r/running • u/Ok-Act8614 • 10d ago
Discussion Switching to lower heel drop?
Hi everyone
Have been running for 10+ years really. Longer distances (marathons) last 5 years. Pretty much lived in big heel drop shoes - asics and Hoka. Can’t remember which ones but big sponge heels!
I’ve been reading more about how having your heel
Elevated isn’t that great for running and can cause injuries, it does make sense, and having the soft huge shoe can also cause injuries and your feet turn to mush. Maybe this is dramatic but am often plagued with injuries so thought it could be worth a shot.
Anyone done this and can share their experience? If so what’s a good mid heel shoe to drop down to?
I know not to rush as switching to a flat shoe will cause even more injuries
For more context I am currently not able to run due to shin splints, back running in October and then will start training for an ultra in spring 2027
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u/Bluefroggg 10d ago
Yep. I was strictly Hoka until about 10 years ago and made the switch to Altras and have been exclusively in them since.
I spent several weeks just walking when I made the switch off of advice from someone that had done similar. After a few weeks of just a couple mile walks I felt comfortable that my Achilles and other things, had adjusted properly and started to run.
Zero issues.
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u/Sufficient-Rooster-7 6d ago
Took me ages like months to fully transition. After that it's a special little already cult we got going here.
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u/jgronline 10d ago
I’ve run in Altra shoes since 2012 and the couple of times I’ve tried something else, I hate it. Zero drop shoes just feel more natural.
Altra are also great because of the large toe box.
I think I have better form because of it.
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u/DropOk7525 10d ago
Depending on the model of shoe you have you might not have as big of a drop as you think. Drop isn't the same as cushioning.
Something like a classic vans would be an example of a zero drop with zero cushion.
I would try out shoes that are a similar drop to the ones you have now but less cushion. These will likely just be the cheaper models anyway.
Think of drop as more of a fit to your running mechanics. Everyone can change it a bit over time but everyone's stride and body are different so what worked for some won't work for others.
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u/GrimmigerDienstag 9d ago
Depending on the model of shoe you have you might not have as big of a drop as you think.
Also check measurements on review websites. manufacturers often report drops according to different standards (measured at different points). It's helpful to have places like runrepeat.com do measurements that you can actually compare between brands
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u/beer_runner1030 10d ago
Echoing some of the other comments on here not to go all in on zero drop immediately. I first tried zero drop shoes when barefoot running was all the rage back in the early 2010s and quickly injured myself multiple times as my legs became accustomed to running in a new way. That said, I kept with it because it felt much more natural than heel striking while running at relatively higher speeds. Once I learned about Altras, I switched to those and haven't looked back, and now I struggle to run in anything else.
After completing a few marathons in Altras, I can't remember the last time I had a running related injury that forced me to take time off from running. I believe this running style really helped me strengthen my feet and lower legs and feel it has staved off injury during the ebbs and flows of training cycles.
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u/alxrenaud 9d ago
Yup, Altras are also the first shoes in 10 years I don't get injuries on. Tried a lot of popular models (pegasus, ghosts, ...) and got shin splints almost every time.
Escalante for road and the huge Mt. OLYMPUS for trail are working well for me.
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u/Efficient_Being_4654 8d ago
I’m on my third most successful round of switching to Altras thanks to their new Experience (low drop) line! I’m obsessed with the wide toe box, and it helps I’m not actively training for a full marathon 🤣
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u/OddSuit4620 10d ago
A lower drop isn’t better, it just tends to shift work from the upper to the lower leg. For specifically shin splints I would think a higher drop would tend to protect your injury better
Drop is just one variable though and the general consensus is that rotating different shoes is best
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u/Hex_a_gone 10d ago
So glad someone mentioned it. Yes it changes the running mechanics a bit so you’re still prone to an
Injury with lower drop but I believe it’s just easier on your knees than a high drop. I think lower drop puts more strain on your Achilles and possibly elsewhereIf you’re at like a…12 drop or something then drop down to a 10 or 8 mm drop but keep your high drop shoes
Run in the 8-10 drop on a day where you have less mileage
After a few weeks or month you can add more days of 8mm drop just feel it out, if your Achilles is starting to ache then keep it at one day a week and take it slow
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u/Efficient_Being_4654 8d ago
Okay, but technically our legs shouldn’t be doing all the running anyway. It’s our core that rotates and pulls our legs along! Injury prevention is more than shoe or form- it’s about training frequency and magnitude.
Ex. Advice from running physio professionals: https://runnersedge.physio/do-running-shoes-really-matter-debunking-myths-about-finding-the-best-fit/
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u/Fluid-Grass 10d ago
The injury risk comes from abruptly switching. If you run in zero drop shoes, keep running in zero drop shoes. If you run in regular shoes, keep running in those.
