What Kinds of Shoes? For How Long?

Q: This 76 year old kid skips now and then in his driveway. Question(s): regular running shoes ok for skipping? Do they wear out fast because of skipping (in running, it was the heels of course that worn down). any ideas on how far “your people”–skippers tend to go (distance) for a decent workout? thanks. skippy

A: Dear Skippy, Yes, I’ve found regular running shoes work best for skipping..I try to find extra thick soles though…The balls of your feet will wear out faster than normal if you skip a lot….That is, of course, until we convince a shoe company to support the skipping cause by designing us our own shoes.

As far as how long you need to skip to get a good workout…it really varies. Some people primarly walk and then incorporate skipping bursts for variety and to get their heart rate up…Others walk a block, skip a block, run a block, walk a block…..Skipping on the treadmill at the gym is also fun…I ususally set the pace at a brisk walking speed (4.2 or so) and ease into skipping a mile or two. Sometimes I skip a minute, walk a minute, skip a minute walk a minute.

Then there are the hard core skippers of the world! Ashirta Furman is training to set a Guiness World Record for skipping the fastest marathon. He skips for 15-20 miles at a time when he is training. He even had to create a plastic toe piece to go over his shoes because he was skipping so much and going through them so fast!

Two New Skip Tips

* SKIP TIP: Remember that there are a wide variety of impact levels of skipping. It’s easy to think that you have to leap far into the air which consumes a lot of energy. If you do a low impact skip at a slower pace you will be able to go farther distances.

* SKIP TIP: It’s very important to wear a high quality athletic shoe if you are skipping for any distance. Since no one has designed a skipping shoe YET, pick a shoe with a lot of tread. The balls of your feet will wear out much faster when you skip.