I did open a thread about this ages ago but I cant find it!
At the world champs in the final of the sprint events I could see that there was a number of athletes with there feet straped with tape!
I was wondering what benefit this would have if any 'cos the way I see any tape around the feet will limit the movement of the “bones” in the foot (reserch by adidas before the last olymics would have us believe this is needed to run faster) hence the stiffer spike plate in some shoes. However as this would also hinder the movement of the big toe joint this could/will lead to injuries of the achilies (it has been stated by Charlie that we need movement of this joint to prevent such injury).
So does anyone here tape there feet or know of any reson to do so?
The only reason I have ever heard was to keep the shoe on tighter - especially in 200m runners.
I’ve never done it, but was tempted on a few occasions when I felt my feet sloshing around in the shoe. I simply removed my socks and tied the laces tighter. Problem solved for me.
I was museing over this all day today and came up with a possible reason for strapping.
As charlie has indicated the problem with stiffer spike plates is the minimal movement of the big toe joint, but as reserch indicated that minimal movement of the metatasals results in sprinting faster (as most manufactures describe there shoes with stiffer plates as being for power athletes!)(adidas stateing it will make you faster). Could they be adviseing athletes to minimise the movemnt of these bones with the use of tape.
I have watched the finals of the 100 & 200 wc again and five of the finalists in the 100m were taped, I could see most of the 200m finalists.
100m finalists with tape included dwain chambers and kim collins (aren’t they both adidas)
Let God design the foot- not the shoe companies (they only think they’re God). Adidas footware used to be good (spikes at least). Now, I see rashes of injuries, even as far up as the knee.
Sometimes the tape is to obscure the trademark on the shoes when the company won’t pay.
No the tapeing was on the feet not the shoes, it was visible before the race as they were removing tracksuits.
As for arch support what would tape do , I cant imagine it doing anything.
Anyway today I experimented and tape my feet up (not to reun but jst walk around the house. My feet did feel stiffer and seemed to make me walk with more force ‘cos with the straping on the fot doesnt bend that much so you have to get through the action quick, could this be what it is for in some crude way to increase the time it takes to take a stride by making the extension quicker (and pos’ more powerful).
I dont know what it is used for but I will tell you this after about an hour it HURT!!!
Strangley it was situated mostly around my ankle joint and predictivley around my achilies.
I had not restricted the movement of my big toe but the tape did run under my feet which ment it probably restricted movemnt in some what the same way (tendons).
Got off course a little, I think charlie stated that any biomech treatment would be in the shoe (a part of it) my question is then why would top level athletes tape there feet (which they did in the wc)
I have!!!
He said there is no reason for tapeing the feet and that it would give in his opinion no support for the arch as it condenses the whole foot area (as I have stated), for arch support the “assistance” has to come from underneath as in “arch supports”
Ok this is what I will do as I have stated in an other thread a freind of mine is a freind of devonish I will try and get him to ask some of athletes as to why (hopefully he can speak to dwain)
