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wider shoes not narrower choice?


Janice Arthur

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Hi all;

 

I've found myself with various shoe situations lately, like steel-toed, hiking boot type shoes for an industrial shoot and while a little heavy they were surprisingly nice to operate in.

 

I found the wide toe box very stabilizing and it allowed me to move my toes and feet freely for those subtle parts of operating but while just standing still and, as we know, having most of the weight on one leg it really a lot less work than narrow shoes.

 

I've since tried doing the barefoot/very narrow shoe operating situation and I find I use a lot of energy just balancing between my feet. All those little muscles are engaged all the time and it seems to take up a lot of energy I'd personally want hold onto.

 

Obviously everything is a compromise so you can't run in heavy shoes but i'd say consider shoes with a wider toe box and see what you think.

 

This is one of those things to just ponder as we all reconsider the knowledge we have in the 35 plus years of steadicam that now exists in our culture.

 

Have a great weekend.

 

JA

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I really like the five finger shoes (Vibram) They virtually give you the wide toe box possible as it is as wide as you spread your toes.

Yes, it is not ideal for all situations (mostly studio, indoors and nice weather), and for all other situations, I use my Merell hiking shoes.

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I have to say Janice I agree with a lot of what you are saying, while mInimalist footwear definitely has it's place I think it's place is not always on a steadicam operators feet.

I've worn minimalist footwear to train inside, outside and used them to run in quite a few times (although not as often as I would like yet).

I then tried them on a job in December, now....I'm sure it's not the same for everyone, but personally I'm of the mindset that when we are in the rig we are placing loads upon our legs and feet that normal footwear is just not designed for.

Which is why I think it's important to use footwear that is fit for purpose, the majority of barefoot and minimalist footwear is designed to support a person within a certain weight range and offer a certain amount of durability based upon the environmental factors the designer of said footwear expects the wearer to encounter, e.g. Running, general fitness training, etc...

What the average designer is not expecting the wearer to have to cope with is carrying an additional payload distributed with the majority on the hips and a small percentage on the shoulders, aggressive acceleration and deceleration with said payload, extended stretching and deformation of the footwear under a load which can deform and stretch the "Last" of a shoe to the point where it no longer fits or supports the foot properly and of course sometimes travelling over rough terrain whilst carrying an increased payload above our natural body weight .

However one of the few other activitys I described where footwear undergoes similar stresses and is still expected to perform effectively e. g. It's been designed by people who are experienced in creating footwear that can survive and function well under these conditions, is hiking.

That is why I personally believe that hiking shoes are generally my go to piece of footwear, I get most of the mobility of a trainer, support close to that of a boot, I can run, walk, stop and start confident that I have footwear beneath me that is not just designed to cope with the forces and stresses that I put it through but that it could cope with more than I could ever throw at it.

Most of us wouldn't be crazy/stupid enough to try and overload our steadicam arms by 30-50% so why would you do the same with your footwear?

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P.S. if you are looking for a good quality approach shoe I would really recommend Salomon, Merrell and Meindl.

 

Meindl are especially good and have some excellent fitting shoes for wider feet, their build quality is probably the best on the market too

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Hey All,

 

I have been wearing vibram five fingers since i started operating steadicam almost three years ago. I also wear barefoot style shoes in my everyday life. I liked them for their flexibility, weightlessness, contact with the ground, and it was always fun getting the reaction on set. However, i don't think I'll ever wear them under a steadicam load again. About a month ago I started getting soreness on the top of my left foot during and after gigs. Today I went to the doc and got an X-Ray to learn that I have bone spurs all along the top of my foot. He asked what type of shoes I wear and he explained that for people like me (my feet are on the flat side) it put an enormous amount stress on the bones to carry a weight while wearing shoes with no support. I'm not saying anyone should stop wearing vibrams, just sharing my experience. If you have flat feet (or medically speaking pronated arches) it might make sense to try something that provides some support. My doc recommended that at the very least I start using these http://www.superfeet.com/. As far as footwear I'm now on the hunt. Everything i've tried that has proper support for this issue and injury is way to rigid for my taste. If anyone has something to recommend I'm all ears.

 

Fly safe

 

Michael

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Edited by Michael Hauer
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Bummer, Michael,

I'm sorry to hear that. I'll pay extra attention to what my feet are saying. I'm also 3 years in to operating in 5 fingers, though you could sail the QE2 under my arches.

Please let us know how you get along.

All the best,

Chris

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I would steer clear of trainers, they don't seem to last long at least not in my experience.

 

Personally I love my meindl approach shoes, they take an absolute beating, I am on my second pair now and I love them, solid supportive but flexible enough in the toe box that you can run in them easily.

 

http://www.cotswoldoutdoor.com/meindl-mens-respond-xcr-shoe-33110277?id_colour=124

 

Oh and they're waterproof too :)

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Hope all is well now Michael, sorry to hear about the inconvenience. I hope I have no problems because I prefer vibrams as well. I feel like they make it easier to be conscious of my relationship with the ground and space around me. I also feel a lot more in tune with the balance of my whole body since they more evenly disperse the impact through my leg. They're great, but definitely impractical for many shoots (mostly weather permitting. Hopefully they aren't messing with my anatomy!

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If you sorta like the larger toe box and boot-ish shoe, I recommend Keene. I have really liked those boots, but they're light and wear like tennis shoes. Good wiggle room for the toes and very flexible if you end up kneeling with the rig or have to flex your foot, but i feel like their pretty stable.

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I've read this topic more than one time now and I always find it very inspiring - looking at a birds-eye perspective of operating, how everything in our body is in use when operating Steadicam.

I'm not a working operator myself (yet), but a splendid daydreamer until the day and money comes, but I'm that until then to set up a lifestyle with good training. Which, for example, would be foot-training. How would any of you have trained your feet, given the chance to do so before working full time? Is Vibram the way to go to build strength, and then get a pair of Meindl once the operating is daily?

All the best,
Fabian

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