What the heel?!
By David • Mar 17th, 2009 • Category: Features •
I couldn’t resist to expose these ‘Pogo-stick meets high-heel’ shoes. Z-Coil states that their shoes incorporate “patented, shock-absorbing design greatly reduces impact to the body and distributes pressure more evenly across the foot than conventional shoes do. And less impact means less pain.”
These things are totally ridiculous and dangerous to boot. Does the company actually expect people to believe that this conical coil contraption will reduce injury and pain? Make sure you have enough insurance before strapping these death-traps to your feet. I can see twisted ankles, sprains, broken wrists (due to falling) and dislocations all over the place. I wonder if they come with a bottle of ibuprofen and bandages…
Then there’s this blog post on how great these things are. Have a read, makes for a few good laughs.
Bottom line: The more technology between your feet and the ground the more problems will develop leading to injuries. Poor form and excess mileage thanks to a ‘comfortable ride’ are a recipe to injuries. Remember, less is more!
Be safe out there folks and don’t try these (shoes) at home, or anywhere else for that matter!
Happy (barefoot) trails!
What are your thoughts on these shoes?
David is an instigator and barefoot runner since 2002.
Email this author | All posts by David
Nurses seem to like them. I wear the MBT shoes at work when I’m on my feet in the hospital 16 hours, and they kick ass.
Always try something before you run your mouth. These are great!!!
Will, if we were meant to have ‘coils’ in our bodies we would have been born with them. I can say that I can stand or walk barefoot for 8-10 hours in a day without any foot pain or fatigue. However if I wear running shoes or ‘dress’ shoes for more than a few hours my feet aren’t happy.
Wearing ’supportive’ shoes, insoles or footwear devices is only treating the symptom of weak arches and feet not the cause. Believe me when I say that retraining and restrengthening one’s feet and body will no longer require any technological solutions designed to replace what our feet are made to do on its own.
Happy trails,
David
Dave - My brother, who is a nurse, said “you know… all of the orthopedic surgeons I work with run, and you don’t see them running barefoot. Maybe they know something…” I laughed. Maybe they do, but for me barefooting works.
When I used to wear running shoes to work as a carpenter my feet hurt. Boy I could not wait to pull of my shoes when I got home. This was way before I even knew anyone besides Zola Budd ran barefoot.
Michael Carroll
redrocksbluesky.com
These are truly ridiculous! There should be a law against manufacturing such things! Given that we live in a free society, and believe in a free market, etc., these things should at least come with warning labels!
P.S.: A comment on the ads on this blog: Great info; great blog. But you’ve got ad banners advertising regular ol’ shoes, including an amazon.com banner with sneaker bricks and a high-heeled pump! What the heel!?
Maybe those orthopedic surgeons do know something. Then again, there was a time when a good number of doctors smoked.
[...] barefootrunner com natural running amp healthy living Features Posted by root 8 minutes ago (http://www.barefootrunner.com) Mar 17 2009 i wear the mbt shoes at work when i 39 m on my feet in the hospital 16 dave my brother who is a nurse said you know all of the p s a comment on the ads on this blog great info great blog 2009 barefootrunner com natural running amp healthy livi Discuss | Bury | News | barefootrunner com natural running amp healthy living Features [...]
I’ve met plenty of fat doctors too. Just because someone works in a profession doesn’t mean they know much.
I now run in vibrams and flats. I used to “pronate,” and “needed” orthotics. I now know that running shoes are a farce.
However, these shoes aren’t meant for active barefoot runners, or even active heel-strikers…the only people I’ve seen wearing them are older, “it’s too late to strengthen my feet, and do what I was meant to do” people. For an old football player with knee problems who now works on his feet all day, these shoes, if they take the pain away, should be beneficial.
They’re not for running, they’re for broken people.
Walking and running a re two different things. When I run (in vibrams, with my flat feet), I have perfect form, and thus do not hurt at all. When I walk for long distances, my joints sometimes start hurting again, and wearing my old, cushioned, orthotic filled shoes is actually pretty nice.
For a long time doctors also recommend laying flat on the ground and staying still for chronic back pain. Know they have done a 180 and encourage being active and strengthening the muscles. Doctors are not always right.
WOW JUST WOW
Look at the video on their website, on how it works.
The orthopedic insert is made the same way they make inserts for diabetics.
These guys have no clue what they are doing!
Ban these shoes!
I have been running in VFFs and transitioning to BF for several months after years of trying to start running again only to be thwarted by knee pain. I have become a huge proponent of minimalist shoes and wear Vivo Barefoots at my 12 hr day job as a Urgent Care Nurse Practitioner.
That being said, I wore Z-Coil shoes for over 5 years as an emergency RN and they were absolutely a godsend. I had daily back, knee, and sometimes ankle pain which were largely prevented by the Z-Coils. Now I understand that the super cushioned stability shoes with orthotics I had been working in were creating torque in my knees and hips.
Transitioning to a minimalist shoe would have been a better approach, but Z-Coils have their place. I know many nurses and others who have had similar success wearing them, including a couple with diabetic neuropathy who swear by them. There is a Z-Coil store here locally and they have quite a following, especially in the hospital medical community, including a few surgeons who love them for standing stationary for long periods.
Z-Coils were invented by a runner with PF, which it does help, but by essentially putting the foot in a rigid split with a spring heel. They have a totally rigid footbed which is horrible for foot strength, but are actually quite stable on smooth surfaces. The coil does not bend and will only compress vertically. I have several pairs which I will probably never wear again, but I would recommend them to the right person.
I would ask you to reconsider the tone of your criticism. I basically was called crazy twice this weekend as I ran barefoot by others in a park this weekend. They were wrong.
superb blog post, you deserve a free iPad: http://bit.ly/freeipad6
That back pain from standing all day is not caused by standing… its caused from having tight hip flexors and a muted hip. Stretch out, lift some weights. You don’t need high heels to be pain free, that is ridiculous.
Hi buddy would it be ok if we used some info from here to use on one of our blogs? all the best
All of the people I see wearing these stupid things are fat asses and they claim they have back problems. I think they should lose weight and stop buying this stupid ugly shoes. I hate them.