Adidas Powerlifting 2.0??

[left coaster]

I've been using a minimal trail running shoe for quite a while now, it has a zero mm drop. It's a few years older, but looks a lot like the Merrell Trail Glove 2.

I took to using these on unladen, fast hikes a few years back. The zero height keeps my ankles healthy, on rocky terrain I came to understand that any sort of lift from the sole of a boot or hiking shoe just created more leverage to twist my ankle over. I've done a lot of intense hikes at about 1-1.5 hours or so in these shoes, have never tuned my ankle once. Turns out they have a good second life use as well!

I use an old Nike "Flex" running shoe, also a minimalist running shoe. I normally hate Nike's but my stepson bought these for me. Terrible running shoe but great on the rower. Prefer them vastly over my running shoes with too much support for the rower.

Fore-foot running is really the only approach using minimalist shoes. I spent some time working up fore-foot distance on the trials, and later on the street, but I've never really been a runner. I can plod along for about 5K fore-foot running before I give up and start heel landing, in order to get any real distance I needed to revert to a more traditional runner. I'm currently using a 7mm drop, which allows me to transition between the two forms -- heel landing in a minimalist shoe is just dumb.

[aussieluke]

Rowed in the Reebok lifters today. No magical difference but they felt solid in the heel and flexible at the toes. The sole seemed to slip around a bit on the footplate though.

Wondered if the wedge heel might effectively add some length to my stroke - ie make my legs almost an inch longer ...but didn't seem to have much of a difference.

[kerosene]

I use Do Win weightlifting shoes. I started rowing at the gym and that is what I had so I got used to it. Rowing barefoot would feel weird now that I am used to being all laced tight.
its same shoes that is sold under rogue brand in the US

[dwalk]

I row and lift in a pair of old Vibrams. I run in completely the opposite, Hoka One Ones, but they have a minimal drop from heel to toe.

[aussieluke]

Did my warmup row wearing the Reebok lifters again today. Played with the footplate height, nothing seemed to feel right. Feet kept slipping around and nothing felt good.

Took shoes off and played around again in just socks, and everything just felt so much more 'right'. So again played with the footplate height again and settled with ankle bones just below the rail height. Did my interval workout like that instead.

But of a shame as I thought they'd be great but just wasn't right. Surprised really that shoes designed to suit crossfit wods (the edges of the soles are shaped to assist in rope climbs and the forefoot is meant to be flexible enough to run pose style in) wouldn't sit right on the heel cups of the erg that crossfit uses so much.

Looks like it's back to just socks for me.

[DSB]

Interestingly enough i just got a pair of these, but strictly for lifting. They are excellent, especially for Olympic lifts.

That being said, I row in vibram 5 fingers, which are also excellent for indoor rowing, as you are not sponging away excess watts, like you would in a pair of trainers. The next best is bare-footed, but my heel always got irritated by the plastic foot casing to do this.

[anne.bourlioux]

I always erg in my Adidas Powerlifting shoes (of course I also use them for lifting.) The only WR I broke not wearing them was my recent 100k tandem row (FHW 40-49) with M. Haahr Hansen, because we had nobody to assist us with the foot straps, so we had to row it in our socks to make the transitions easier, but I could feel my lower back the next day, which never happens otherwise, even with my two previous 100k tandem rows. I am not particularly flexible and the elevated heel on the shoes helps me get all the right angles at the catch and keep a good consistent connection with the foot plate for the full range of the stroke. I have also tried skierging in them, but soles are too stiff for that and gave me cramps in my feet, so now I skierg in an old pair of Keene sandals.

[aussieluke]

I picked up a bargain pair of Inov8 f-lite 195s recently. They're originally a super light, minimal trail shoe but they became popular as a crossfit shoe as they're so flexible and stable with almost no cushioning and only a 3mm drop.

They also happen to be just about perfect on the erg.

Thin, light and flexible, and just enough underfoot to make it more comfortable than socks or barefoot.