Video Instruction

We’ll move forward into the weekend by backtracking a little bit on the whole notion of barefoot running.

More specifically, for as much as I’m practicing and promoting barefoot running, I haven’t described in much detail exactly how your form changes when transitioning from traditional footwear to a “forefoot running” shoe (such as Nike Free, Newton Gravity, or the ECCO BIOM, which will be reviewed later this month), to minimalist footwear (Vibram or Feelmax), to finally ditching the shoes altogether.

It’s a concept that’s much easier to feel and visualize than to describe in writing – and since I can’t take everyone along for a run, I hunted down some videos that should help illustrate the differences in running form.

The first is from the Newton website, with Chief Technological Officer Danny Abshire – himself an experienced ultrarunner – explaining and demonstrating forefoot running, and how Newton’s shoes are designed for this specific style. Although it’s a promotional video for the company’s product, there are a lot of simple instructions here to illustrate some good basic points:



When you’re ready to ditch shoes altogether, there’s no margin for error in using proper form; if you don’t get it right, you’re assuming a high risk of injury. Jason Robillard is a Midwestern runner who has launched a barefoot instructional website, and in this video, he demonstrates proper barefoot form.



If you’re like me, one of the first things you’ll notice above is how slow barefoot running appears, and you’ll wonder whether it’s possible to run at high speeds, especially over rough terrain. So to give you a sense of what’s possible, here’s a video from perhaps the most popular barefoot runner in the world: Barefoot Ted, who has been running without shoes for more than five years and has a coaching service of his own. He’s also an accomplished ultrarunner, having finished several 100-milers in Vibram FiveFingers – including a sub-26 hour finish at Leadville this summer.

In this video, Barefoot Ted dispels the notion that barefoot runners have to be slow and cautious all the time; if you build up to it the right way, your naked feet are capable of supporting some truly remarkable activity:



I don’t know if I’ll ever get to the level of Barefoot Ted’s proficiency (although an ultra in Vibrams is an intriguing possibility), but it’s nice to know that I’m not pushing any envelopes that haven’t already been torn through. If we recognize what kinds of accomplishments are possible, and attentively use the proper means to reach them, there’s virtually no limit to our progression as barefoot runners.

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Soft Star Roo Moccasin Review (And Coupon Giveaway!)

Have you ever seen really comfortable or attractive children’s clothing – like a cozy pair of pajamas, a cute skirt, or a colorful raincoat - and wished that there was a grown-up version that you could enjoy? If so, you’ll absolutely love Soft Star footwear.

from Soft Star brochure

Soft Star was founded in the 1980s by Tim and Jeanie Oliver, who initially wanted little more than to operate their own business and do something nice for children. As their baby daughter was learning to walk, they were unhappy with most of the hard, stiff toddler shoes on the market, and looked for footwear that was soft and flexible to better support muscle development.

Finding nothing satisfactory, they educated themselves on the shoe crafting trade, and started their own cottage business. Soft Star moccasins were designed for little people to run, jump, and roll around in – and their designs were totally adorable.

Tim Oliver at work; photo from Soft Star website

The Olivers sold their footwear at local festivals and through mail order, and gradually developed a loyal following. Over the years, their cool designs and natural construction have also attracted the attention of many celebrities whose children grow up in Soft Star moccasins. (Children’s styles remain the primary engine of the business, as a look at Soft Star’s press room will quickly confirm.) Fortunately, Soft Star recognized that many grown-ups want the same comfort, style, and natural benefits as their moccasin-wearing kids - so the company began making their footwear for the entire range of adult sizes.

from Soft Star website

Although the company has grown significantly, Soft Star shoes are still hand-crafted at the family workshop in Oregon. There’s no outsourcing, and no mass production; each pair of moccasins is hand-made by one of the nine Soft Star “elves”, making it one of only a handful of shoe manufacturers whose materials and production remain entirely in the United States. Since each pair is individually made, Soft Star also specializes in custom orders for those who have trouble with traditional footwear sizing.

Avoiding the “staging” process of most shoe companies helps keep Soft Star one of the greenest companies around. They also have several eco-friendly processes such as using formaldehyde-free leathers and all-natural materials without chemicals, dyes, or pollutants for manufacturing. Their factory is powered by Oregon’s Blue Sky renewable energy program, and Soft Star’s overall carbon footprint must be one of the smallest of any business around.

But that’s not why you’ll love the shoes. You’ll love them because they’re fun to look at, and they may be the most comfortable thing you’ll ever put on your feet.

Soft Star’s line of adult footwear is basically an expanded version of its children’s moccasins. The materials and color schemes are tailored to more adult tastes, but you don’t have to limit yourself to what’s on the menu. If you want to custom design your colors, they’ll do that for you. (They even have a chart that can match a moccasin to your favorite crayon color – how fun is that?) If you want suede instead of leather, that’s OK too. You can choose 100% vegan options if that’s your desire. And if you want the exact same rainbow-with-elf-fringe design that your toddler wears, they can do that as well.

Soft Star Roo

My model came off the menu, and is one of Soft Star’s most popular styles: the Roo (kind of a fun name, isn’t it?), made of suede with a grippy undersole. Like all Soft Star mocs, it features an insole with plush sheepskin, a naturally homeostatic material that wicks moisture away and keeps your foot at an even temperature in hot or cold weather. There’s an elastic ankle closure that makes them a cinch to put on, but keeps them securely in place during activity.

