Foot injury prevention/foot wear

[DeeSpencer 26,475]

So there's been heated discussion about foot injuries and injury prevention with some experts (Webber etc) providing their opinion.

I thought the following post on Rob Jackson's instagram @robjackson.com.au - might be of interest to many.

No idea what a lot of that means but great insight none the less.

Lalalur82: Do you guys squat, or just lift/train in general, barefoot or in minimal shoes so the posterior chain isn't shorten by the heel of the sneaker? And also so the pelvis isn't pitched forward increasing load on the knees and shortening the psoas?

robjackson.com.au:

Though we recommend a low drop and some players train in NB Minimus shoes, at the end of the day there are a variety of factors that need to be considered. For instance the heel lift in Olympic Weightlifting shoes is utilised in order to allow greater anterior knee shift via a pseudo-increase in dorsiflexion. Front squats such as those shown actually benefit from such a heel lift. Lifts such as deadlifts or box squats can benefit from a flat shoe & we have encouraged guys to wear chucks or volleys for these lifts. Furthermore, the vast majority of AFL players will suffer ankle issues throughout their career - whether basic sprain or the much more serious syndesmosis. When ankle mobility is physically blocked via metal rods it's probably best not to force them into positions they simply cannot achieve, so once again a normal shoe can assist with this compared to bare feet or minimal shoes which require greater dorsiflexion range of movement for the same given task. Yet another consideration is that this is a shared facility with multiple sporting codes, thus multiple athletes. With such large numbers, tinea/athletes foot is a genuine risk and therefore bare feet in the gym is not feasible. On a side note, many AFL players require orthotics in order to manipulate their gait pattern to either load or unload sections of their foot/ankle. Minimal shoes don't allow for the fitting of orthotics and as I'm sure you would know, this would defeat the purpose of having a minimal show in the first place. Finally, from a purely marketing and sponsorship point of view, players have contracts with shoe companies which means they will pick the appropriate shoe within that range. Tracc for example is actually lifting in a low drop shoe. Although it looks like a thick sole, his heel actually sits fairly low to the ground with very little drop. As you can see, there are many considerations when it comes to appropriate footwear for lifting. Just imagine how much work goes on behind the scenes trying to get their boots setup perfectly for running, jumping, kicking, turning, twisting, landing etc. Hope this helps answer your question.

Check out his insta for some great pics and vids of the guys training in the gym.

[monoccular 17,697]

Sort of on topic - has anyone seen Jack Trengove at training?

How is he progressing?

[Chook 15,023]

I've worn Minimus shoes every single day since they came out about 3 years ago. They're absolutely fantastic. Going from a no-drop sole to a "traditional" pair of shoes feels like you're standing on a sloping surface—because you actually are.

I can imagine people who wear thick-soled shoes with big drops could dramatically shorten their calves over the course of years. Also the extra ankle support in most shoes might feel good while you're wearing them, but they weaken your ankles considerably.

TLDR; wear minimal shoes. They don't have to look like this:

In fact, they should look a little more like this:

[jackaub 1,402]

Sort of on topic - has anyone seen Jack Trengove at training?

How is he progressing?

Saw him Friday at training

Ran laps and half laps at speed

Looked very fit and ran strongly

[beelzebub 23,390]

Saw him Friday at training

Ran laps and half laps at speed

Looked very fit and ran strongly

did his legs look even (same)?

Serious q

[deanox 10,052]

Thoughts on minimal shoes suitable in appearance for office dwellers? Are there some available? Does anyone use them?

Edited November 22, 2015 by deanox

[jackaub 1,402]

did his legs look even (same)?

Serious q

Yes looked completey normal and both legs were the same size

He looked ready to go