A few good shoes...

We've been beating up on shoes a lot recently, haven't we?  All this talk of barefoot running and analysis of how modern life is ruining our bodies may have led you to believe that I think shoes are a universal anathema.  Time to balance the scales a little bit by talking about some shoes I like.  Specifically, for parkour.

Parkour is an activity that, in my opinion, requires something on your feet.  I have tried to do it barefoot a few times and the results have been fairly negative.  Some elements, namely jumping and balancing, can be done barefoot - and probably should be from time to time - but any kind of wallrun, tac, most vaults, etc. work much better with a little protection and extra traction.

So what shoes are best for parkour?  This is a question that is asked many times across multiple parkour forums every day.  Everyone has an opinion.  Here's mine:

Nike Dart VI

For Beginners:  Something versatile and simple.  Padded enough to increase your margin of error but thin enough to prevent the development of bad habits.  Fairly durable, because you're going to be putting them through hell.  I think a solid choice is the Nike Dart VI.  It fits all of the criteria above and, as an added bonus, is pretty inexpensive - I can find them in most stores for around $25 - $30.

Once you've got some experience:  You made it through your first 6 months and you're looking for the next step.  Here's where things get a little more interesting because we start to deal with tradeoffs (What?  I'm an MBA... i need to make things as complicated as possible)

FiveTen Freerunners (V2)

I've mentioned my FiveTen Freerunners before.  They are still heavy and stiff.  But the grip has only improved with age.  On porous surfaces (stone, brick, etc.) these shoes cannot be beat.  They are excellent for any kind of wallrun, tac, popvault, etc.  I've been putting them through hell for the past few months and they are still going strong - a very durable shoe.  In my opinion, they are too padded and the slightly elevated heel still feels a little funny.  The biggest drawback is that they have absolutely zero traction on any kind of painted metal (like rails).  And they are expensive - expect to shell out $90 for them.

Feiyues

My latest acquisition is a pair of Feiyues.  They are a kung-fu shoe but have been getting a fair amount of attention from traceurs over the past few years.  They are basically slippers with a sticky sole - super lightweight.  As you can see below, both Feiyues stacked on top of each other are still not as deep as one Freerunner.  Their light weight means all jumps are much easier.  They also have decent traction on rails.  And the price is right - about $14 a pair.  They offer basically zero cushioning, so your landing/rolling technique had better be very solid before you wear them.  On the downside, they offer mediocre wallrun traction and they wear out quickly - I've heard they need to be replaced every 6 - 8 weeks with heavy use.

Much thinner than the Freerunners

A few people have asked me if Vibrums are any good as a parkour shoe.  I have no direct experience with them, but I have heard that they are not - fairly poor wall traction and they shred to pieces pretty quickly.

That's probably more info on shoes than you were counting on today - I hope it helps you narrow down your decision making!

Barefoot running

One of the best things about spring in Chapel Hill and the associated warm weather is that I can get back to serious barefoot training.

Whenever I talk to people about my approach to fitness I tend to get the following responses:  People think parkour is crazy, Crossfit is too intimidating, and martial arts requires too much of a time commitment.  But barefoot walking/running seems to strike a note, especially after a little conversation.

I first found the following video on my friend JR's excellent blog playthink:

A nice summary of the benefits of barefoot running.  JR kindly links to the original research, which can be found here.

My best advice for starting out with barefooting is to take it super slow.  Start out with walking then slowly progress to running.  I'd start with a quarter mile on grass then move to trails.  A lot of people have been making the transition with Vibram Fivefingers - I don't use them personally, but I've heard great things... just don't come to rely on them - barefoot means barefoot!  You won't get the same volume of sensation with a shoe, no matter how minimalist, on your foot.

Recipe Time: chicken in coconut oil

We'll get to the recipe in a second.  First, a rant.

Here's a pop quiz:  Saturated fat.  Good or bad?

The answer to this (and every question, as every MBA knows) is "it depends."

Saturated fat has been demonized by media in this country as the chief culprit of heart disease.  Over the past 30 years we have been told to cut our saturated fat consumption (actually, all fat consumption, right?) Entire industries have arisen around the need to reengineer foods to contain no saturated fat.  Indeed, on average, per capita saturated fat consumption in the United States has declined over the past 30 years.

Notice anything in particular about public health, obesity levels, and fitness levels during those 30 years?

Now, clearly our current obesity/diabetes epidemic cannot be blamed solely on low saturated fat consumption, but new evidence suggests that the original research that damned saturated fat may have been very flawed.  At the same time, our quest to excorsize fat from our diet has led to an unhealthy reliance on carbohydrates, particularly processed carbs and a dizzying variety of sugars. 

It's time to rebalance the scales and recognize saturated fat for the value it adds - namely as a highly stable cooking base.  Without getting into a chemistry lesson, saturated fat is a superior choice for cooking because it does not oxidize when heated.  Cooking with polyunsaturated fats, like most vegetable oils, leads them to oxidize, flooding your body with free radicals (that's why you want to eat anti-oxidant... they can neutralize the oxidation)  Monounsaturated fats, like olive oil, are a decent choice as well - they don't oxidize under medium heat conditions.

The other benefit of eating fats, particularly saturated fats, is that they trigger an intense satiety response - in other words, you eat some fat and you feel happy and full... for a long time.  I see this as a plus.

You love it. You just don't know it yet.

The fat we're going to be using is coconut oil.  You can get high quality organic coconut oil at many health food stores - this comes from Whole Foods.  Note that at temperatures below 85, coconut oil is a solid.  Here we go:

I like to lay things out before the action starts

Ingredients: 1 chicken breast, cut into pieces; 1 small onion, cut into small strips; 2 carrots, peeled & cut; 1 cup spinach; 1 cup broccoli; approx 1 - 2 tablespoons, coconut oil; pepper to taste.

1) place a wok or large pan over medium heat and add coconut oil.

2) Once oil has melted, add onion and sauté for a few minutes.

3) Add chicken and cook for about 5 minutes, consistently stirring chicken and onions around to ensure even cooking.

Step 3

4) Add carrots and cook for another 3-5 minutes.  At this point, grind in the pepper.

Step 4

5) Lower the heat a little, add in the spinach, and steam the broccoli (either in a steamer or the microwave)

Step 5

6) Stir everything around until the spinach wilts a little, then put it on a plate with the broccoli and eat it!  As with all my recipes, this will serve 2 normal people or 1 me.

The coconut oil adds a very subtle but very nice hint of coconut to the dish - it is not as overpowering as you may imagine.  And I guarantee you will leave the table feeling full and very happy.  I hope you enjoy - let me know what you think!

Done! Yum...