The Ultimate Guide to Heel to Toe Drop
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- Опубликовано: 28 июл 2024
- We've been cooking up something new! Here's our first ever, RunRepeat ultimate guide!
This first guide is designed to help you understand:
- What heel to drop is?
- Why is heel to toe drop important?
- What do drop do/affect?
- How can knowing the drop help inform which shoes to purchase?
Check out our written guide full of detailed info on heel to toe drop at: runrepeat.com/heel-to-toe-drop
We have a ton of other written guides on a wide variety of topics at: runrepeat.com/guides
Thanks for watching! Feedback is appreciated, we've changed up our video program and we'd love to hear from you on what you'd like to see!
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Disclosures: All shoes seen in this video were either purchased or sent to us for review by various partners. However, no outside party is paying us to make this video or to use their shoes. No outside party will get a chance to preview our footage or edit the video before it goes live on youtube. For regulatory compliance or affiliate program purposes, I must state that affiliate links do not increase the cost to you, but we do get a small commission if you purchase products from any of our retail partners. 
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Thanks for the helpful info. I got back into running this year after many years of couch surfing and found that running shoes have come a LONG way. I bought a pair of Brooks because they were recommended by someone I trust and they worked well; I put a bunch of road miles on them. When I transitioned to trail running I purchased the Caldera 6. After runs on the trail I found that I had terrible hip and IT band pain. I assumed it was because trail running required more stabilization from those muscle groups and the pain would fade as I became more accustomed. It didn't; it got worse. I purchased a pair of Saucony Peregrine 12 and the difference is night and day. Just that 2mm difference in drop and the hip and knee pain is gone. I also feel like my stride is more natural and I have a much better "feel" for the trail surface. I wonder how many people get into running, experience pain and stop their running journey not knowing that the source of their pain isn't their condition, but simply an incorrect choice of footwear. Unfortunately with the cost of quality running shoes many people don't have the luxury of buying several pair until they find the ones that work for them.
Great guide! Wish I would have watched this a week ago, I made the mistake of jumping into a high drop shoe from a low drop one without really knowing the differences. 5 miles later and my knees are busted. Talk about learning the hard way lol...
Oh no! Hope you are ok. We have done the same thing, and know others that have too, which is why we made this video!
LOVE the website..never knew you had a YT channel. Going down the rabbit hole!
Thanks for the great info, seriously appreciate the straight forward, clear delivery!
I love my Altras. They helped majorly with my knee pain and especially with the arthritis in my big toe. I think the zero drop puts a lot less weight in my big toe, so I suffer less pain as a result.
I also own a pair of Hokas, and I can physically feel the difference and the increase in discomfort when I switch to the Hokas, even with the only slight heel height increase.
I'm also a forefoot/midfoot walker/runner, and I have spent most of my life barefoot when indoors, so transitioning to a zero drop was easy and simple as a result.
This makes sense. My Hokas(low drop) made my calf’s hurt so bad. But my Brooks(high drop) made my knees hurt :) I decided to just not run ever again 😊
I’m in the same exact predicament. I’m going to try a shoe with a heel drop somewhere in the middle. It’s weird, I read your comment and it’s the exact question I asked on another channel.
@@jimperry4420 good luck!
The best decision. Walking is paramount.
@@MannyKimchi I’m starting to realize running made my cortisol levels go too high, which explains why it made me feel so bad after, also I have POTS which also explains a lot
Quite insightful. Great work!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Great video.
Awesome! I wish I had known this ages ago. Only low drop for me from now on.
Glad we could help! Just be sure to take your time if you are switching from high drop to low drop to give your legs time to adjust.
This is very useful information. Thank you for making this video. I am a beginner runner and looks like I made an error picking a 4mm drop shoe as my first proper pair. In about 8 months I have a lot of foot discomfort. Perhaps I'll try the 9-10mm drop model this time around.
Good information 👍🏻
Outstanding. thanks. Been recreational running for 40 years, and still learned several things from this.
