You've Made the Switch to 0 Drop - Did you go back

[hibernation]

conditioning your feet and ankles is a thing

Yeah, I just found out that I'm not as far along as I thought. Quick weekend bear hunt with some decent mileage, brushy slopes and steep terrain, I had a weird knee pain by the end of the day in a spot I'm not used to. It went away easily enough but looks like I need more time and training hikes for the transition.

 

[ElPollo]

Yeah, I just found out that I'm not as far along as I thought. Quick weekend bear hunt with some decent mileage, brushy slopes and steep terrain, I had a weird knee pain by the end of the day in a spot I'm not used to. It went away easily enough but looks like I need more time and training hikes for the transition.

The shoes alone should not result in knee pain. You may have something else going on. Knee issues sneak up on all of us that spend a lot of time going up and down mountains. If anything, going to a more minimalist shoe tends to reduce the strain and impact you put on your knees.

 

[twall13]

If anything, going to a more minimalist shoe tends to reduce the strain and impact you put on your knees.

This is true, assuming you've adapted your stride. If you are heel striking I can see it causing some knee pain. The more minimalist my shoe got, the more it forced me to adapt my stride and cadence and the better things got for my knees.

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[hibernation]

The shoes alone should not result in knee pain. You may have something else going on. Knee issues sneak up on all of us that spend a lot of time going up and down mountains. If anything, going to a more minimalist shoe tends to reduce the strain and impact you put on your knees.

Totally, I've got minor knee issues already, and knee pain isn't exactly the right term for what I was having that day. More like fatigue in a really specific spot near the bottom/outside of my hamstring, kind of a dull ache that snuck up on me by the end of the day. I'm assuming it was from using a different gait for way more miles than I've done before with the minimalist shoes, some of those smaller muscles getting used differently and fatiguing faster.

 

[fngTony]

I have some zero drop Altras and a minimal 3mm drop generic everyday shoe. Both have been worn on alpine hikes. Altras are a little much on my calves but I’m still getting used to it. The generic minimal drop shoes are great, better balance down hill. Went back to a traditional drop Salewa the other day and hated it, restricted range of motion, felt like I was leaning downhill no matter what my stance was.

 

[Fever Buck]

Just a warning, folks with larger/tighter calves will have issues with zero drop. Altras gave me Achilles tendinitis and plantar fasciitis.

 

[twall13]

I used to love Altras but can't stand them anymore. The zero drop and wide toe box are awesome but all the padding that quickly breaks down has caused issues and injuries for me. They were a good stepping stone for me to transition to barefoot shoes, but now that I'm there I won't ever buy another pair. They cause instability with the padding compared to the more grounded feel I've become accustomed to.

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[ElPollo]

Altras and Topos don’t work for me and it’s more due to the stack height than the drop angle. The thing that forced me into the Vivos was a nerve injury that means I cannot tightly lace shoes or boots anymore. Pair that with a tall sole stack and it’s a train wreck. My foot slides around on top of that sole making it very unstable.

The Altras and Topos are also basically disposable because of that tall squishy sole. They start compressing almost immediately. If you have any pronation, they just go to hell in a handbasket really quickly. After less than a month, mine were sloping outwards toward the outside of my foot.

I also agree with the comments here about zero drop affecting calves and tendons more than knees. If you are wearing minimalist shoes, you are going to reduce your heel strikes and minimize impacts on your knees. If you don’t, your heels are really going to hurt.

The calf/tendon issues associated with zero drop are not because someone has big or muscular calves. It’s because wearing those stiff boots has resulted in limited calf mobility and ankle/foot strength. If you are having this problem, consider adding a regiment of regular stretching, calf raises using a board or a step to allow full extension, and consider getting a Mobo board and consulting their website for flexibility exercises.

 

[North of 60]

I agree with El Pollo about the need need for serious calf and hamstring stretching for zero drop shoes, especially early on, to help prevent issues. Our feet, ankles and Achilles tendons with be grateful for the effort.

 

[dirtshooter]

man I totally have the tight achilles. better start stretching them out