Investing in the right equipment

One thing that runners enjoy is the fact that equipment requirements for the sport are minimal compared to a lot of other activities. A good pair of shoes is really all you need. CrossFit shares that minimalist attitude, however it does not share the same choice in footwear. In fact, those running shoes that most of you are wearing are doing you a great disservice when it comes to executing proper functional movements... That inch of foam / gel / spring / air or other made-up-marketing-substance under the heel only promotes the poor mechanics of thrusting the knee over the toe, minimizing your ability to get the hips back and posterior core muscles engaged. You may not be able to feel it, but we see it every day.

In short, running shoes are the scourge of CrossFit and only promote poor body mechanics.

So do yourself a favor and invest in a pair of proper shoes. Something that has minimal cushion in the heel is step number one to finding the right shoe. Indoor soccer shoes fit the bill, as do some "fitness" shoes. If you want to go hardcore you can invest in the Vibram five fingers, or another lightweight, skin-tight foot covering that will give you protection from bumps and scuffs while you scuttle around the gym. And the outdoor running that we do tends to be short and fast, so if you're paranoid about bad form on a run just look at the racing flats used by track athletes who run the 100 meter to 800 meter distances - no heel lift.

And when the workout permits, we are fine with you shucking the shoes and getting back to how the body was originally designed to move...sans Nike.