extra piece that covered the coil which some employers required.)

Of course, now I look at it and think, Yikes, shortened Achilles!!

 

[Blind Boy]

Honestly, I wonder if that

Honestly, I wonder if that spring is strong enough and undamped so you can bounce around on your heels. That would be tons of fun, I think! Then again, that's pretty much the only logical use for a spring in a shoe I can think of.

 

[Norm Deplume]

Blind Boy wrote:Honestly, I

Honestly, I wonder if that spring is strong enough and undamped so you can bounce around on your heels. That would be tons of fun, I think! Then again, that's pretty much the only logical use for a spring in a shoe I can think of.

Every time I see Z-Coils I think of Wile E. Coyote and his Acme spring shoes.

 

[Jimmy Hart]

 yes they are strong enough

yes they are strong enough for you to bounce around like you have a little pogo stick under your foot. i used to work with a guy who was a sales person for them and i could not wrap my head around them and i told him for years to stop wearing them. he never listened to me but somewhere along the way he ditched them and now does a good deal of vff running so he came around and now realizes they were not the answer.

 

[capmikee]

Yorkshire Rob wrote:Maybe

Maybe someone should invent the Sharp shoe. The footbed could be lined with broken glass and needles to simulate barefoot, seeing as how that's what people always assume we run on if we don't wear shoes.

Steve Martin was way ahead of you:

Anna interrupted, "Oh yes, let me see the cruel shoes!"

Carlo looked incredulous. "No, Anna, you don't understand, you see, the cruel shoes are..."

"Get them!"

Carlo disappeared into the back room for a moment, then returned with an ordinary shoebox. He opened the lid and removed a hideous pair of black and white pumps. But these were not an ordinary pair of black and white pumps; both were left feet, one had a right angle turn with seperate compartments that pointed the toes in impossible directions. The other shoe was six inches long and was curved inward like a rocking chair with a vise and razor blades to hold the foot in place. Carlo spoke hesitantly, "...Now you see why...they're not fit for humans..."

"Put them on me."

"But..."

"Put them on me!"

Carlo knew all arguments were useless. He knelt down before her and forced the feet into the shoes.

The sreams were incredible.

Anna crawled to the mirror and held her bloody feet up where she could see.

"I like them."

She paid Carlo and crawled out of the store into the street. [/quote]

I agree, there's loads of weird shoes on the market at the moment. Reminds me of these

Ow! My knees hurt just looking at those!