Sanuk Hemp Shoe Review

"Herb the gift from the earth -

And what's from the earth is of the greatest worth -

So before you knock it try it first -

You'll see it's a blessing and it's not a curse

If you don't like my fire then don't come around -

'Cause I'm gonna burn one down -

Yes I'm gonna burn one down."

- Ben Harper, "Burn One Down" (video after post)

Before I carved this little niche for myself in minimalist footwear, I dabbled in reviewing footwear that was environmentally friendly.  Today's product is something of a hybrid of those two genres, featuring a shoe that offers many biomechanical benefits of natural footwear, while using eco-friendly material for its upper construction. 

Sanuk Hemp shoe

The only downside is that the material in question isn't exactly legal to grow in the United States - although that's a larger discussion for another time (but if you want a synopsis, I'll have a short discussion here momentarily.)  However, when you have a finished product like Sanuk's Hemp shoe, it's tough to see a rational objection to using hemp for industrial purposes.  If you think of the plant as a gift from the Earth, think of the Hemp shoe as a gift to your feet, providing a great combination of high comfort and high fashion - and like the plant, it's well-suited for a variety of uses.

Here's the quick rundown of using hemp, a low-THC (the stuff that gets you high) strain of the notorious Cannabis plant that is among the earliest farmed plants known to man: It's one of the fastest-growing crops in the world, and can be used for food, fuel, paper products, textiles, furnishings, and multiple other applications.  It requires almost no pesticides or herbicides to thrive, and is responsibly farmed in multiple countries around the world. 

It also comprises the entire upper of Sanuk's Hemp shoe, a 100% vegan option that is probably one of the most versatile styles in the company's lineup.  The shoe is nice looking enough to wear in a casual work or social setting, but it's got enough of a laid-back vibe - especially thanks to the frayed edge seam detail - to fit right in with a tank top and cutoff shorts.

Wearing them sockless is no problem, thanks to a liner made in the classic beach poncho style.  Between the liner and the soft molded EVA midsole, your feet have mellow comfort no matter what environment you use them in.

In previous Sanuk reviews I've described the construction specs that make their footwear fairly friendly for barefoot or natural shoe fans.  They're not perfect - primarily because at 15mm they're a little too high off the ground ...

... but there's no question that your feet maintain full flexibility and natural biomechanics when wearing the Hemp shoe.  You can roll it ... you just can't smoke it.

Another recurring construction point with Sanuk shoes is the outsoles, which provide very little traction at all.  On the Hemp shoe, the regular Happy U pattern is overlain with a sheer, very thin fabric of some sort, which actually makes them even less grippy.  I'm not sure what Sanuk is doing here, but it's the one clear drawback of the company's shoes.

Otherwise, the Hemp is a crazy-comfortable, highly versatile sidewalk sandal that demonstrates an effective and responsible use of the plant in question - even if the DEA won't hear of it.  Sanuk's Hemp shoe retails for $50 from Amazon.com.

*

Quite fitting with a simple and remarkably effective plant is this Ben Harper gem, featuring one of the simplest and most remarkably effective riffs in his entire catalog.

Ben Harper, "Burn One Down" (click to play):

*Product provided by Sanuk.  Affiliate sales support Running and Rambling.

**If you have a product you'd like reviewed, contact me at info@runningandrambling.com.

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High Tides and Low Tides (Part II)

A quick announcement before today’s post: last month I conducted a review and giveaway of Orgain nutritional shakes, which provide the calories and nutrients of a full meal replacement while somehow managing to be completely delicious. I could only pick three winners back then, but everyone has another chance to win a stash of freebies this spring. Every week from now through April 1, Orgain is giving away a month’s supply (three cases) of its organic shakes to one lucky winner through its Facebook page. So head over there and “like” them or whatever else you have to do to enter, and good luck!

*
As for today … normally this weekend slot is where I put a Random Shot of Beauty – but since I have a brief follow-up story to an earlier post this week, I’m changing the script a bit and doing a Random Song of Beauty instead.

In this Valentine’s Day post I described how Bob Marley music has been part of the soundtrack of my love affair with my wife over more than 20 years, starting with a poster hanging in my dorm room. I embedded his song “High Tide or Low Tide”, and almost immediately afterward a few people asked if I knew of the Jack Johnson and Ben Harper remake. Not only am I aware of that version, but I’m nervous that it represents a bit of ironic foreshadowing in the life of one of my kids.

If there’s one musician who is more overwhelmingly beloved in our family than Bob Marley, it's Jack Johnson. We listen to his albums repeatedly throughout the course of any given day, and the kids fall to sleep to the sound of his voice by night. It’s quite likely that any member of our family can sing any one of his tunes by heart – which, considering the extent of his repertoire, is no small feat.