Fantastic! Thanks for watching!
Helpful
How can I test if I am a heel striker or not? Great video
Hi great information...also I wish to know what model of hoka was shown in the video..
Question for you with your diagram on where heel and toe are measured. On where the toe is measured your diagram pointed note towards the mid foot. I imagine the toe height is measured in the toes of course right? Is it measured exactly where to toes are touching in the shoe?
I ask because I have a pair of shoes that have always done well for me preventing Achilles pain. And I’m trying to do an exact measurement to figure out the heel to toe height. Thanks if you have any info!
Crowed sourcing some wisdom here, please. I've been running 40 years, and the last decade have been plagued by soleus (not gastroc) injuries (both legs). One year ago, I tried my first carbon fiber shoes, Brooks Fuel Cells. I built up slow, and it cured the problem. Sadly, it created a new problem, with two pulled hamstrings. Given hammy injuries take longer to recover from, I guess that shoe is out. So do I look for a high drop no carbon fiber shoe? Any suggestions? I'm not going to do more than 5 mile runs, and run about 22:00 for 5K. 165 pounds.
I need advice. Everytime I watch a review and I think, that is the shoe for me, then I watch another review and then it isn't a shoe for me. I'm 67, 200 pds and I walk. I have a problem with having a shoe with a arch. I think I need to go for a wide shoe because of my problem. I also tend to lean outward on my shoes not inward. I want great cushioned shoe and something that won't kill my arches. What do you think..
I like all your reviews but you did great with this one :-) I have forwarded it to some friends because when I talk about drop and stack and try to explain it to them they think I am some kind of alien :-)
I also wonder have you ever tried the Skechers Go Run 7 + because I have found them to be awesome..... and you'll ever run sockless? Bc, I find that I have more feel and control when I am sock Lis and there is little to no slippage at all inside my shoes.... Skechers shoes like the 7 Plus and the Razors for example are great for running sockless in.... they are often like socks themselves with that awesome hyperverse underfoot. And I am able to achieve amazing control and the sensation is great because there is a little bit more ground feel.... Just wondering if an experienced Runner like yourself has ever done this and if so how do you find it?
Thanks for the comment and for sharing this video. You are not an alien, this is a dense subject that most don't care enough to think about when they by shoes.
Also, yes I love the Skechers products, and I do run sockless sometimes, but mostly in minimalist shoes, or on days I am doing lots of river crossings.
What is best for light hiking? Higher 6mm vs lower 4mm drop
Tend to have some knee pain when descending, or hip pain with heavy backpacks. I will be doing easy/short hikes when guiding, and I have good hiking boots, but looking for a pair of light shoes for the short 2-3km hikes. But curious on the drop
I'm not really a heavy hiker by any means, but I like to walk through hard terrain, climbing up , down, and the 4mm drop with a very flexible sole feels perfect for me. Free Run Distance, 2016 model, still wearing everyday to this day, and I feel it made my feet stronger :) they are also really lightweight and breathable
I cant run with low drop ,love high drop to give me boost .
thank you for this new knowledge now I know why many people have so many shoe rotation...
A good thing about variation in drop is as this video says it covers a variety of runs such as lower drop for tempos and higher drop for long runs, and it's also good for injury prevention since most running injuries are of the overuse variety and different drops work different muscles and tendons, reducing the repetitiveness of the types of stress that you're putting on your body.
@@ielle. so lets say if i put on a kinvara 11 and i experince some calf pain after wearing it for some time without having another shoes in my rotation does it mean I have to put another shoes besides it to preventing the pain from happening?
@@muhammadkhairul3621 a higher drop shoe will likely relieve your calf pain as it takes stress off of the lower leg (calves, achilles, ankles). If you think about the angle of the foot, having your heel less raised puts your foot in a more dorsiflexed position (toes pointing more upward than in a shoe with a higher drop) which is how you'd be running uphill, and like running uphill, you're using the calves and achilles etc. a lot for that. In a higher drop shoe, the angle of the foot will be more plantar-flexed or toes pointing more down, which resembles downhill running, which you may have noticed puts a lot more stress on the knees and hips, your joints more so than your muscles. The drop of your shoe in a way resembles uphill and downhill running in the sense that the angle of your foot changes and accordingly, the stress is different depending on how you're running.
