Though I enjoy wearing zero drop, barefoot-style shoes casually and while running on roads, I’ve found out the hard way that running trails in minimally cushioned shoes can sometimes be difficult, especially if pointy rocks are strewn about (a bruised foot during my first 50K made me realize the value of a good rock plate…). […]
Archives for June 2013
Recommended Zero Drop, Cushioned Road Running Shoes
June 25, 2013 By 46 Comments
If you’re interested in going more minimal with your running shoes, but don’t want to give up cushioning, this is the pace to look. A growing niche in the running shoe world is for zero drop shoes that retain some amount of cushion – I put a lot of miles on shoes in this category, […]
Under Armour Speedform Upper Construction Video
June 25, 2013 By 3 Comments
Update 7/10/2013 – just published my review of the Under Armour Speedform. One of the soon-to-arrive shoes that I’m really excited about trying is the Under Armour Speedform. I’m a big fan of shoes that allow me to run sockless, and as the video below demonstrates, the Speedform looks like it is designed to meet […]
Merrell Ascend Glove Trail Shoe Review and Six Pair Giveaway!
June 24, 2013 By 42 Comments
A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to fly out to Portland, Oregon to attend an insights meeting with Merrell Footwear. Merrell has organized a meeting like this each year for the past 3 years, and they basically invite a collection of individuals throughout the running footwear world to solicit feedback on trends, marketing […]
Is The Minimalist Trend Over? – Comments on Injury Risk and Sales Data
June 24, 2013 By 25 Comments
One of the comments I’ve seen a lot lately is that the minimalist running trend is over. A number of reasons are given to support this statement, and I thought I’d take a deeper look at two of the big ones. Injury Risk in Minimal Shoes The first reason I typically see put forth as […]
100: HEAD/HEART/FEET Vermont 100 Documentary
June 24, 2013 By 2 Comments
I received an email today from Ben Watts, who is the Associate Producer of a film called 100: HEAD/HEART/FEET that will chronicle one runner’s 3rd attempt to complete the Vermont 100 Endurance Race. Ben asked if I could share the trailer to the film and spread the word about their Kickstarter campaign supporting the production. […]
Nike Free Flyknit Hyperfeel: The Shoe Giant Goes Ultraminimal?
June 19, 2013 By 12 Comments
In a footwear world where most companies are looking to step back a bit from ultraminimal shoes, Nike appears poised to take it’s biggest step yet toward barefoot-style footwear. A reader just alerted me to a post on Nikeblog.com about the Nike Free Flyknit Hyperfeel (thanks Joel!). It combines a woven, sock-like flyknit upper, what […]
Sale Alert: Merrell Barefoot and Trail Shoe Flash Sale at The Clymb
June 18, 2013 By 21 Comments
Every once and awhile a sale comes around that’s worth sharing – this is one of them. The Clymb is currently running a flash sale on Merrell Footwear, and the prices are significantly discounted off MSRP. Here’s a list of current models and prices: Merrell Trail Glove – minimally cushioned trail shoe, a personal favorite […]
An Update On My Wife and Her Hoka Bondi 2’s
June 17, 2013 By 37 Comments
About two months ago I wrote a post about my wife Erin’s long term problems with foot and hip pain. She had gotten her hip pain under control through a post-run strengthening routine (lunges), but earlier this year she was diagnosed with a neuroma in her right foot, and was unable to run without pain […]
Puma Faas 100 R Zero Drop Running Shoe Preview
June 14, 2013 By 7 Comments
I recently received a couple of pairs of Puma shoes – the Mobium and the Faas 500 v2. The Mobium is a bit of an odd shoe, but the Faas 500 is pretty solid and I hope to write a review up after getting a few more miles on them. Yesterday I got a message […]
Natural Running: What The Heck Does it Mean?
June 13, 2013 By 83 Comments
The phrase “natural running” gets thrown around a lot these days. For example, there’s the Natural Running Center, there are natural running stores, Newton’s Danny Abshire wrote a book called “Natural Running,” and Saucony uses Natural Running as a category for shoes on the more minimal end of its range. But, what exactly does the […]
Dirty Runner: La Sportiva Helios Trail Shoe Review
June 12, 2013 By 6 Comments
I must confess that I have never run in La Sportiva shoes before this pair of Helios arrived at my door. Although the Vertical K interested me, I read that the toe-box was quite narrow. Since I have always enjoyed shoes with large toe-boxes, I just never gave them a chance. When the Helios was […]
How to Download Garmin Forerunner Data Directly to An iPhone, and Then Upload to dailymile
June 11, 2013 By 10 Comments
A few minutes ago I glanced over at my Tweetdeck screen and saw this tweet: This is why @dcrainmakerblog is the best: dcrainmaker.com/2013/06/garmin… — Sara J (@sarajacobson) June 11, 2013 Intrigued, I followed the link and my world changed. The skies cleared up, birds started singing, and my 3 year old told me he really […]
Garmin Forerunner 10 (FR10) Review: Great Performance in a Small, Low-Priced Package
June 10, 2013 By 77 Comments
Update 7/8/2014 –I have now posted a review of the Garmin Forerunner FR15. The FR15 is basically an update to the FR10 that adds step counting, heart rate monitor sync, and longer battery life. One of the first reviews I wrote here on Runblogger was of the Garmin Forerunner 205 GPS watch. That was way back in April of 2009! […]
The Future of Minimalist Running: Article from SGB Weekly Discusses Brand Perspectives and Provides Some Shoe Sneak Peaks
The most recent issue of SGB Weekly features an interesting article by Thomas Ryan on the future of minimalist running shoes. The article focuses on current trends, and runs through how each manufacturer plans to approach the continually evolving footwear marketplace. The opening paragraphs give a pretty good flavor of what follows: With many runners […]