I want to begin this post by openly stating my personal bias (which is not going to come as a surprise to regular readers). I am a minimalist advocate, and believe that benefits can be accrued by avoiding overbuilt running shoes and modifying form to reduce things like dramatic heel striking and overstriding. That being […]
Archives for May 2011
Saucony Kinvara 2: Comparative Photos and Update Summary
May 23, 2011 By 60 Comments
Well, I broke down and purchased a pair of Saucony Kinvara 2’s. My original pair are still in pretty decent shape, despite having run two marathons and ~200 miles on them (I don’t tend to accumulate a lot of miles on individual shoes given all of the reviews I do – these have the most […]
Terra Plana VIVOBAREFOOT Ultra Review: Initial Thoughts
May 20, 2011 By 26 Comments
I have a confession to make – I like my Crocs. Mine aren’t the real thing – they’re cheap knockoffs bought for $10 at Target – but for kicking around the yard or walking the dog at night, they really are quite comfortable, and few shoes have as wide a toebox. What’s more, they seem […]
Can running in minimalist shoes strengthen your feet and legs?
May 18, 2011 By 46 Comments
Image via Wikipedia One of the most common claims made by minimalist and barefoot runners (myself included) is that running in minimalist shoes (or barefoot) can be an effective tool for strengthening the muscles of the feet and legs. The idea is that constrictive, stiff, and overly cushioned modern footwear brace the foot, alter our […]
Review of New Balance MT101 Trail Running Shoes
May 16, 2011 By 53 Comments
If I had to total the number of hours that I’ve spent wearing each of the running shoes in my collection over the past 6 months, I’m pretty sure that the New Balance MT101 would come out on top by a fairly wide margin (note: this shoe was a personal purchase). The reason is quite […]
New Balance Minimus Trail: Is the MT20 Coming Soon?
May 15, 2011 By 69 Comments
I’ve written a number of posts about my up and down experience with the New Balance Minimus Trail shoes. The original version, the MT10, is an awesome shoe, but suffers from what I feel is a serious design flaw in that the black band across the forefoot is rather constricting (for at least some people). […]
What is Good Running Form?
May 11, 2011 By 26 Comments
Earlier today I was doing a phone interview with a reporter from the Chronicle of Higher Education and she asked me a question that I have been asked a lot lately: “How would you describe good running form?” This is a question that a lot of people have opinions about (sometimes very strong opinions), but […]
Runner’s World on Running Form
May 6, 2011 By 15 Comments
In case you aren’t a subscriber, I wanted to mention that the June edition of Runner’s World (currently on newsstands) includes an article by Peter Vigneron titled “Does Form Matter.” I wanted to thank Peter for including me and my buddy Harry Hollines (the barefoot runner) in the article, and I have to say it […]
Gait Variability Among Elite Runners at the 2011 Boston Marathon
May 3, 2011 By 50 Comments
Shortly after the 2011 Boston Marathon, Steve Magness posted a link on Twitter to a series of videos of the top runners from this year’s race. The videos were all shot at 300fps with the same camera that I have used to shoot my own race videos, and they were posted on YouTube by elvin314. […]
Saucony Mirage Running Shoe Review
May 1, 2011 By 32 Comments
Over the past week I’ve posted reviews of two low-drop shoes from Saucony – the 5 mm drop Fastwitch 5 and the zero drop Hattori. Next up is the Saucony Mirage (disclosure – these were free media samples provided by the manufacturer). Of these three shoes, the Mirage is probably the most similar to the […]
