But in the years that followed, I took it upon myself to quest more aggressively after the perfect running shoe. Influenced by Born to Run, in 2010 I steered away from the big-heeled shoes that were quickly falling out of favor and sought out the new, less supportive, flatter-soled varieties that were suddenly all the rage. The idea was to gain a better feeling of connection with the ground, and to foster a more natural stride in which my forefoot—and not my heel—would strike the ground first. According to McDougall and others, the cause of many injuries is the nefarious heel strike promoted by the typical big-heeled running shoe. At one point, I even went to the minimal extreme, trail running in Vibram FiveFingers—essentially, covered sandals with individual toe sleeves. I still wear them, albeit sparingly, but prefer a bit more support for longer efforts. The search continues, since I’ve yet to find the ultimate shoe.
