Wear the Wrong Shoes

Ten or twelve years ago I developed severe running pain in my lower calfs.  During my runs, a slow burn would develop, and I would sometimes need to walk because the pain was too much.  It felt like some deep down layers of ligaments were torn or damaged.  Those rubbery sinewy parts that don't heal.

I unhappily concluded that all those fatties at coffee hour who say "the body just cant take all that pounding," were right.  My 30 years of running was coming to an end.  I resolved not to waste money on a new pair of running shoes unless this pain would go away.

I tried to change my gait.  I rested.  I massaged, I tried to strengthen my calfs.  I stretched.  Nothing worked.  I was done.  My body was finally worn out.

Then, for some reason, I set out one morning with a different pair of shoes.  Not a new pair, just a different pair.  And joy of joys, the pain went away!  I discovered if I wore my other pair of shoes, the pain returned.

Well, that's a simple fix.  But there is a little more to it.

As the miles add up for you over the years,  swap out your shoes frequently.  And I mean frequently.  Right now, I own two pairs of Nikes (different models), a pair of Brooks, Fila and Saucony.  Each pair gives a totally different ride.  I seldom wear the same pair for consecutive runs.  My hypothesis is that this changes the stress points on your legs and back.  If you wear the same shoes always, then the same parts of your body are stressed, and will lead to repetitive motion injuries.

Your shoes aren't only for your feet - they affect your mechanics all the way up your ankles, lower legs, knees, thighs, hips and back.  And it is true what the fatties at coffee hour say about all that pounding.  So you need to change out your shoes to vary the pounding.

You are much better off buying two different pairs of off brand shoes from the department store for $60 each, rather than one highly engineered pair from the running store for $120.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.