If you haven't had knee or hip pain, it could be a good idea to do more of your runs in a higher drop shoe. You don't necessarily have to abandon the lower drop altogether, but your lower leg may not be strong enough to handle a lower drop shoe consistently, and in any case, it's just a good idea in general to vary the drop if you want to do some of your running in low drop shoes. Search for popular recovery shoes and one of the most consistent things that will jump out is that not only do they tend to have more stack height, they're also generally at least a drop of 8mm, sometimes more.
I run in Saucony too. I've been running consistently for a little over two years, about 55-60 mpw, and I actually opted for the Endorphin Speed (expensive, but I had a promo code) over the Kinvaras because the 4mm drop intimidated me having never run in a drop that low before, even though by this point I could probably slowly ease my way into them. If I do get the Kinvaras at some point, I will probably only use them once or twice a week starting off, as the body needs time to learn how to run in them.
The Kinvaras have a 4mm drop, so a higher drop shoe might help. I'd look at something in the 6-8mm range, as 10 is quite a drastic difference and you don't want to risk such a sudden change that could potentially redirect the pain from your lower legs to the knees and hips since that is where the stress will move. But, you do want some of that stress to move, since you want to take it off of your calves. Even people moving from 8 to 10 or vice versa have noticed differences, whether it was helping relieve pain or fixing what wasn't broken and discovering new pains, so even 2mm could be a difference-maker for you. Absolutely do not go lower if your calves are bothering you, that's for sure.
Take what an internet stranger is saying with a grain of salt lol, but I hope something in my explanation helps.
@@ielle. okay I also thought of the same thing thank you for your explanation maybe I need to purchase another shoe between 6-10mm because I also have an issue on my left knee so I think maybe need to vary a shoe rotation from day to day to prevent any injury...am I right?
@@muhammadkhairul3621 Going higher will put more stress on the knees, which would be a no-brainer in my opinion in someone who needs to reduce lower leg stress and hasn't had knee problems, but in the case of someone like you who is dealing with knee issues as well, it could be a balancing act, as you don't want to swap out one problem for the other. You could if you wanted try a middle ground of 6-8mm. If that doesn't help, you can try alternating your 4mm Kinvaras with a shoe that's 8mm or 10mm or as high as you can go without aggravating your knee problem. And of course, It's possible that the change in drop isn't going to have much effect on any of this if the cause of your calf and knee pain is something else.
As far as Saucony goes, I'm pretty sure all of their shoes are either 4mm or 8mm, for what it's worth. A lot of ASICS are 10mm from what I've noticed. Different brands have different tendencies.
With your calves bothering you, I'd say it's likely an issue of wearing low drop shoes more often than your body can handle, or from running hills more often than your legs can handle. It could be the drop of your shoes, but it could also be the way you're training. Since you're experiencing problems in both your calves and your knees, hills are a possible explanation if you're running a lot of them, as the uphill would be taxing on your calves and the downhill would be taxing on your knees.
The steeper the grade uphill, the less impact, but the more your fast-twitch muscles have to work in the sense of exertion and power generation, something more related to the gastrocnemius (upper) part of your calf. Like the saying goes, hills are speed-work-in-disguise, so you're using fast-twitch muscle.
The more downhill, the higher the impact, which will be harder on your joints as well as any muscle that contributes to your stability. This is where the lower part of your calves, the soleus muscle which is slow-twitch and stabilizing, would come into play.
If you do hills often, which for most people is more than twice a week (and for a beginner I'd say once should be the limit until the legs adapt), then I would continue running in the Kinvaras but on as flat land as possible exclusively until you figure out whether you can rule out hills as a theory.
