Shoe lacing technique

[Imported]

I get shin splints, really bad. To the point where I can't even walk let alone run. I always knew it had to do with my shoes so I keep buying knew shoes trying to get the one that does not give me shin splints and other foot problems. I have easily over $1000 of barely used running shoes.....because those give me shin splints. I go to doctors and they tell me to take a break from running. This does not work. I've taken a break before, the pain is still there when I return and I refuse to just not run. My foot type is just a "normal arch" and I should be fine with most any shoes. When I don't have shin splints, I normally prefer very lite training shoes with some stability cushioning.

 

I saw this on another site and I decided to give it a try.

 

Running Shoe Lacing Techniques | katieRUNSthis

 

I do the "Shoe feels too tight" lacing where there is no crisscrossing. I also even skipped a couple holes to make it even more loose. VERY FIRST run after just changing my lacing technique, I had almost no foot pain/shin splint!! Second run, today...my legs felt good running. I am absolutely amazed. Maybe a little too early to celebrate, but seriously every time I run, I have shin splints to some degree and I just accepted it and ran with the pain as much as I could bare. Changing the lacing was like night and day difference and I am so happy

[Emilia]

If it's looseness of the shoe, that makes me think your ankles don't bend enough (not the 15-20 degrees required for adequate movement) because your calf muscles are too tight, especially the lower ones right above your Achilles that are harder to stretch.

[Imported]

I do all sorts of stretching, including stretches for my shins and calves ( I do have naturally big calves though). When I have shoes that don't give me pain, I start out running with almost no warm-up and am fine. When I have leg problems, I try to do warm-ups before running (long warm-ups to very long warm-ups) and I still get leg problems.

 

I think the top of my foot is thicker(?) than normal and presses against the shoes and changes how my foot lands. I've tried just loosening up the laces before and it seemed to help a little, but I still got a lot of foot pain.

 

Changed my lace pattern and it's all gone. This is on a shoe that gives me pain (they all do(did?) right now). Went from running with pain in those shoes one day, to changing the lace pattern and running in nearly no pain the next day and in pure bliss the day after that .

Edited March 20, 2013 by Imported

[Emilia]

I haven't found much relationship between warm ups and pain but definitely have with long stretches - ie stretching to the full 30 seconds each muscle group have made pretty much any pain disappear.

 

I can see how having the top of your foot thicker would affect your running style though

[Imported]

Just ran 5 miles using shoes I bought a long time ago that looked really cool but gave even worse leg problems than all the other shoes. Re-laced it for "shoe too tight" and ran with zero leg pain. I was getting winded early because of pain in my legs.....I don't know how, but it's the only explanation I have. Now with no pain, I am running a faster clip and it feels like nothing . I do the brunt of my running on a treadmill at the gym and with leg pain, I'd run a mile in decent enough form with not too much foot noise and right around a mile is where the pain gets bad and I start foot slapping with usually my right foot and having a hard time breathing. Usually force myself to 3 miles one way or another. And then another 2 miles after lifting to give my shins time to calm down.

 

I ran 5 miles like it was nothing today. No foot noise at all (I think I have really good form naturally and I have read up on it), everything felt real smooth. Haven't felt this good while running in a long time. I'll give it a month and if it's still all good, will donate some $$$ to Katie of KatieRunsThis and try to find who actually came up with this **** if it isn't Katie and donate to them as well because for the last few years I have been shooting in the dark (yes I do go to actual running shoes stores and get properly fitted) buying $100+++ shoes thinking these have got to work. I also buy ones that work for me before and sadly the replacements don't work. On the bright side, I think I have enough running shoes to last me for the next 5 years if just re-lacing them makes it a pain free shoe for me.