Photo from jackjohnsonmusic.com

Of all the members in our family fan club, none is more enamored than my 9-year-old daughter. She and I have had many conversations – oftentimes while running together - about the joy of his music, the beauty of his lyrics, and how listening to his songs can simply overwhelm us with positive feelings. It’s no exaggeration to suggest that we’ve bonded over his music, and that it has served as the glue in our relationship on more than one occasion.

So here’s what this story has to do with the previous one: when I first saw the Jack Johnson cover of Bob Marley’s song, I had this strange feeling of a kind of torch being passed. In a not-too-distant place and time, I have visions of my daughter walking into the dorm room of some introverted college knucklehead, seeing a poster of Jack Johnson on the wall, and becoming completely smitten with the kid. And maybe that will lead to something more serious, until one day I realize that she’d rather sing Jack Johnson songs with somebody else besides me.

I know from experience that such things can happen - but when that day eventually comes, I’m not entirely sure that my heart will be able to take it. Until then, all I can do is enjoy the music with her while there’s still time.

*

Jack Johnson and Ben Harper, "High Tide or Low Tide" (click to play):

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Simple Satire Kids' Shoe Review

*Admin note before today’s post: given the time of year, I’ll be bringing at least a couple of back to school-themed posts in the near future. I’ve also mentioned previously that books will be getting increased attention around here; in some cases those topics (books and school) might overlap, but in most cases they won’t. This is one of the “won’ts”.

**
“I can change the world with my own two hands –
Make a better place with my own two hands …

I’m gonna make it a brighter place –
I’m gonna make it a safer place –
I’m gonna help the human race –
With my own, with my own two hands.”
- Ben Harper, “With My Own Two Hands” (video after post)


A few years ago, my son’s 4th grade class sang the above song at an assembly, which was part of the school’s overall emphasis on developing children of character: kids who practice kindness towards others, conduct themselves responsibly, and take care of the local community and global environments around them.

The idea of teaching eco-responsibility is relatively modern - at least, I certainly don’t remember it from my own elementary school days – but it’s not always an easy thing to do with our kids in practice. Organic, free range, or hormone-free food is expensive. Finding toys without plastics or that are assembled without toxins is next to impossible. And environmentally responsible apparel and footwear is often a combination of the two: both rare and expensive.

So when a company makes responsible role modeling simple and easily accessible, it’s a pleasant thing to see. Or, flipped around, perhaps I could say that when the Simple company makes pleasant footwear models for kids, it’s our responsibility to pay attention.

I’ve profiled Simple shoes in previous product reviews, but here’s their story in a nutshell: the company’s mission is to be the most eco-friendly shoe manufacturer on the planet. They use materials and processes that minimize their environmental impact as much as possible, with a stated goal of becoming 100% sustainable. They’re also committed to keeping their retail prices affordable enough to be accessible to everyone.

They also make a full line of fashionable children’s shoes, and my 9-year-old daughter (coincidentally, now a 4th grader herself) went back to school this fall in the Simple Satire, a very cute little sneaker with all of the eco-friendly features of the company’s grown-up shoes.

The Satire is a completely vegan shoe, with no animal products or byproducts used in its construction. It has a moderate midsole height but no drop from heel to toe, making it a nice option for fans of natural walking, albeit with much less ground feel than a minimalist-style shoe.

The footbed contains some EVA but also uses a material called BIO-D that is biodegradable. Certified organic cotton is used for the interior lining, and like all Simple shoes, the bottom of the Satire utilizes rubber from recycled car tires.

Best of all, they just look like a cute schoolgirl shoe, and they’re fairly affordable, especially if you can find them on sale. The pair pictured here is an older model that we picked up at REI.com, where they’re presently being closed out for $20. Current pairs retail for $42 from the Simple website, but many sizes and styles (including boy colors, too) are discounted to $32 at Endless.com. It’s a relatively affordable way to make a statement to your kids about supporting good companies, and to bring them one step closer to changing the world with their own two feet.

**

Although it was Jack Johnson who made this song famous among the 10-and-under crowd by reworking it for the Curious George soundtrack, in my opinion the original reggae version remains vastly superior from a musical standpoint. Coming from a devoted Jack Johnson fan, that’s really saying something.

Ben Harper, “With My Own Two Hands” (click to play)



*Product purchased independently.
**See other product reviews on sidebar at right. If you have a product you’d like reviewed, contact me at info@runningandrambling.com.

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