When I wrote up my 2013 minimalist running shoe preview last week I alluded in the comments to a new shoe coming from Merrell that I didn’t yet have clearance to discuss (was asked to hold off for a week). Well, Running Warehouse has now let the cat out of the bag on the RW […]
Merrell Ascend Glove Preview: Zero Drop, Cushioned Trail Running Shoe
January 13, 2013 By 19 Comments
Barefoot Running Mechanics are Different than Running in Nike Free, Nike Lunaracer 2, Standard Shoes
January 13, 2013 By 17 Comments
Several interesting studies have come out over the past few weeks that have in one way or another focused on the running foot strike. The first that I’m going to cover is by Jason Bonacci and colleagues and addresses how running mechanics differ between barefoot running and running in a “minimalist” shoe (Nike Free 3.0), […]
5 Running Shoe Design Elements That Drive Me Nuts
January 10, 2013 By 44 Comments
English: Angry (Photo credit: Wikipedia) My preferences in running shoes are well known to those who regularly read this blog: lightweight, mid to low heel-forefoot drop, roomy toebox, etc. But, even in shoes that meet these major criteria, there are some design aspects that I encounter frequently that irritate the heck out of me. I […]
Introducing Nate Sanel – The Dirty Runner
January 9, 2013 By Leave a Comment
After 4 years of managing, editing, designing, and writing Runblogger entirely on my own, I’ve decided in 2013 to enlist a bit of help. One of my limitations is that I don’t run a lot of trails (at least not yet). I hit the trails behind my house on occasion, but rarely for long distances, […]
Altra Torin: Guest Review by John Shepard
January 8, 2013 By 25 Comments
John Shepard (@runsheprun on Twitter) and I are kindred spirits in a way. We both are fathers of three kids (he writes about his on the Suburban Father Alliance blog), we both fell in love with running and footwear, and shoes have become a second career of sorts for both of us. For me it […]
Brooks Drift, Mizuno Evo Levitas, Mizuno Evo Cursoris: Comparative Review by Fred Brossard
January 8, 2013 By 62 Comments
Guest review by Fred Brossard: Fred Brossard is a French expert on minimalist running. He is the co-author of the book “Barefoot, Minimalism, Natural Running” (Ed Amphora) and is a freelance writer and gear reviewer for http://runners.fr The French representatives for both Mizuno and Brooks Running recently gave me the chance to be the first […]
2013 Minimalist Running Shoe Preview: Eye Candy for Shoe Geeks!
January 3, 2013 By 65 Comments
I’ve been asked a number of times recently about which of the shoes that are coming out in 2013 I’m most excited about. To be honest, there are a ton! After a fairly stagnant Fall with few exciting new shoes released, we are about to get hit by a wave of new minimalist spectrum footwear […]
Top 3 Hybrid Trail Running Shoes of 2012
January 1, 2013 By 28 Comments
This is the last post in my “best shoes of 2012” series. I’ve previously covered the following categories: 1. Top Transitional Road Running Shoes of 2012 2. Top Barefoot-Style Road Running Shoes of 2012 3. Top Cushioned, Zero Drop Road Running Shoes of 2012 In this post I tackle trail shoes, and I’ll do so […]
Top 3 Zero Drop, Cushioned Road Running Shoes of 2012
December 31, 2012 By 17 Comments
Welcome to post number three in my top running shoes of 2012 series – this time I take on the zero drop, cushioned road shoe category. This is a category that grew in a big way this year, and is set to expand even more through the first half of 2013. Personally, I find a […]
Top Barefoot-Style Road Running Shoes of 2012
December 29, 2012 By 11 Comments
Time for post #2 in my “Best of 2012” shoes series. In this list I tackle my top barefoot-style road shoes of the year. I define barefoot-style shoes as zero drop shoes with minimal cushion between the foot and the ground. Vibram Fivefingers and Vivobarefoot pioneered this category, but these days my preferences have moved […]
Study: Running Economy Improves After a 4 Week Simulated Barefoot Running Program
December 26, 2012 By 12 Comments
English: Vibram FiveFingers Bikila shoes, top view. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) The question of how footwear (or lack thereof) affects running economy has received a great deal of attention over the past year or so. Several studies have come out that have compared oxygen consumption in runners in both shod and unshod states, and most recently […]
A Word of Thanks and A Look to the Future
December 23, 2012 By 79 Comments
Santa Claus icon (Photo credit: Wikipedia) About a month ago I wrote a post about how I needed to take control of my exceedingly busy and stressful life. I’m happy to report that I’ve decided to take my future by the horns and wrestle it in the direction that I think is right for me […]
Top 3 Most Disappointing Running Shoes of 2012
December 21, 2012 By 43 Comments
As the year comes to a close, it’s time once again for me to reflect back on the multitude of shoes that I’ve run in over the past 12 months. There are plenty of standouts (I’m going to break my “best of” lists into three categories this year, may have one ready later today), but […]
Top 5 Transitional Road Running Shoes of 2012
December 21, 2012 By 59 Comments
Earlier today I posted my top 3 most disappointing running shoes of 2012 – I wanted to get the bad news out of the way first so I could proceed on to the good stuff! I’ve had the good fortune to run in a lot of fine shoes this year, and given the diversity of […]
The Brooks Launch Has Been Spared!
December 20, 2012 By 6 Comments
I just received a Twitter message from my friend Brad alerting me to a new post on the Brooks Running Blog. The post breaks the news that Brooks have decided to spare the Launch! If you aren’t aware of the recent chain of events with regard to the Launch, Brooks decided earlier this year that […]