But, if you don't do hills often, or if you do but reducing the amount of hill running you do doesn't relieve your problem, then the shoe drop theory becomes likelier in my opinion, in which case it's worth experimenting. The principle about hills is similar to the principle about low drop shoes, in that generally-speaking, for most runners, an adaptation period is required to do so safely and neither is recommended without a gradual transition, building up to doing hills, or to lowering the drop in your shoes.
There are other possible explanations but before I get into them:
Do you run hilly courses often? If so, this should be your top focus, and only if that can be ruled out would I think about experimenting with the drop.
Do you notice that your pain is more consistently on the inner or outer half of your legs, or neither?
What type of wear pattern do you see on your outsoles (bottom of shoe)?
If the inner half of your shoes are noticeably more worn down, you're overpronating (usually associated with inner pain), and if the outer half is more noticeably worn, you're underpronating/supinating (usually associated with outer pain). In terms of addressing these things preventatively, there's a lot of controversy in the running community on whether there's evidence that overpronation necessarily means higher injury risk in all runners or whether there's evidence that stability shoes prevent injury, BUT, when it comes to addressing an injury that already exists and moving out of the realm of prevention, I can speak from personal experience that they can help you get back to running while injured, and the only controversy is that they are a band-aid and no more, and that the underlying problems (imbalances and weaknesses) must be addressed for long-term success.
If you're having trouble determining the wear pattern of your shoes, you could also place your shoes on a flat surface and see if they tilt one way or another, maybe even gently press on them with a finger or two to simulate weight-bearing and see how they respond. This test was eye-opening for me when I first determined that I was overpronating in my very first pair of running shoes (the Nike Free RN).
Ideally, your shoes won't tilt noticeably inward nor outward if you run this test. If your wear pattern is mostly to the outside of the heel and center of your forefoot, this is ideal and a sign that the extent of stability in the shoe isn't an issue, as you're pronating a desirable amount in the particular shoe.
Here's an image that should help you visualize what I'm talking about with regard to wear pattern: azopt.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/wear-patterns.jpg
The Kinvaras are less durable than a lot of Sauconys because of all the exposed midsole foam, so hopefully you'll have some visual evidence if you've been running in them for a while. The problem for me, especially being a lightweight, is that some Saucony models, including the Guides, are so durable with so much rubber on the outsole that even after 400+ miles there isn't much sign of wear to be seen lol.
Hope this helps.
Hi. Got a random question. But what heel drop is best for just walking around everyday use? I like to run in 12mm drop,but I could not wear them all day. Feet would be killing me. Is lower best for everyday non running use.
Depends on your gait, but walking usually puts you on your heels more than on your toes, so a higher drop shoe tends to be better for walking, but I'd prefer something with some nice rocker so even if you're landing on your heels, you're easily rolling through your stride.
I’ve been told that higher drop shoes increase the angle at which metatarsals strike, thereby pounding metatarsals more and inducing metatarsalgia. Is this consistent with your thinking?
Hi, i've got the Saucony Triumph 18s (8mm drop). I have shin splints and front of leg pain. Thinking of going down to 6mm drop shoes for my next pair. Thoughts? Thanks
I'd bet money it's going to make your issue worse if anything.
I just started running. I'm a heel striker for walking but I'm a mid/forefoot striker for running. I have weak ankles and my left knee gets stiff. What heel drop do you recommend?
Tim, thanks for the question. As a new runner I'd recommend starting in the middle at 8mm and seeing what your boy feels like +/- a few mm in either direction. Most forefoot strikers tend to like lower drop shoes as they progress.
In the summer i walk alot on european cobblestones, uneven lanes and concrete surfaces (Prague). I have underpronation (not over) and flat feet (unusual combination). So i think the shoes need to have adequate foot support with a max cushioned insoles and durable outsoles with probably some ridges and grooves for excellent grip (protection against uneven cobblestones). Im getting very mixed messages on what shoes to get. From Bondi L or 7 & NB 1080 to Stinson atr 6, Gaviota 3, Terrex free hiker and even Salomon X ULTRA 4. Please help me!! Which shoe do you suggest!!
