Shoe News you can use….
The Midsole
Last time we talked about the outsole (see here and here if you missed it or need a review). Today we will focus on the midsole.
The Midsole, sandwiched between the outsole and the upper, provides torsional rigidity to a shoe. They can be single (uni) density (left picture) or multiple (middle picture).
Midsole material is very important, as it will accommodate to the load imposed on it from the person as well as any gear they may be carrying. It serves as the intermediary and transducer for load transfer between the ground and the person. Softer density material in the heel of the shoe, like in the blue lateral side of the shoe in the bottom picture, softens the forces acting at heel strike and is good for impact and shock absorption.
Because the midsole tranduces forces and provides torsional rigidity (picture on right). The stiffer the material, the more motion control it provides. Midsoles like the one in the center are made with materials of differing densities (white is softer, light grey more dense, dark gray, most dense) to absorb force and decrease the velocity of pronation during heel strike and mid stance, with a firmer material medially that protects against overpronation as you come through mid stance and go through toe off.
Wow. Shoe anatomy for the day. Knew this? Great! Lost? Want to know more? Download our Shoe Fit Certification program by clicking here. You can also email us for more information about becoming IFGEC certified in shoe fit: thegaitguys@gmail.com
Ivo and Shawn. Bald. Handsome. Knowledgeable. The Gait Guys!
Podcast #16: Monkeys, Newton Shoes & Gait Vision
/Gait, running, Newton Shoes, Forefoot Strike, Gait Software, limb torsion problems, foot tripod and lots more !
LINK: http://thegaitguys.libsyn.com/podcast-16-monkeys-newtons-gait-vision
Join us today for the following topic list and show note links:
Links to DVD’s & e-downloads: http://store.payloadz.com/results/results.asp?m=80204
1- scars of evolution:
Bigfoot blog post: http://thegaitguys.tumblr.com/day/2011/11/05
Why gait must be taught slowly. Even running gait must be taught slowly.
2- email from a reader
wondering if you had any internal femoral torsion videos? I have been looking online and noticed most of the articles were on children with IFT. I have internal femoral rotation, a “winking patella” and I believe an externally rotated tibia? I am a runner and I am trying to find some more info on my awesome gait:) As you can imagine, I have had my fair share of injuries from running (hip, knee, and foot) and I have tried foam rolling but I am hoping you have some other recommendations
3- The Almighty Foot Tripod exercise - good for pronation of the foot
4- DISCLAIMER: We are not your doctors so anything you hear here should not be taken as medical advice. For that you need to visit YOUR doctors and ask them the questions. We have not examined you, we do not know you, we know very little about your medical status. So, do not hold us responsible for taking our advice when we have just told you not to ! Again, we are NOT your doctors
5- Blog post we liked recently: Perception/vision and Gait analysis software.
http://thegaitguys.tumblr.com/search/vision
2 blog posts here…….review them before the pod
The Observation Effect: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/1998/02/980227055013.htm
6- SHOE TALK: Skora Shoes
7- Our dvd’s and efile downloads
Are all on payloadz. Link is in the show notes.
Link: http://store.payloadz.com/results/results.asp?m=80204
Podcast #15: Brain Size, Gait and Evolution to Bipedalism
/Here is the link to the podcast:
http://thegaitguys.libsyn.com/webpage
And it is up on iTunes already.
You don’t want to miss this podcast gang ! Whether you are a runner, walker, trainer, scientist, therapist or just a plain old information junkie, this is a podcast you do not want to miss !
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1- The Scars of Evolution: Part 0
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2012/10/121026-human-cooking-evolution-raw-food-health-science/
http://thegaitguys.tumblr.com/post/22193730427/the-upright-walking-and-the-stoned-chimpanzee
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=raw-veggies-are-healthier
2- Creatine:
http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/10/11/creatine-myths-and-facts/
4- DISCLAIMER:We are not your doctors so anything you hear here should not be taken as medical advice. For that you need to visit YOUR doctors and ask them the questions. We have not examined you, we do not know you, we know very little about your medical status. So, do not hold us responsible for taking our advice when we have just told you not to ! Again, we are NOT your doctors !
6- EMAIL FROM A Blog follower:
Both my big toes planterflex. My right toe has Morton’s toe and elevates when standing in neutral. My left toe elevates and twists inward when standing in neutral - I think I have Rothbarts toe. I have tried two orthotics that drop my big toes and it caused a lot of pain up through my pelvis and back. What are the treatments for Morton’s toe and Rothbart’s toe for the big toe joint - would you use a Morton’s toe joint pad and/or full Morton’s extension? Thank you, Andrea
What were they thinking?
