For the past 10 years I was a professor at a small college. Normally come late August my stress level is through the roof as I prepare for the coming school year, but having resigned from my faculty position in May, this summer has been a bit different. Going into Labor Day weekend I’m feeling […]
Archives for August 2013
GoStrap Handheld Smartphone Strap Review
August 23, 2013 By 11 Comments
I don’t often run with my Smartphone, but when I do I prefer to hold it in my hand or tuck it into a pocket in a hydration vest. I can’t stand carrying an iPhone on my upper arm, particularly if I need to have easy access to it for some reason (e.g., to change […]
Newton Energy Running Shoe Review
August 22, 2013 By 38 Comments
The first time I put on the Newton Energy NR I didn’t know quite what to think. My first impression was that they were crazy soft and that the heel lockdown was really slippy. I though maybe Newton had swung and missed with the newest shoe in their lineup. (Disclosure: These shoes were media samples […]
Altra Increasing Stack Height on the Instinct 2 and Intuition 2
August 20, 2013 By 52 Comments
Altra has released images of the newest iteration of their flagship shoe, and in a move that is sure to generate some discussion and controversy among the Altra faithful, it sports a thicker sole than it’s predecessors: Altra Instinct 2.0 image via Sneakerreport Stack heights on the Instinct 2 and Intuition 2 have gone up […]
Dirty Runner: Pearl Izumi EM N1 Trail Shoe Review
August 15, 2013 By 2 Comments
I’ve been struggling to write this review. I received this pair of Pearl Izumi EM N1 Trail shoes in May and have run 111 miles in them so far (Disclosure: These shoes were sent to me free of charge as a media sample courtesy of PI). I love these shoes, but when thinking about what […]
adidas Boost: Some Actual Running Economy Data
August 14, 2013 By 18 Comments
Several months ago when adidas first started to market their new BOOST midsole material they made a big deal of touting the fact that the sole, which is composed of fused polyurethane beads, provides greater energy return than traditional EVA. The implication was that this energy return would provide a performance benefit to a runner […]
I Think I’m a Pseudo-Heel Striker!: Study Suggests That As Many as 25-33% of Heel Strikers Exhibit a More Midfoot Loading Pattern
August 13, 2013 By 25 Comments
One of the points I’ve attempted to make repeatedly is that there is a lot of variation among the biomechanical properties of heel strikes when we compare runners. As evidence of this I like to point to a photo compilation from the 2009 Manchester City Marathon that I put together that shows just how much […]
2014 Shoe Previews: New Balance Minimus Trail Zero v2, 980 Fresh Foam, and 890 v4
August 11, 2013 By 26 Comments
Runningshoes.com has shared a bunch of additional videos of new shoes that were previewed at the 2013 Outdoor Retailer show. In this installment we take a look at three new offerings/updates from New Balance. New Balance Minimus Trail Zero v2 (MT00v2) I really don’t understand why New Balance chose to call this shoe the Minimus […]
Podcast on Running Shoes: Minimalism, Maximalism, and Everything in Between
August 8, 2013 By 7 Comments
Last night I participated in a Runner’s Roundtable podcast discussion about running shoes with Chris Russell of the Run Run Live podcast and Mike Westermeier from Westy’s Running. The title of the podcast was “Hokas and Minimalist Running,” and although we did spend a lot of time on-topic, we wound up covering a lot more […]
Pearl Izumi EM Road N0 Preview
August 7, 2013 By 22 Comments
Yesterday I posted my review of the Pearl Izumi EM Road N1, which has quickly become one of my favorite shoes of the year so far. Today, Runningshoes.com posted a video preview of a new addition to the Pearl Izumi E-Motion line, the EM Road N0 (see below). The N0 is a zero drop shoe, […]
Saucony 2014 Shoe Previews: Virrata 2, Grid Type A6, Peregrine 4, and Mirage 4
August 6, 2013 By 11 Comments
My friends over at Runningshoes.com just posted a series of videos previewing shoes from the 2014 Saucony lineup that were on display at the recent summer Outdoor Retailer Show. Two of my personal favorite shoes were in the mix, including an update to my top shoe from last year, the Saucony Grid Type A5. The […]
How Can Both Barefoot Running and Hokas Reduce Knee Pain?–A Possible Explanation from a New Study
August 6, 2013 By 35 Comments
I occasionally experience pain along the outer margin of my left kneecap. It’s never severe enough to keep me from running, and it seems to come and go without much explanation. My most recent bout seemed to crop up after a run in the new Mizuno Sayonara – I can’t say for sure that the […]
Pearl Izumi EM Road N1 Running Shoe Review
August 5, 2013 By 19 Comments
Before this summer I had never worn a Pearl Izumi running shoe. I’m familiar with the brand from their high-end technical clothing, but had thought of them more as a cycling brand that had only taken tentative steps into the running market. That being said, I had heard rumblings about a new line of shoes […]
Brooks Transcend and Altra Olympus: Max Cushioning In a Lightweight Package Appears To Be The New Trend in Running Footwear
August 2, 2013 By 43 Comments
Word from the floor of the 2013 Summer Outdoor Retailer Show is that the new trend in running footwear is max cushioning in a lightweight package that incorporates some elements derived from minimalism. The following tweets from Brian Metzler of Competitor.com sum up what’s going on: Minimal/barefoot run shoe trend is almost gone, but it […]
