Photos by Eli Shepherd for The Little Hawk.

Now-a-days many shoe companies are making shoes lighter and lighter. Whether they’re for running, lifting weights, walking or just for comfort. Many brands are accommodating for the new trends in staying fit.

The human anatomy is built around natural, organic movements and running has always been at the core of the life for a human ever since the start of man’s existence. Man has adapted over time to be more efficient runners and use running for many different purposes. For the longest time, shoes did not exist, therefore man has adapted to be able to run barefoot.

With the introduction to modern running shoes in the late 1960’s by Phil Knight and Bill Bowerman’s company Nike, the world of running was forever changed, and in some peoples opinions, for the better.

The engineering and technology that goes into running shoes has increased greatly in recent years. As the technology increases so does research about these technologies. In the last decade alone, many scientific breakthroughs have changed the world of running. Many studies compare the benefits of barefoot running vs. running shoes, but the introduction of minimalist footwear has bridged the gap between the extremes.

Here are the basic conclusions that we can take away from these studies:

1. Running in shoes takes less energy than running barefoot.
2. The heavier your shoes are, the less efficiently you run.
3. Running barefoot “offers no metabolic advantage over running in lightweight, cushioned shoes.”

www.sweatscience.runnersworld.com Check out this website to get more detailed information that justifies these conclusions. Keep in mind this is just one study done and this is by no means the answer to this conflict. There’s been lots of research to come to the world of running and this is only a fraction of that knowledge.

“I feel like now lots of people are starting to wear more minimalist footwear. For me it’s just more comfortable than traditional running shoes. Whenever I’ve used traditional running shoes my feet have always been sore and they’re not as comfortable,” Sam Mrstik ‘13 said.

Another study I found shows that running shoes make running physiologically easier than going barefoot. A few previous studies have suggested that in terms of physiological effort, it’s easier to go barefoot. After all, shoes have mass; they add weight to your feet, and pushing weight through space, as you do with every step while running, demands energy.
www.well.blogs.nytimes.com check out this article too, to get the other side of the arguement and read the whole article for yourself.

Recently, brands like Nike have come out with lots of new technologies in the world of running. With the introduction of Nike’s Free line, many people can now do the minimalist running/training that everyone talks about. This only one example of one brand, and many other brands offer their versions of minimalist shoes.

“I really like my Nike Huarache Free’s because they’re really light and they’re really comfortable. I also like that they’re very stylish,” Mrstik ‘13 said. “I’ve worn lots of different kinds of shoes to do lots of different workouts and by fat my favorite are the Nike Free’s.”

Whether you like to run with or without running shoes or you like to run in minimalist shoes, it all depends on your running style and what feels comfortable to you. Don’t be afraid to try something new.

Linn Mar won the meet, shooting 365 as a team. They also lead the Mississippi division with a score of 727.

Team scores for individuals were -
Rachel Stewart ’12 46-42-88
Emily Koepnick ’13 47-48-95
Katherine van der Woude ’12 46-49-95
Mackenzie Mertens ’12 47-52-99

Katherine van der Woude putts on 18 green during the MVC divisional meet on Monday.

Photos by Kierra Zapff for The Little Hawk

Little Hawk reporter Mikiel Curtis headed out into the halls and classrooms of The School that Leads to ask students two questions:

Where did you get your dress?
Where are you going out to eat?

Photos by Ryan Young

By Gabriel Basile, Max Friedman, and Nat Alder

N&E2

Little Hawk staffers Alex Perez and Gabriel Brasile show off their unique dance moves.

Prom: The most talked about event of the year is finally here but it can strike fear into those with two left feet. Never fear! Top 10 Classic Prom Dance Moves with lay down a few simple steps to help you navigate the dance floor and have a kick butt time at prom!

1. The grind train: Be careful not to hop on because you may not be able to get off. Get up close and personal with your peers, swap some sweat and have a blast! But let’s try to keep it classy, folks!

2. Louie: Created by our own Little Hawks this dance will be seen all over prom. (If you don’t know how to do it, youtube it)

3. Bernie: This one goes without saying since it’s plastered all over the place, I recommend this move to anyone who isn’t super confident in their dancing abilities!

4. Show Choir moves: Land of My Dreams, anyone?

5. Break Dance: If you have the ability to bust out a head spin, do it! Just make sure you aren’t around a ton of people so no one gets hurt! No one wants a black eye at prom!

6. Interpretive Dance: Kids these days and their hip new dance moves, let the music flow through you and become one with the latest J.Biebs song.

7. Fist Pump: Yeah…people actually do that in real life…

8. Dougie: Again, hit up youtube!

9. The stand there awkwardly and bob your head to the beat: This is a good place to start, you don’t want to get too sweaty too quickly. Slowly ease yourself into the mobs of people dancing, but don’t head bob for too long or you’ll just be that weirdo in the corner.

10. Just let it all out, shake your groove thang. The important thing to remember is that it’ll be dark and late so if anything too embarrassing happens hopefully no one will remember! Good luck and bust a move!