"Barefoot" Shoes vs Shock Absorbing Athletic Shoes?

best minimalist running shoes zero drop image

Q. Hello. I am in the market for new pair of women's long distance athletic shoes. I recently came across an add for Merrell Barefoot Run athletic shoes, and although at the time I was only intrigued aesthetically, I eventually found that they can prevent injury and also have received very good customer ratings.
I have also looked into getting a pair of nike shox +2, which have extra padding in the heel.

My current pair of shoes are asics women's GT 21 50 running shoe, and I really liked these because they gave me extra support on the outer ball of my feet for balance. I tend to come down on the balls of my feet the hardest when running....I assume I am not alone in this. My knees are also not in the best condition and I'm only 27, so I need to be extra careful. I run about 4 miles every other day.

For long distance running, which shoe is best, the Merrell Barefoot shoe, or the Nike shox +2?

Answer
It's a personal choice really but if you switch to minimalist running you might want to go with something more transitional like Brooks Pureflow or NB Trail Minimus (not zero) before going to a zero drop shoe. Also, you're gonna have to drop those runs down to like a mile or two in the new shoes while you get used to them. You could use the new shoes for shorter runs every other run and the current shoes for normal runs on the rest til you get used to it.

Best advice: go to a local running store, let them watch you run, talk about what you want and what your needs and habits are and listen to their recommendations. The two options you mentioned are complete opposite ends of the spectrum.

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best minimilist running shoes?

J.

out of this four. what do you think is best?

http://www.payless.com/store/product/detail.jsp?catId=cat10088&subCatId=cat70028&skuId=092220065&productId=70784&lotId=092220&category=&catdisplayName=Womens

http://www.payless.com/store/product/detail.jsp?catId=cat10088&subCatId=cat70028&skuId=097684055&productId=71633&lotId=097684&category=&catdisplayName=Womens

http://www.payless.com/store/product/detail.jsp?catId=cat10088&subCatId=cat10042&skuId=095596055&productId=71422&lotId=095596&category=&catdisplayName=Womens

http://www.payless.com/store/product/detail.jsp?catId=cat10088&subCatId=cat10042&skuId=086644060&productId=69351&lotId=086644&category=&catdisplayName=Womens

Answer
None of those shoes are good minimalist running shoes. You need a shoe that doesn't interfere with the natural movement of the feet. They should be light, flexible and have a thin sole with no padding. There should be little or no heel to toe differential, which is often referred to as zero drop.

Check out the minimalist running shoes in the link below.

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Title Post: "Barefoot" Shoes vs Shock Absorbing Athletic Shoes?
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