{"id":6210,"date":"2023-08-02T21:19:24","date_gmt":"2023-08-02T14:19:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=6210"},"modified":"2023-08-02T21:19:24","modified_gmt":"2023-08-02T14:19:24","slug":"antepes-muscle-runner-an-honest-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=6210","title":{"rendered":"Antepes Muscle Runner: An Honest Review"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"article-franchise outlines-corners relative p-[20px] mt-[30px] sm:flex sm:items-start sm:flex-row\" style=\"min-height:105.83762886598px\">\n<div class=\"article-franchise__text text-default mt-[10px] text-center inline sm:inline-block sm:mt-0 sm:text-left\"> <span class=\"italic text-gray\">With the Well+Good SHOP, our editors put their years of know-how to work in order to pick products (from skin care to self care and beyond) they\u2019re betting you\u2019ll love. While our editors independently select these products, making a purchase through our links may earn Well+Good a commission. Happy shopping!<\/span><span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/shop\/\" target=\"_blank\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/shop\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Explore the SHOP<\/a><\/span> <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Pay attention to the runners you see on your regular route, and you\u2019ll notice that the vast majority of them heel strike, meaning they land on the heel of their foot before rolling through to the toes.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s in stark contrast to the mid- to forefoot strike that you\u2019ll see on elite runners, which experts say is more efficient but often difficult for more casual runners to come by.<\/p>\n<p>Enter the <a href=\"https:\/\/clicks.trx-hub.com\/xid\/leafgroup_ca5e0_wellgood?q=https%3A%2F%2Fshareasale.com%2Fr.cfm%3Fb%3D999%26u%3D2520112%26m%3D143020%26afftrack%3DSTMSSY-1097381%26urllink%3Dantepes.com%252Fproducts%252Fmuscle-runners&amp;p=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wellandgood.com%2Fantepes-muscle-runner%2F&amp;event_type=click\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/antepes.com\/products\/muscle-runners\">Antepes Muscle Runner<\/a> ($225), a new running shoe that aims to get everyone landing on their forefeet. It\u2019s built with a unique 10mm heel-to-toe <em>gain<\/em>. Yes, you read that right\u2014unlike most running shoes, which feature more cushion in the heel than the toe, in the Muscle Runner, the forefoot sits on top of 27.5mm of cushioning while the heel has just 17.5mm. This design is supposed to make it nearly impossible to heel strike, and thereby to improve runners\u2019 form over time.<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<hr\/>\n<p>Unsurprisingly, the Muscle Runners haven\u2019t launched without their share of criticism\u2014nearly every mention of the shoe on social media comes with commenters predicting Achilles blowouts. I decided to try them for myself, and to see what a podiatrist had to say about their unique design.<\/p>\n<div class=\"theme-main-2020\">\n<div class=\"wg-inline-shopable\">\n<div class=\"pb-[20px] sm:pb-[35px] sm:flex justify-between\">\n<div class=\"w-full\">\n<figure class=\"block w-full wg-inline-shopable__figure p-0 m-0 mb-[25px]\"> <a data-vars-event=\"product image\" data-vars-info=\"Antepes+Muscle+Runner\" href=\"https:\/\/clicks.trx-hub.com\/xid\/leafgroup_ca5e0_wellgood?q=https%3A%2F%2Fshareasale.com%2Fr.cfm%3Fb%3D999%26u%3D2520112%26m%3D143020%26afftrack%3DSTMSSY-1097381%26urllink%3Dantepes.com%252Fproducts%252Fmuscle-runners&amp;p=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wellandgood.com%2Fantepes-muscle-runner%2F&amp;event_type=click\" target=\"_blank\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/antepes.com\/products\/muscle-runners\"> <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"block w-full no-pin js-inline-lazy-load\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Screen-Shot-2023-07-28-at-11.53.49-AM_falsexfalse_true_70.webp\"\/> <\/a><figcaption class=\"text-center text-caption--article text-gray-light block mt-[10px]\"\/> <\/figure>\n<p> <a href=\"https:\/\/clicks.trx-hub.com\/xid\/leafgroup_ca5e0_wellgood?q=https%3A%2F%2Fshareasale.com%2Fr.cfm%3Fb%3D999%26u%3D2520112%26m%3D143020%26afftrack%3DSTMSSY-1097381%26urllink%3Dantepes.com%252Fproducts%252Fmuscle-runners&amp;p=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wellandgood.com%2Fantepes-muscle-runner%2F&amp;event_type=click\" class=\"wg-inline-shopable__subtitle-link\" data-vars-event=\"product name\" data-vars-info=\"Antepes+Muscle+Runner\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" rel=\"nofollow\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/antepes.com\/products\/muscle-runners\"> <\/p>\n<p>Antepes Muscle Runner \u2014 $225.00<\/p>\n<p> <\/a> <\/p>\n<div class=\"text-big mb-[5px] wg-inline-shopable__content mt-[10px]\">\n<p><strong>Sizes available:<\/strong> M5\/W6.5 to M13.5\/W15<br \/><strong>Weight:<\/strong> 9.0 oz (in the M8.5)<br \/><strong>Colors:<\/strong> 2<br \/><strong>Heel-to-toe gain:<\/strong> 10mm<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"inline-shopable-pros\">\n<ul>\n<li>Light <\/li>\n<li>Sustainable materials <\/li>\n<li>Can build strength and encourage better running form <\/li>\n<li>Comes with a foam roller <\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<div class=\"inline-shopable-cons\">\n<ul>\n<li>Difficult to put on <\/li>\n<li>Slight heel slippage and rubbing <\/li>\n<li>Risk of injury or excessive soreness if worn too much <\/li>\n<li>Feel slow and awkward at first <\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<h2>The story behind the Muscle Runners<\/h2>\n<p>Although heel striking is known to be less efficient than <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/running-on-toes\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/running-on-toes\/\">mid- or forefoot striking<\/a>, it doesn\u2019t necessarily have to be a bad thing. The problem arises when heel striking causes runners to overstride, or step out too far in front of their hips, which can be a recipe for injury. That was the case with the Muscle Runner\u2019s inventor, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/shah-behnamian-172370b\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/shah-behnamian-172370b\/\">Shah Behnamian<\/a>, who couldn\u2019t get rid of nagging running injuries until he learned to land on his forefoot. When he went to look for shoes made for forefoot striking, he came up short (though, to be fair, they do exist\u2014<a href=\"https:\/\/www.newtonrunning.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.newtonrunning.com\/\">Newton<\/a> has made some over the years) and decided to make them himself.<\/p>\n<div class=\"related-content \" style=\"\" data-module-init=\"related-content\" data-module-immediate=\"\" v-cloak=\"\">\n<div class=\"related-content__wrapper \" v-cloak=\"\" :class=\"{'is-loaded':isLoaded}\">\n<p> <span class=\"inline pr-6 text-seafoam-dark\">Related Stories<\/span> <\/p>\n<p> <related-content class=\"related-content__links\" parent-article-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/antepes-muscle-runner\/\" current-title=\"What It Feels Like To Run in \u2018Form-Improving\u2019 Shoes More Cushioned in the Toes Than the Heel\" current-image=\"GettyImages-antepes-muscle-runner-425x285.jpg\" v-on:parsely-posts-loaded=\"onPostsLoaded\" start-date=\"2023-02-02\" tag=\"div\" inline-template=\"\" url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/antepes-muscle-runner\/\" secret=\"w5ztterVB03LGZJLfXS0hf3EvQBuFFIWew9hmVQxthU\" apikey=\"wellandgood.com\" limit=\"3\"> <\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"related-content__card mb-[10px] sm:mb-[20px]\" :class=\"{'related-content__card--full':posts.length === 1}\" v-for=\"(post, key) in posts\"> <a v-on:click.prevent=\"trackLinkGA($event, key)\" :href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/antepes-muscle-runner\/post.url\" data-url-source=\"related-content\" class=\"related-content__link\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"\"> <\/p>\n<div class=\"related-content__card--image bg-tan\" :style=\"{ backgroundImage: 'url(' + post.image_url + ')' }\"> <img decoding=\"async\" :src=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/antepes-muscle-runner\/post.image_url\" :alt=\"post.title\" class=\" js-inline-lazy-load\" src=\"\"\/> <\/div>\n<p> <\/a>  <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> <\/related-content> <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Behnamian calls the shoes \u201cMuscle Runners\u201d because he says running in the shoes is more \u201cmuscle intensive\u201d than what runners who heel-strike may be used to. (For that same reason, the shoes come packaged inside a foam roller, and Antepes encourages runners to foam roll before running in the shoes to warm up the calves, as well as afterwards to help them recover.)<\/p>\n<p>The 10mm heel-to-toe gain (meaning there is relatively little cushion under the heel, and lots under the forefoot) is perhaps the shoe\u2019s most unusual design element (Behnamian came up with it by experimenting with shaving down the heel on other running shoes), but the Muscle Runner has some other innovative features, too.<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s what Antepes calls the HeelX technology: In order to reduce contact on the Achilles tendon, the shoe\u2019s upper sits about 5mm lower than usual on the heel, which is instead locked into place with \u201cextensions\u201d on either side of the Achilles (that look like wings coming off the back of the shoe). That heel grip is especially important when forefoot striking, when the heel is more likely to slip out.<\/p>\n<p>The Muscle Runner also features a carbon plate, which Behnamian says is more flexible than the carbon plates in most other running shoes, and is intended less to add propulsion and more to support the toes and distribute weight to the ball of the foot. It also has a dual-layer TBE foam, with a softer foam directly under the forefoot and a stiffer bottom layer for ground contact to aid in stability when landing on the forefoot.<\/p>\n<p>Behnamian admits that the shoe is \u201cpretty aggressive,\u201d and isn\u2019t intended to replace your daily trainer. The Muscle Runner isn\u2019t designed to go further than six miles, and should be used only as an occasional training tool. \u201cThis shoe is like taking your feet to the gym,\u201d he says, adding that unless you\u2019re already a strong forefoot striker, soreness is inevitable. He recommends starting by running just half a mile in the shoes and working up to slightly longer distances.