HEEL COUNTERS???????????

mister friendly

mister friendly

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A heel counters is supposed to provide excellent lockdown and lateral stability. I know such popular shoes like the Kobe IV and V  and Nike Huarache 2k4 have heel counters.

There are also great shoes such as Lebrons and most Jordans that dont have heel counters.

Do yall really feel the external heel counters make a difference or do you feel its a gimmick?

Example of an external heel counter


NikeH5.jpg
   
 
IMO they work very well for me.  I can really feel the lockdown and stability in my heels.

I really prefer a shoe that has it, to a shoe that doesn't have a heel counter.
 
good question/topic again...

For me with 2k4's you can feel the difference and added "stability" with the heel counter present..but you are also right in saying that a lot of kicks don't have them and do offer some good support as well...I think maybe the added stability is just a comfort, or maybe feels better on people with wider feet? (someone maybe could confirm that)....I don't think it's necessarily a gimmick, cuz as I mentioned you can feel that little extra wrapping in kicks that do have them...but for me personally I don't get particularly more support from it....but I don't see it as a gimmick
 
Most shoes DO have them. They are just not external like the Kobe IV or the 2K4. Feel any shoe and the hard piece in the heel is the internal heel counter. Even the Anderson Bean boots I am wearing right now have them.
 
Every shoe has a heel counter although most are not made of plastic. Typically they are a rigid piece of cardboard between the upper and the interior.

Yes I feel in certain shoes the plastic external heel counter makes a difference. The shape also make a big difference. The more "cup" like it is, but better lockdown you will have vs just a flat one that wraps around the heel.
 
Yeah.. I believe if your shoe didn't have a "cup sole" Heel counter you'd have one flimsy shoe in the back and it would KILL your achilles and stability.

Some more stable than others and some more functional than others. The external Counter if shaped correctly can give that extra something for hell stability, but again all kicks dont have an external one and still give good stability
 
if it looks good and fits ill wear it.

i never think about stuff like "gosh, this heel lockdown is a marginal improvement from X shoe"
 
most shoes do have heel counters, they provide stability & help with how the shoe fits...external heel counters tend to be a little better in certain sports because they are usually more rigid that your standard internal heel counter, though they also add weight...
 
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