One of my favorite shoes last year was the Asics Hyper Speed 6. It was one of those shoes that matched my personal preferences almost perfectly: lightweight, softish heel, responsive forefoot, simple construction. Just a great, all-around shoe. Based on my experience with the Hyper Speed, I decided to pick up a pair of the […]
Nike Wildhorse 3 Review: Beefed Up, But Still a Great Shoe
July 13, 2015 By 12 Comments
Back in March I wrote a very positive review of the Nike Wildhorse 2. I’d put a bunch of miles on them over the winter, and was impressed by the combination of a lightweight, minimally structured upper and a well-cushioned, but reasonably thin sole. They also provided solid traction on the crusty ice and snow […]
Using Road Racing Shoes for Trail Running
July 6, 2015 By 48 Comments
by David Henry I’ve been using road racing shoes for trail running for quite some time now. Within this category, I typically look for shoes that feel fast and quick, are lightweight, and yet can still protect against the hazards of the trail. Recently, I spent some time trying to narrow down the shoe(s) I […]
Salming T1 Review: A Nice Trail/Mountain Hybrid Shoe
June 30, 2015 By 11 Comments
by David Henry I hadn’t heard much about the Swedish shoe brand Salming before Pete asked me if I’d be willing to try their debut trail shoe, the T1, for review. After looking at some of the specs on their website, I saw that many of the features were what I like to see in […]
What Riding an Unusual Bike Has to Do With Changing Running Form
June 19, 2015 By 7 Comments
I often find myself telling clients that I work with in the clinic that changing running form is hard. The difficulty is not so much physical – tissues will adapt to a new movement pattern over time. Rather, the challenge is mainly neurological – it’s very hard to make the body move in a new […]
New Balance Boracay Review: Small Changes Make a Better Shoe
June 17, 2015 By 4 Comments
Sometimes all it takes is a few small changes to improve a shoe. This was the case with the Hoka Clifton 2, which I reviewed earlier this week. Hoka added a bit of padding to the tongue, an additional lace eyelet, and a new insole, but kept just about everything else on the shoe the […]
Hoka Clifton 2 Review: A Solid Update
June 15, 2015 By 34 Comments
If I were in the habit of giving “best update” awards, the Hoka Clifton 2 would be a solid contender for 2015. It’s not so much that I love the shoe – it’s actually a bit on the soft side for my personal taste. Rather, Hoka did a great job addressing problems that people had […]
Do Maximalist Running Shoes Reduce Impact Forces?
June 5, 2015 By 31 Comments
One of the drawbacks of the scientific research process is that it is slow. It takes time to run experiments, write up results, and get those results published in a peer-reviewed journal. As a result, popular trends tend to take off before science has a chance to validate the beliefs that sparked those trends. We […]
BBC Documentary Examines Doping Allegations Against Alberto Salazar and the Nike Oregon Project
June 4, 2015 By 2 Comments
The big news in the running world yesterday was the release of a documentary and several associated articles alleging doping among members of the Nike Oregon Project. I just finished watching the documentary on YouTube and thought I’d share it here. Below also are several links to articles about the allegations. It will be interesting […]
Form Differences Among Barefoot Running, Minimalist Shoe Running, and Standard Shoe Running
June 2, 2015 By 9 Comments
Based upon research published over the past several years, I’ve come to believe the following about the effects of footwear (or lack thereof) on running form: 1. Barefoot running is different and no shoe perfectly replicates the barefoot condition. Running barefoot, particularly on a hard surface, increases the likelihood that a runner will adapt a […]
New Runblogger Tool–Shoe Finder
June 1, 2015 By 21 Comments
Quick post to announce a new tool that I put together – I spent several days last week pulling data from nearly every shoe listed on Running Warehouse, as well as from a few brands that they don’t carry. I input all of the data on price, weight, stack height, drop, etc. into a spreadsheet, […]
Nike Free 3.0 Flyknit 2015 Review: Flexible Sole, Sock-Like Upper, and Solid Cushioning in a Lightweight Package
May 28, 2015 By 23 Comments
The Nike Free line of running shoes was originally designed to mimic barefoot running on grass. All shoes in the line are characterized by an extremely flexible sole, and the three models vary in upper construction and the amount of sole cushioning. The Free 5.0 has the highest heel-forefoot drop and a more traditional, though […]
Nike Pegasus vs. Nike Free 3.0: Does a Moderately Cushioned Shoe Encourage Barefoot-Like Biomechanics?
May 20, 2015 By 13 Comments
Nike has long touted the design of their Free line of running shoes as having been inspired by barefoot running. Indeed, the newest Free shoes have the phrase “Barefoot Ride” written right on the insole (see photo at left). Personally, I’m a fan of the Frees since they suit my preference for light, flexible, moderately […]
Nike Free 5.0 2015 Review: Yes, You Can Run in Them!
May 18, 2015 By 43 Comments
Over the past several years the Nike Free 5.0 has consistently been one of the best selling athletic shoes in the United States. Go to any school and you’re likely to see many kids sporting the flexible and colorful 5.0s. When I was in Disney World earlier this year the Free was probably among the […]
Running Article Recs: Heat Training, Overtraining, Neuroplasticity, and More!
Last year I started sending out a weekly newsletter with recommended articles from around the web. I stopped producing the newsletter in the Fall because it was sometimes tough to come up with articles on a weekly basis, and I simply ran out of steam trying to keep up with it. I thought I might […]