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

 

[J Batt]

For everyone looking for a minimal boot, I’m on my second pair of Reebok Nano


They aren’t exactly zero drop at 7mm. (Wish they were) But I’ve been using zero drop/minimal footwear for about 15 years, and these are the most comfortable boots I have found. The sole is low to the ground and has good thickness and density.

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

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.

Folks for sure need to be gradually moving towards this type of footwear over going “all in” too quickly.

Your muscles, tendons, ligaments, bones, etc have all been using a giant crutch their whole life and it takes months of gradual use before anyone should be doing a long hunt or backpacking trip with them.

 

[Dave_S]

I've spent a couple years slowly moving all of my footwear to minimalist, zero drop, barefoot shoes. It's been great (minus trying to find safety toe stuff for work). My hiking and uphill volume has really increased as I prepare for a hunt this year, and I've found out that I have arthritis and bone spurs in one of my big toes and the really steep stuff makes it flare up. This has led me back to a really stiff boot. I still love my barefoot stuff. I'm in the vivobarefoot tracker esc tribe. I'll keep wearing the minimal shoes as much as possible, but I've had to reconsider it for niche uses.

 

[TheWarriorYeti]

Would I go back? Yes and no. I started running barefoot before Born to Run and the first minimalist footwear, I've worn most brands through the years and several boots for hunting. I've enjoyed Joe Nimble hiking boots, Feelmax Kuuvas (particularly great for CO winter hunts), and Vivo Escs, the latter with the aggressive sole. And I wear minimalist shoes every day for everything, but I dislike the term barefoot because any shoe, even thin, cuts ground feel, like a thin work glove changes how you grip an axe.

Contrary to what one might think I've found that the least impactful movement I've done is running straight barefoot on a very smooth sidewalk, and the most impactful is walking in a not great "barefoot" shoe on concrete. Not all of these shoes are made equal, Altras are not minimalist and several folks have already pointed out some of their shortcomings, particularly the squishy sole. But some fks have great luck with the. I also agree that zero drop is not the most important feature, as some others have mentioned. 4 mm difference between heel and forefoot may not be noticeable and doesn't negate the other benefits, light footwear, stability because you're heel isn't raised off the ground, wide enough toe box, etc. So now for walking and hiking I tend to stick Dr Sholls gel inserts in my shoes. I've nearly worn through the tread on a pair of Escs (upper and waterproofing still going strong) and worn them on some pretty rough terrain in W TX and CO with these inserts and it's my best experience yet with a hiking boot.

I do wish the toe box was a tad wider, vivo lasts don't quite fit my foot because they curve inward oddly. Your mileage may vary, find a last that fits, for starters. Check out Anya's reviews for inspiration, and there is definitely a transition period. I'll be trying a pair of Freet Chamois next.