You have heard us talk about the normal lines of force as they travel through the foot. In the drawing above you will see several options of force travel through the foot, the one that makes it through the big toe is typically the most normal and advantageous. They begin at the lateral heel, travel up the lateral column of the foot to the head of the 5th metatarsal, go across the transverse metatarsal arch (or more appropriately, transverse metatarsal area) to the head of the 1st metatarsal, and out through the center of the hallux (or big toe). Again, look at the left portion of the diagram on the top.
You have also heard us talk about tread patterns on the bottom of the shoe or outsole. The “lines” or siping should work in concert with the forces as they travel through the foot.
Now look at the diagram on the right. Something is awry here. Do you see it? Why do the treads stop at the tail of the 5th metatarsal (base of the little toe’s metatarsal)? Why does the siping that travels the length of the foot go from the medial (inside) of the heel to the lateral (outside) part of the foot? Depending on where on your foot you strike the ground, this could seriously change the direction of force though the foot.
Look at the bottom of footwear. Look at the lines that the forces will follow. Something that “looks cool” may not actually be so cool for our biomechanics!
The Gait Guys. Stretching your brain each day : )
Drawing courtesy of Tom Michaud.
All material copyright 2012 The Homunculus Group/The Gait Guys. If you want to use our stuff, PLEASE ASK 1ST!
Podcast #14: Forefoot Strike & Evolution
/Podcast #14
Here is the live link: http://thegaitguys.libsyn.com/webpage
iTunes will load it likely by the afternoon. Find it on iTunes through this link:
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Payloadz link for our DVD’s and efile downloads: http://store.payloadz.com/results/results.asp?m=80204
1- National Shoe Fit Program and Certification
2- email from a reader
from: Mikkel
I am currently treating a 15-year-old boy who as a child suffered from left sided equinovarus deformity and was operated. His left gastoc/soleus complex is underdeveloped, and he has impaired ankle rocker due to bony limitations anteriorly in the mortise joint causing anterior ankle pain when running and jumping. He has a distinct limp on the left leg due to decreased ROM and pain. He has an inverted calcaneus and forefoot valgus deformity on both feet (left more than right). He pronates heavily through the mid and forefoot to progress forward. Treatment thus far has had limited effect on the pain symptoms. I’ve manually mobilized the tibiotalar joint with posterior glides of the talus + given him exercises to strengthen the anterior compartment.
Would you consider orthotics? I’m thinking stability shoe with medial arch support maybe with a forefoot drop. Normally I would prefer stability and strength training and foot tripod exercises, but due to bone structure I have started to think, this isn’t enough. The pain limits him from running and playing soccer.
How would acupuncture fit into a treatment program in this case? which points could you recommend?
Any additional info and inspiration is welcomed.
kind regards - Mikkel
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Club_foot
2- Know your foot strike
http://sweatscience.runnersworld.com/2012/10/do-you-know-your-footstrike/
3- Caffeine: A PED ?
http://news.menshealth.com/chew-gum-before-races/2012/04/12/
Chew on this: Caffeinated gum can improve your athletic performance—if you start chewing it at the right moment, finds a new study from Kent State University.
http://www.energyfiend.com/the-caffeine-database
4- DISCLAIMER:We are not your doctors so anything you hear here should not be taken as medical advice. For that you need to visit YOUR doctors and ask them the questions. We have not examined you, we do not know you, we know very little about your medical status. So, do not hold us responsible for taking our advice when we have just told you not to ! Again, we are NOT your doctors !
5: more lectures available on www.onlineCE.com Go there and look up our lectures
6- EMAIL FROM A Blog follower:
Why do some muscles go weak and others not ?
First lets talk about tightness vs shortness. We are getting exhausted from always hearing about tight piriformis, psoas hip flexors and IT Bands.
Now, lets define 2 types of weakness…….
a- physiologic / disuse
b- neurlogic inhibition
7- Our dvd’s and efile downloads
Are all on payloadz. Link is in the show notes.
Link: http://store.payloadz.com/results/results.asp?m=80204
8 - Creatine:
http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/10/11/creatine-myths-and-facts/
9- The one perfect test for a runner ?
http://news.menshealth.com/find-your-perfect-running-pace/2012/10/14/
The Talk Test
Researchers for the study put 18 well trained cyclists through two identical fitness tests. In one test they measured the above thresholds with traditional medical equipment. In the second test they asked cyclists to say a paragraph while exercising. What they found was that the cyclists’ “out-of-breathness” matched the thresholds. “From our standpoint, the TT is very useful and almost ‘idiot-proof,’” Foster says.