Thanks for the comment. Interesting question. Walking on cobblestones is tough, but some of the shoes you mention are tall and or unstable. I'd reccomend something a bit lower to the ground or more stable. From what you've mentioned check out the Hoka Challenger ATR 6, or the Brooks Divide 2, both have some grip but not trail specific, they are stable platforms, and are not overly springy.
@@RunRepeatcom the hoka challenger looks like a good shoe, is it better then the stinson?
Best heel drop for lower back pain?
Question: Is it good or bad to rotate drops in a rotation. I have a couple daily trainers and one is a 8 mm drop and the other is a 5mm drop
It blows my mind we have constructed our modern shoes and boots based on a function to avoid slipping through a stirrup.
I am struggling with my shoe choices . I use my running shoes for walking only , I like plush but the last three pair of shoes I have worn are causing me pain in the balls in my foot . Is that because I am wearing to high of a drop shoe . I like plush and softness can you recommend some good choices please
I am curious on your thoughts on shoes with “lugs” (like the Newtons) in the mid-foot area or structures in the mid-foot that affect the offset/drop... like the new Nike AirZoom Tempo Next% or the Alphafly’s which have those “zoom air units” in the mid foot area. I’ve tried Newtons twice in the last 10yrs, both times resulting in calf injuries and most recently the Nike’s with these zoom air units did the same thing to my calves.
*Disclaimer: I’m otherwise a happy Nike runner, 10mm drop is right for me, but feel these structures in the mid foot affect negatively the way I contact the ground (my “actual drop”?)
I have not run in Newtons because of this, and I am not 100% behind the hype of the Next% yet. Those shoes force you onto your toes hard, which can lead to calf injuries. If you are a 10mm drop runner, you probably land more midfoot/heel and anything that pushes you to your toes needs a ton of break in time to get your legs strong enough to handle them. It's very similar going to a zero drop or minimalist shoe, go slow when you change your footwear and give your body time to adjust to the new form.
@@RunRepeatcom Appreciate the response, and makes all the sense!
The Newtons might have something like a "negative drop" due to there lugs 🤔
According to a famous NY Times study they really are faster for most people- almost like the new plated shoes.
I have run my 10k PB (48min - I guess there is still room for improvement 😁) in Newton Distance shoes.
I do most of my training in Vibram barefoot shoes, hoping this would help me to run injury-free in any type of shoes. So far this seems to work.
Maybe I will buy a pair of hyper-expensive carbon plated shoes and improve my 10k PB to 47:30 or maybe even 47min 😎
As a forefoot strike runner , anyone recommend a heel drop That usually suits ?
if you're actually a forefoot striker then you want minimal drop. Avoid anything over 8mm for sure. But you don't have to obsess over "zero" the functional difference between 4mm and 0 mm is negligible.
Добрый день, можно у вас заказать обувь ?
Can i go from 8mm to 5mm drop ? Or say alternate between two ? Is that drastic change or acceptable? Thanks
it's going to make virtually zero actual difference. even if you were running on a surface that is somehow perfectly even like say a treadmill.
Hi Bro....What shoe should one go for if working in the Security industry having to stand on feet for 9-12 hours continuously????
Pick one of the shoes from our best guide on that topic specifically runrepeat.com/guides/best-all-day-wear-walking-shoes
Hi, what do u recommend for heel striker runner like me?
6 mm and above.
Going off topic. Is the New Balance 1080v13 sneakers a high drop shoe?
No.
how do you know if you're a heel striker?
One way is to look at the bottoms of your old running shoes. Are the heels more worn off than the midsole? Another is to video yourself with your phone in slowmo and watch your gait. What part of your foot hits the ground first?
