midfoot strike page

[saarx1]

when u midfoot striking while running (running clamly, not sprinting), ur heel touches the floor? i think i kind of understood what forefoot landing is but im still kinda confused over what is midfoot landing

[AndreaReina]

You land on the ball of the foot, but your heel will still touch the ground just before taking off again. All you really need to do is make sure your foot is landing under you (not in front); aside from that do what feels natural and you'll have it right.

[IcarianVX]

Are you supposed to do this (mid-foot strike) when walking too? Or are you supposed to hit heel first? I have noticed recently that when I walk (barefoot almost all the time) I hit on the outsides of the heel and sort of roll onto the ball of my foot. I don't have any knee/hip problems, just wondering if I am walking correctly or not.

[Yaish]

Go completely barefoot on a hard surface, and start to run slowly. They way that hurts the least, is the way you're supposed to do it.

It's going to be a much shorter stride than you're used to, and there is more movement from the knees and ankles vice the hips. It sounds complicated, but not surprisingly it feels completely natural once you take away the supportive shoes.

[Shep1824]

Are you supposed to do this (mid-foot strike) when walking too? Or are you supposed to hit heel first? I have noticed recently that when I walk (barefoot almost all the time) I hit on the outsides of the heel and sort of roll onto the ball of my foot. I don't have any knee/hip problems, just wondering if I am walking correctly or not.

I would like to know this as well. I have noticed the same thing.

[AndreaReina]

Are you supposed to do this (mid-foot strike) when walking too? Or are you supposed to hit heel first? I have noticed recently that when I walk (barefoot almost all the time) I hit on the outsides of the heel and sort of roll onto the ball of my foot. I don't have any knee/hip problems, just wondering if I am walking correctly or not.

Walking is heel-first. Walking doesn't produce the kind of stress that makes mid-foot striking necessary, and as I'm sure you've noticed it's just smoother as well.

[gordo]

Midfoot landing really means the the ball of your foot and your heel land simultaneously. Since your foot has both medial and lateral arches, you can't actually land midfoot if you're not wearing shoes that hump up in the middle. You really want to land forefoot when running, but many people will run on their toes if you tell them that. Then they get a stress fracture. So rather than trying to explain that you land on the forefoot with a relaxed ankle and foot and put the heel down before lifting off, people just say "midfoot" so that the newbie will get their whole foot down onto the ground.

When you walk, heel striking is more efficient, but it's a very different heel strike than you do in shoes. Soft, gentle, and more under the body.

If you're wearing shoes like the Vibrams, take them off until you get this figured out. It's the quickest way to learn.

Gordo

[IcarianVX]

Walking is heel-first. Walking doesn't produce the kind of stress that makes mid-foot striking necessary, and as I'm sure you've noticed it's just smoother as well.

Midfoot landing really means the the ball of your foot and your heel land simultaneously. Since your foot has both medial and lateral arches, you can't actually land midfoot if you're not wearing shoes that hump up in the middle. You really want to land forefoot when running, but many people will run on their toes if you tell them that. Then they get a stress fracture. So rather than trying to explain that you land on the forefoot with a relaxed ankle and foot and put the heel down before lifting off, people just say "midfoot" so that the newbie will get their whole foot down onto the ground.

When you walk, heel striking is more efficient, but it's a very different heel strike than you do in shoes. Soft, gentle, and more under the body.

If you're wearing shoes like the Vibrams, take them off until you get this figured out. It's the quickest way to learn.

Gordo

Thanks guys. I did some research and started playing around with different foot strikes while walking. Makes total sense and I appreciate your knowledge.

[davem]

I did two things to really figure it out:
Couple days of laps at the local uni's track, barefoot.
Then I did a few miles over a few days in my vff's.

You learn to land right, doing it through following pain will get you a good way there, then you can tweak.

It's not really complicated.

[jackpercy57]

They way that hurts the least, is the way you're supposed to do it.