Waterproof Running Shoe Experiment: Heel Strike vs Mid heel Strike

There are a lot of articles on the web about heel strike vs mid heel strike which one is better. Most of the articles tend to lean towards mid-heel strike stating that this is the more natural way to run.

But what exactly is heel strike and mid heel strike? And which one should you use when running? Well that’s what I will be going over go over in this article. As well as sharing my own experiences running with the two methods in my ASICS Gel-Trabuco waterproof running shoes.

First lets talk about heel strike. Heel strike is when the heel of your foot makes contact with the ground while running or walking. And as you follow through in your stride you lift off on the ball of your foot. Most waterproof running shoes are designed to help you walk or run this way. They provide a cushion in the heel that helps minimize the impact from landing down on your heel.

Now mid-heel strike. This is when the ball of your foot makes contact with the ground and as you follow through with your stride you take off on the ball of your foot. Basically your heel never strikes the ground. Proponents for this style of running say that this is actually a more natural style of running. They also contest that mid heel strike style reduces injuries and allows you to use the ball of your foot like it was meant to be use, as an shock absorber.

Now I have tried both methods and here is what I found. I must note that for my test I wore my ASICS Gel-Trabuco waterproof running shoes. However there are shoes on the market that help you run using the mid-heel strike method. Also, I ran on pavement as well as a treadmill for my little experiment.

Heel Strike:
When running using the heel strike method I felt the pressure from landing on heel on my back. It felt as if my running was sloppy and uncontrolled. My foot landing was hard and forceful. My pace was a little faster with the heel strike method compared to the mid-heel method. This could be due to the fact that I have been running using the heel strike method for years and have developed my on my own in my technique with it.

The Mid-Heel Strike:
With the Mid-heel strike I did not feel any pressure on my back. However being that this was my first time running with this style my calves were on “fire”. And I was very sore for 5 days. The mid-heel strike felt a little springy, but this could have been from implementing a poor technique since this was my first time running like that. As I stated earlier there are shoes that are designed to help you run with the mid-heel style. However I was in my good old Ascis Trubuco waterproof running shoes, so I had to mimic the technique. My pace was not as fast as it was when using heel strike. But I felt as if I had more control than using the heel strike method.

So which one seemed better?
Honestly I have gravitated to the mid-heel strike for running pavement and the treadmill. However can’t picture running on the trails over rocks and other obstacles just on you mid-heel. But that will be my next experiment. I advise you to see which one works for you and which one doesn’t. And stick with the one that feels best. After all it is your run .