<\/p>\n<p>Though his target audience is high school and collegiate athletes, Behnamian says he believes the shoe can help even casual runners who are heel strikers develop a more efficient running form. And he adds that a more accessible model of the shoe may be in Antepes\u2019 future.<\/p>\n<h2>What a podiatrist has to say<\/h2>\n<p>American Podiatric Medical Association spokesperson <a href=\"https:\/\/precisionorthopaedic.com\/doctor\/mark-j-mendeszoon-d-p-m\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/precisionorthopaedic.com\/doctor\/mark-j-mendeszoon-d-p-m\/\">Mark Mendeszoon, DPM,<\/a> a podiatrist who owns two running shoe stores in Ohio and Pennsylvania, emphasizes that this shoe will not be for everyone, and that it\u2019s extremely difficult to change your natural running style. (He says that when he ran in Newton\u2019s version of a forefoot-striking shoe, he developed Achilles tendonitis.) Though he\u2019s skeptical that the shoe alone can change a runner\u2019s form, he says it does have potential for runners who already forefoot strike. He also adds that the technical components \u201cseem to be top-notch.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>What the Muscle Runners feel like on the run<\/h2>\n<p>After a handful of runs in the Muscle Runner, I am glad to say that my Achilles are still intact. I did follow Behnamian\u2019s advice and proceeded with caution, especially as someone who definitely heel strikes when I\u2019m not thinking about it. I haven\u2019t run more than three miles at a time in the shoes, and have given myself a few days in between taking them out.<\/p>\n<p>My first challenge in the Muscle Runners was getting them on: The merino wool and tencel uppers don\u2019t have much give (Behnamian says you technically don\u2019t even need the laces\u2014that\u2019s how secure the upper is), and the heel wings are a bit tricky to navigate.<\/p>\n<p><figure id=\"attachment_1097401\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1097401\" style=\"width: 620px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1097401 size-medium js-inline-lazy-load\" alt=\"\" width=\"620\" height=\"359\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Screen-Shot-2023-07-28-at-11.56.01-AM-620x359_falsexfalse_true_70.webp\"\/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1097401\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo: Lauren Wingenroth<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n<p>I found that even <em>walking<\/em> in the shoes takes some getting used to, and once I started running, I felt hyper-aware of how I was landing, and unsure if I was doing it right. (Should I avoid letting my heels touch the ground at all, or allow my foot to roll through to the heel? Can I land on my midfoot or does it have to be on the ball of the foot?) It took until about my third run in the shoes for me to be able to just run without thinking about it, and I settled into some sort of forefoot\/midfoot strike.<\/p>\n<p>Though I felt like I was running fairly uptempo (and my legs were tiring accordingly), my watch tells me that my runs in the Muscle Runners were among my slowest ever. That wasn\u2019t entirely unexpected\u2014after all, the Antepes website somewhat hilariously advertises that running in the shoes will \u201cincrease your heart rate.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>After my first few runs in the shoes, I did notice some muscle and Achilles soreness, but nothing too out of the ordinary. One place I did have pain: The backs of my ankles, where I developed blisters from my heels slightly slipping around.<\/p>\n<p>Will I be logging more miles in the Muscle Runners? Probably not too often, but I could see myself taking them out for a short run occasionally on days when I want to focus on my form\u2014and can afford to be a little sore the next day.<\/p>\n<div class=\"disclaimers__after_content mb-[18px] mt-[16px] pt-[16px]\">\n<div class=\"outline-earmark relative mt-[8px] pt-[10px] pl-[20px]\">\n<p>\n            Our editors independently select these products. Making a purchase through our links may earn Well+Good a commission.          <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div data-type=\"_mgwidget\" data-widget-id=\"1675549\">\r\n<\/div>\r\n<script>(function(w,q){w[q]=w[q]||[];w[q].push([\"_mgc.load\"])})(window,\"_mgq\");\r\n<\/script>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>With the Well+Good SHOP, our editors put their years of know-how to work in order to pick products (from skin care to self care and beyond) they\u2019re betting you\u2019ll love. While our editors independently select these products, making a purchase through our links may earn Well+Good a commission. Happy shopping! Explore the SHOP Pay attention &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":6211,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6210","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6210","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6210"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6210\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/6211"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6210"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6210"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6210"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}