Chaco claims that the Barefoot Z sandal is the lightest, most minimal sport sandal ever created. Here’s what the brand has to say about the new shoe:

“We stripped away all the clutter and went back to the basics—way back—with our new Barefoot Z sandal,” says Gary Banik, Chaco’s lead product developer. “Our hyper-minimal silhouette is so low-profile, you won’t even realize they’re on your feet.”

“The Barefoot Z, to me, represents the culmination of a quarter-century of Chacos’ research and development of the ultimate sport sandal,” notes Chaco Ambassador, Brendan Leonard. “I’ve worn mine for hiking, trail running, bouldering, and even a few pitches of ice climbing. Really, if you want to go truly light and fast in the mountains, I don’t know why you’d wear anything else. Including clothing.”

The Barefoot Z features a new Paleolithic design with a GroundTouch footbed that has been millions of years in the making. Jacquard webbing wraps across the foot and finishes in a toe loop for total forefoot control. The minimalist outsole design will leave feet calloused, creating luggy knots of hardened skin for a tread that can take on any trail.

And here are the specs:

Product details:

UPPER:

• Polyester jacquard webbing upper, with toe loop, wraps around the foot for the ultimate customized fit

• Adjustable and durable webbing heel risers

• Custom injection molded ladder lock for a secure hold

MIDSOLE:

• Earthy GroundTouch footbed with slip resistant footprint pattern design

OUTSOLE:

• Non-marking ultra-minimalist design with calloused skin for tread

• Weightless outsole for versatility

Quite a gamble by Chaco!

“I triple-dog dare you!”

I had no idea when I wrote my post yesterday on cold sensitivity in the man parts when wearing tights that it would be such a popular topic! In the past 24 hours the post has been viewed nearly 4000 times and has accumulated 91 comments and counting. Who knew!

Well, it seems I’m not the only one who has touched upon the sensitive topic of pain in the privates and running in the past few days. Given the high level of interest in the topic, I thought it worthwhile to share a few other posts:

First, Neil over at The Lumberjack discusses how a vasectomy can cause issues for a runner. For example:

“I am down to almost no pain after about ten days. I’ve been able to run with no issues beyond my stitches occasionally catching on the fabric of my shorts. They’ve been doing that since the beginning but I trimmed one of the longer ones and that greatly reduced the number of instances where I was suddenly struck with pain.”

Check out Neil’s excellent post on this infrequently discussed subject here.

Next, some friends on Twitter (thanks Daniel!) just forwarded me an article ominously titled “Hypothetically Speaking, How Does One Treat a Scrotum Frozen to a Thigh?” The article might just have the best feature photo I’ve seen in a long time. Here’s an excerpt:

“‘For the scrotum to freeze to the thigh, the thigh skin would have to be at a freezing temperature,’ Schlegel says. That means the skin would be frostbitten. If that’s truly the case, then warm water should separate the scrotum from the thigh.”

To be fully prepared to deal with the situation should this unfortunate occurrence happen to you, I suggest reading the full article on Outside Online.

Enjoy!

I was searching for posts about ultramarathon shoes and came across a race report he wrote about running the White River 50 Mile Run. I honestly don’t think I’ve ever laughed so hard reading a race report, and the medal illustrations he received from readers are as good as the race report itself. I highly recommend heading over to The Oatmeal and checking it out!

Below is the winning reader illustration (by Happy Simpleton) and gives a good sense of the content of the race report.

Nike Air Max Women High Heel

Athlete Visits UVA SPEED Clinic from the North Pole

Happy Holidays to all!