A Blog of Manhattan KS Chiropractor Dr. Rich Foveaux DC, M.Sci., DACBSP

Wondering what types of shoes are best to train in? That would certainly depend on what your training for! However, a recent study published in The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research looked at what foot conditions would lead to the best performance in vertical jump, depth drop , and force production. Ten men and ten women were tested barefoot, with a minimalist shoe, and with a tennis shoe , each on three separate days.

While no differences were noted in force production and depth drop performance, the barefoot and minimalist shoe significantly improved vertical jump performance compared to tennis shoes by an average of about 3 centimeters. The difference in barefoot and minimalist shoe was small.

Take home advice from this small but well designed study? If you are focusing on plyometric drills or training to improve jump performance, doing so in minimalist shoes may offer an advantage over tennis shoes.

Manhattan Running Company is a great local small business that is extremely knowledgeable with their products and carry a wide variety of minimalist footwear.