Virratas are a zero drop shoe, although I can't see how that is true and would argue they are closer to 4mm. I always found them flexible, but when I look at my wear patterns from old shoes I always strike the outer edge of my foot and wear away that cushioning faster. Furthermore, I struggled with tendonitis in my right shin throughout training, and lost a toenail on my right foot after the Colfax Marathon. Between my shin, toe, and hip issues, something is majorly wrong with my right leg. My doctor suggested that I get my stride formally analyzed by a knowledgeable running shoe store where they could videotape me running in various shoes.
When I arrived at Road Runners in Centennial, the sales girl asked what I was running in and what my problems with the shoe were. I told her I like my Sauconys. I like the lower drop as I naturally run on my forefoot and wouldn't want a clunky heal. However, I've injured the muscles in my groin and need to re-evaluate. "You supinate in those shoes, right?" Okay, now I was shocked, how did she know that? Maybe we are getting somewhere.
"Yeah, exactly. It is slight but my doctor thinks it could be making matters worse."
"Oh, man! Nothing is slight when you are running 1,000 miles in 5 months, or running 26.2 miles in a few hours. Everything adds up. Everything."
She grabbed a Virrata off the shelf and showed me how the shoe is extremely flexible from heal to toe but when she tried to flex it from side to side and twist it over itself, it was very stiff. She explained this stiffness encourages you to rock onto the outer edge of your foot, especially if you supinate naturally. Therefore, a slight supination becomes a very pronounced one.
Wanting to prove her point, she had me throw on a pair of Virratas and recorded me running for a minute. I landed slightly on the outermost part of my right heal and then rotated inwards to end in a neutral stance. Next, I put on a pair of New Balance 10 Minimus and we recorded for another minute. Because the shoe was much more flexible at all angles, nothing corrected my stride and I remained neutrally balanced throughout the strike. There was no rocking back and forth, no landing on the outer edge.
The Minimus is a zero drop shoe, with less padding so I am slightly tentative, however I feel like I have little to loose at this point. She agreed I needed a more minimum shoe for my stride, but needed something very flexible and because I am smaller in stature, I don't need a ton of cushioning to absorb the weight of my stride. I accepted the compliment and questioned their return policy. I have 90 days to exchange them in any condition. I'll try them out this weekend, and bring them into my physical therapist, Kevin, to analyze them as well.
I know shoe technology is a big business but I didn't realize how much it could affect your stride adversely. I also didn't know that your foot strike can change dramatically over time. Apparently, you are supposed to have your stride analyzed by a shoe expert once a year. It's been much longer than that in my case. Whoops.
~Roadburner
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