A bare foot has zero drop and zero stack height. But the foot isn’t designed for running on hard surfaces, which suggests that a non-minimal stack can help cushion the impact. It’s not clear why a non-minimal heel drop is good for you and moreover a non-zero heel drop tips you forward; and the bigger the drop the greater the forward tip. But of course most of us have been wearing shoes with a significant heel drop all of our lives, so we’re used to it. In other words, it’s unnatural but feels normal.
I need something for Achilles insertional tendinopathy.
Higher drop will take pressure off the Achilles
@@Echom4-kr5el I bought couple of pairs for running and walking, and works wonders. Now I can heal and walk normal at the same time. +1 high heel.
QUESTION-
I've worn 0 drop for like 18 years, starting with skating shoes when I was a teenager. But I've worn Altra Lone Peaks for the last 3 years & the wide toe box is an absolute must now. But since Altra has ruined their shoes by narrowing them, I'm looking into Lems & Xero & Vivo.. but mainly Lems. The 2 pairs I'm looking at are said to be zero drop but are apparently really 2mm drop. Sounds like nothing at all but I'm afraid it will be noticeable going from 0 to 2. Am I over thinking it or might it be too much? Generally speaking of coarse.
zero drop and zero cush is a recipe for disaster for the vast majority of folks. Also idk what you're talking about narrow. Altras standard last is the widest toebox in the industry. They have some models which use a different last that is narrower, but still not actually narrow by any means and most of those models come in a wide version anyway. Also the difference between 0 mm and 2 mm is utterly irrelevant to anything. Makes no difference. even if you were somehow walking on surfaces that are perfectly even all the time. and you aren't. The obsession with "zero" drop is incredibly silly nonsense and a marketing gimmick. Anything that is low drop is interchangeable Also not actually suitable for the vast majority of folks in terms of actually running. Everyone wants to pretend like theyre forefoot strikers when in reality most folks are heel strikers and a drop is benefit for heel strikers aka the majority of people for actually running
@@jeffhicks8428 True true, i don't think 2mm would be noticable either, but I had always worn flat shoes or no shoes & stressed it for some reason. I don't run but I hike/walk daily & do multi day/week/month hikes on occasion, & the Lone Peak 5 & the Mids were perfect out the box. The Lone Peak 7 or whatever was the newest model Mids were narrow out the box, & rubbed the wrong way on top of my foot . Noticeably tighter in my experience. Wish they'd stop discontinuing each model when something new comes out, but it is what it is. Bought the Lems Boulder Boot Grip & it's undoubtably wider than any other shoe I've tried, but they really hold the heat so more suitable in the colder months.
@@DefectiveEyes well, when it comes to hiking you for sure was a neutral shoe with no offset because the terrain is already very uneven. This is Altras home turf.
Is it a good idea to constantly rotate drops to train your foot/ muscles ?
Do the soft cushions effect drops when landing midfoot/forefoot ?thanks
everything affects everything. do you think the ground you walk on is perfectly even too?
@@jeffhicks8428 Lol, I can tell you really are a clever boy, thanks for the comment
Question: Is there guidance for shin splinters re: drop and stack?
Great question. Lower or zero drop shoes can help alleviate shin splints since they force your foot to land more parallel to the ground rather than on your heel.
I'm not a runner, I'm a walker. Does drop have any advantages to someone with a Bunion? if so, what would you recommend? low or high drop. Thanks!
I think the most benificial change for me (bunions on both feet) was to start wearing shoes with wide toe boxes. It's so much more comfortable when your feet get the space they're actually supposed to have. Most of the shoes with wide toe boxes that I found so far happen to be barefoot shoes with zero drop (like Vivobarefoot shoes). I love them, but zero drop shoes are a real workout for your foot, and it takes some getting used to them. I'm currently looking at some Altra shoes. They have wide toe boxes, a bit more stack than barefoot shoes, and I believe they have different drop levels. I know that doesn't answer your initial question though ;)
The higher the drop the better for me. I have to work in a required minimum 4" high heels so a flat shoe is impossible to walk in.