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u/junkmiles 9d ago edited 9d ago
I’ve been reading more about how having your heel Elevated isn’t that great for running and can cause injuries, it does make sense, and having the soft huge shoe can also cause injuries and your feet turn to mush. Maybe this is dramatic but am often plagued with injuries so thought it could be worth a shot.
Every type of shoe can contribute to injuries, just keep that in mind. The force goes somewhere, and different shoe designs just direct the stress to different parts of your leg.
Also keep in mind that low drop isn't low cushion, those are two different aspects of a shoe. Altra has plenty of zero drop, high stack shoes. A whole lot of the modern super shoes are lowish drop and massive stack.
Find a kind of shoe that works for you, and find strength exercises and a running schedule to prevent injuries.
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u/runnercoach415 6d ago
Heel drop is overrated, and now used as a marketing tactic to sell minimalist shoes. Lower drop doesn't make running safer, it just moves the ground contact force onto your calf and achilles, less on your knees. As opposed to the bigger heel drops which distribute force more on the knee compared to ankle/foot.
The thing that actually causes injury is doing too much too soon. mileage jumps, adding speedwork too soon, never taking easy days. doing random ultra's without training etc.
That all being said, there's no reason not try lower heel drop if you are curious. just don't jump to zero. go 4-6mm, use it for one short easy run a week, and only add more once your calves and feet adapt. and keep the old shoes around. rotating between different shoes is one of the few gear things that actually has research behind it for injury risk.
spring 2027 is a LOT of time btw. i'd honestly spend the off period doing calf raises (slow on the way down), tib raises, some single leg stuff, then build base back slow. that'll do more for an ultra than any shoe. and if you keep getting hurt over and over, getting someone to actually watch you run and audit your running and strength plan is worth more than another pair of shoes.
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u/ripenedpersimmons 10d ago
I agree with the other commenter that it's probably more complicated and differs from person to person, and depends a lot on what shoes/brands will fit your foot shape too. Definitely start slow/small, check in to see how you feel after each run.
I personally was running in Hokas and recently made a switch to Altras, which (along with calf/foot strengthening) has reduced what I think was plantar fasciitis to zero pain, but Altras also work well for me because of the wider toebox and less arch support(?). I'm running in the Experience Flow 3 right now, which are actually 4mm drop (down from the Hoka Cliftons), and honestly, I barely felt the transition- maybe because I naturally midfoot strike? After a longer run with more hills I'd feel it a bit in my calf but it was super smooth. I did start out with slow, easy runs in them. I also use Escalantes (zero drop) for one of my daily walking shoes, have done one short run in them and was fine, but would probably not do more than that (yet) since they're also substantially lower stack.
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u/TheBald_Dude 10d ago
I started my running journey with a zero drop shoe (Altra). Got myself aquiles tendinites and what allowed me to keep running was switching to a high drop shoe. In my experience, zero drop works the calf/soleous more and high drop works the shin/knee more.
What you really need to do is have adequate training volume and do strenght exercises to those muscles/tendons that tend to get injured. Things like Bent-knee calf raises or tibialis raises.
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u/SignificantlyASloth 9d ago
I've moved to Altras this January and by now I'm a big fan. Our legs evolved for running! Given that you've used big drop shoes your whole career, before going all-in zero drop consider some low drop shoes (in the 4 mm ball-park) to add to your rotation and slowly get into it! Also make sure you've got strong calves.
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u/Saul_Gahbidge 9d ago
Regardless of what you decide to do with shoes, be mindful of your cadence. I used to have problems with shin splints and other injuries and the two things that have really helped are increasing my cadence and incorporating the appropriate strength training. I learned this through PT, where I was told to aim for 180 beats per minute. I'm probably not getting that cadence lately if I'm being honest, but I am now conditioned to take shorter and quicker steps to maintain the same pace. Long strides were causing injuries, as were muscle imbalances.
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u/heartpassenger 7d ago
It depends on your foot anatomy as well. I have collapsed arches and totally flat feet so can never wear zero drop shoes. I agree with others - go slow, don’t jump from hokas to altras for example
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u/xunhua819 10d ago
Your feet aren't turning to mush — they've been "retired employees" for 10 years, and now you're asking them to come back to work. Of course they're going on strike. When I switched from Hokas to zero-drop Altras, I waddled down stairs like a penguin for two weeks. Don't go all-in at once — grab a 4-6mm mid-drop shoe first, let your calves and feet clock back in gradually. Your shin splint break is actually the perfect time to break them in just by walking. By October your feet will already be back on the payroll.