This is all new to me
I'm a bit confused
So from what I understood, high drop means a bigger angle, which it would be similar to wearing high heels (if u were a girl) sort of? Correct?
Lower drop means that your foot is more flat on the ground ?
I looked up my current shoes (Under Armour Charged Assert 8) and it says they have a 10 drop
I have another pair (361 Ortega 1) but I'm not sure about the drop, however it looks like they have a lower drop 😅
Sorry for all the confusion
Correct, higher drop shoes have more angle, the comparison to high heels is apt, it's just not as pronounced in runners. The Ortega 2 is a 9mm drop shoe, I'd assume the 1 was the same (runrepeat.com/361-degrees-ortega-2). Looks can be deceiving since the drop can be hidden behind a lot of layers of foam on the exterior on the shoe.
@@RunRepeatcom thank you 😊 🙏
I was always a heel striker and because of rock hard shoes with no heel drop through time I've developed severe heel fat pad syndrome in both heels, fat pad atrophy and case of plantar fasciitis in left heel. Because of all that, I have immense pain even walking around the house even though few months have passed. I never really bothered with the quality of shoes I used for everyday activities and exercises and I was blatantly stupid to think that my feet can take all that. So now I regret it dearly. People, be smart with your footwear choices!
I find plush and super cushioned shoes hurt my knees 😫
I wear a 6e, so it's 10mm or nothing.
6E whoa! Ya options get limited at that size.
I am a heel stiker! With old Knees. I have found that for me 8mm takes enough stress of the knees and still provides a Enough heel.
Test them out? Thats a lot of shoes. Make your stand on whats best for certain stack, drop n runners.
It's hard to say what stack or drop is best, it's up to the individual, everyone runs a bit different. You may not have to try 8-10 shoes, but trying out a 10mm and 2-4mm drop shoe can tell you a lot.
no one calculates drop based on the real world though, meaning when your foot is actually in the shoe with all your weight. a shoe like the 1080v13 is so soft and compressable in the heel that you can easily feel the geometry change when you're standing still. Generally though the obsession with drop is over rated. 8 mm is about 1/3 of a inch. 6 mm is a 1/4 of an inch. Some folks act like the natural ground is perfectly even. it's not. Humans are adaptable. If you're a heel striker, like most folks are, then you want some drop. What really matters is everything else, like how the shoe actually fits, and how it actually feels, and if it's appropriate for your physiology. For insurance heavy fokks and very soft cush is always a bad combo. Leave the ultra soft foams for the lightweights.
Lowa
This is cringe, i bought a pair of “hiking” shoes and it feels like im wearing high heels. I can’t even wear them as regular shoes. Why can’t these companies just let shoes be normal.
I tend to agree with you, flatter shoes work better for me, but there's all sorts of runners/hikers out there with different needs so I get why they make a variety of designs. Just know what you're looking for when you buy, if you like flat, stick to that and vice versa!
yeah, after Born to Run, there was a good set of minimalistic options, then the industry went back to pillow-shoes for fat Americans to heel-strike in to their diseased-heart's content. Al Quinn fell in love with his NB minimus 10v4 (not a zero drop but low-drop and very low stack-height) but most recently, after those were discontinued, found the Altra Superior 5.0 fit his wide feet with a zero drop and (after removing the dumb insoles and rockplate) not too much padding.
I wish they would stop hypebeasting drop, and effing figure out where women's knuckles sit first. Step one: is this shoe shaped like a foot with bones?
Why have toe boxes become so shallow of late?
I also find this (male) conversation obnoxious, because I can ballroom dance for 12+ hours in an 85mm "drop" stiletto. Would I run in those? No. Have I hurt myself? Resounding no.
But the shoe industry is blaming a lot of other stuff (flat foam, bad guidance rails, cheap sockliners, crap lace structures) on drop. An 85mm drop stiletto with a leather 2mm stack is still safer than a wobbly 50mm stack zero drop with a gimmicky pronation rail.