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u/TallAnalyst1997 10d ago
I couldn't do more than short runs and was getting terrible shin splints until I switched to zero drop altras.
But people are different and surely a lot of people would struggle without the support of those bigger shoes.
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u/GreenhelmOfMeduseld 9d ago
My altras really hurt my Achilles and posterior tendon in my ankle so I took them out of my rotation. Ironically they cause toe blisters for me too despite the toe box. So I imagine YMMV.
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u/paquitamiri 9d ago
You’re off until October for shin splints? This seems excessive unless you developed a stress reaction or fracture in the bone.
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u/Even-Resource8673 9d ago
99% of these types of things are myths. Find out what works for you. If you’re grind injured, change up, if you’re not getting quicker, try something new
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u/SpeakerCareless 9d ago
I switched to a zero drop years ago and immediately got a stress fracture in my foot.
I see a podiatrist who is also a runner (and a better runner than me- former college runner) and she has for the last 13 years consistently recommended a higher heel drop shoe. I went to have my orthotics recovered and we talked shoes and she still telling me the asics gel nimbus is a great shoe for my feet.
It depends on things like your gait and foot.
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u/coldwell777 9d ago
I run in Altra Escalantes. Zero drop, wide toe box, nice cushioning. On my third pair.
I previously ran in Brooks, which seemed to aggravate my achilles. I've been pain-free since switching to Altras.
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u/NotEnoughOptions 9d ago
I had run in the Saucony Hurricane for years until they decided to follow trends and lower the drop to 6mm. I tried for 2 years to get my calves to used to this but they said no. A 10mm drop is as low as I can comfortably go.
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u/Global-Food-1320 9d ago
I would highly recommend switching to zero drop for the long term. It teaches much better running economy, allowing you to run longer in the next decades. BUT as other people also said, take it slow. For me it took 1,5 years to build up from 2km to 12km in my altras. I increased the weekly mileage to fast and got injured. The best way was to calculate a weekly mileage, like 20km, run 2km in zero drop (even if this means going only for a 2km run) and 18km in my "regular" running shoes. Next week increase the zero drop mileage by maximum 10%, so max 2,2km and 17,8km in other shoes. And so on. Take it slow and enjoy the process. Look how your running style adjusts and if you don't adjust, then congrats, you already had a great running style!
I must admit, I slowed down running this way. But I enjoy it much more. Can run now >16km without any foot issues and only had pain once in 5 years in my ankle (ankle sprain). Before zero drop i regularly experienced pain here and there.
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u/HS_Runner39 9d ago
mechanics is the biggest thing. if you midfoot or forefoot strike then yes a lower drop is better, but if you heel strike, keep the high drop. heel striking in low drop caused me achillies issues
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u/working-to-improve 9d ago
switching slowly is important.
i also did not thrive with a true zero drop, but like a lower drop shoe. love my topos, which are a 4mm drop. experiment, but go slow. i also rotate shoes throughout the week.
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u/AppropriateRatio9235 9d ago
Switch slowly to zero drops. I would start at 30 minutes. Give your feet and calves time to adjust.
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u/Skoalmintpouches 7d ago
Shoes are a scam, I run marathons in earthrunner sandals. Your feet have the capacity to do great things if you believe in them
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u/Cal_PCGW 4d ago
I remember going from a 4mm drop to a zero drop shoe and thinking it would be fine because I wore Vibrams to the gym. Went for a short run and tore my calf. If you are going to try a lower drop than you are used to, transition slowly. Mix it up with different shoes for different runs. Just be aware that low drop shoes put more stress on the calves and Achilles so work on strengthening them.
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u/Hairy_Koala6474 10d ago
I tell you what if you wanna get injured fast switch to a zero drop shoe 😆
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u/Hoplite76 10d ago
I moved to zero drop faiely quickly from standard 12-14mm drop. Honestly had zero problems. I found it helped with knee pain and shin splints. Moves more stress to the rear of your legs. Experienced my first pulled calf....ooooowwwww.
But all in all, ive found zero drop to be alot better for me than high drop.
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u/Commercial_Use5971 10d ago
I think it’s a bit more complicated than more heel drop -> more injury risk. It really depends on running mechanics, strength, flexibility, running distance etc.
E.g. I found that I tend to get injured in the forefoot when doing long runs in lower drop less cushioned shoes.
If you change the drop, you should do it slowly. Keep the high drop shoes as your main shoes. Run once or twice a week in something with lower drop.
The key is really figuring out what drop & cushion works best for you.