The insole is attached to a bottom layer of suede, which is then bonded to the T-Rex soling material - a soft black rubberized fabric layer which provides non-slip properties and offers a moisture barrier to allow indoor and outdoor use of the moccasin. The Soft Star site claims that T-Rex material is used in mountain apparel to help climbers keep their grip on tough terrain.

T-Rex fabric on underside

Since there’s no midsole to the moccasin, the underside of the Roo is just a few millimeters thick, so this is a true minimalist shoe that provides all of the ground feel and musculoskeletal advantages of going barefoot – except that you’re swaddled in sheepskin and soft suede. If there’s a more comfortable way of walking naturally, I haven’t seen it yet.

Super soft and flexible

Predictably, the barefoot community has flocked to Soft Star, and several minimalist runners use this footwear for running. (Soft Star actually has an entire page devoted to the benefits of going barefoot, which I'm fairly certain was on their site even before the Great Barefoot Craze of 2009 began. They’re not being trendy; it’s a philosophy they truly believe in.) I’ve tried mine this way, but the sheepskin felt too warm against my bare feet, so I prefer to stick with my Vibrams or Feelmax for running. However, for casual use, these have become my “put them on as soon as I walk in the door after work” footwear – and as winter creeps closer and the temperature gets colder, I’m certain that I’ll be logging a ton of hours in my Roos.

My grippy Roo moccasins retail for $63 from the Soft Star site, and the children’s versions retail for $34. These individually made, hand-crafted products are assembled with attention to detail and built for durability, so you’ll enjoy them for years to come – unless you’re a kid that grows out of them, of course. For the comfort and utility you get, they’re totally worth the price. They'd also make a great baby or toddler gift for all the little Roos in your life.

In conjunction with this review, Soft Star provided me with a single $20 coupon redeemable on any item from their website, including custom orders (which are usually slightly more expensive than standard models). If you’d like to get a pair of Soft Stars and save yourself 20 bucks, leave your name (first names OK) in the comment box below, and I’ll randomly select a lucky winner on Monday.

*product provided by Soft Star Shoes

*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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Disclosure

So … yeah. The FTC thing.

Enough people have asked or e-mailed me about the upcoming Federal Trade Commission guidelines for bloggers that I figured I should make some sort of blanket statement about the product reviews that have become the lifeblood of this blog in recent months.

Basically, the regulation that goes into effect December 1st requires anyone who reviews products online to disclose any connection with advertisers, including the receipt of free products, and whether or not they were paid to make an endorsement.

The rule is well-intentioned; it’s awfully easy for someone to rave on their blog or Facebook page or Twitter feed about the fantastic new diet plan they’re on, or how much they love a new TV show that debuted this fall – but it’s often difficult for readers to know if those opinions are being incentivized. It’s a well-known practice for some companies (weight loss product vendors seem most guilty of this) to create false blogs that appear to be everyday people gushing about what a great supplement they’ve discovered. Product endorsement is also prevalent among celebrities who have millions of followers willing to try whatever items their pop culture idols suggest.

So those are the primary targets of the regulation, but the rule also impacts smaller-scale websites and lesser-known proprietors who operate the Internet equivalent of Five and Dime shops - which brings us back to Running and Rambling.

The person behind this blog is me. I’m not a front for a larger company, and I don’t make any effort to keep product sources secret. The vast majority of gear I receive is provided to me directly by the companies involved. If there’s something specific I’m looking to review, I’ll occasionally reach out to a company on my own, but more frequently they contact me at the e-mail address I include at the end of each review post.

My other source is a connection I’ve (hopefully) been very up front about – my relationship with Wilderness Running Company. They’re an online vendor dedicated to the trail running community, and I have a ton of respect for the way they promote ultrarunning and the outdoor adventure lifestyle. I don’t have a financial stake in the company, but they occasionally send me products to review, usually in conjunction with a special promotion they are offering. They have become my primary choice for online vendors – so if a company sends me a product that is carried by WRC, I’ll link to the WRC page instead of Amazon or REI or ZombieRunner (all of whom I frequently use for links to non-WRC products).

Seriously, they're awesome - go check them out sometime. Be sure to use my coupon code (R&R10) for a 10% discount.

And then, every so often, I actually buy something for the express purpose of reviewing it here. This is my least frequent means of obtaining products, as I’d probably go broke if this were my regular mode of operation.

As far as conflict of interest goes, I’d like to think that I stay fairly objective about the product regardless of its source. I don’t love every product, but I’ll never just say “I hate this thing,” or, “These shoes are terrible.” Rather, I try to point out what kind of user would benefit from the product in question, even if it doesn’t suit my individual needs. Although a product may not knock my socks off, it still might serve a need for somebody else – so I try to indicate where that would be the case.

I’m finding that my website has pretty good reach in cyberspace – especially in Google searches for specific products – so my goal is always to make my review worth the cost of a product sample to the company who has provided it. Considering the cost of mass marketing, and the fact that specialized websites tend to draw an ideally targeted demographic, I like to think that I hold up my end of the bargain fairly well.

Of course, I’ll never purposely write a glowing review of a product just because I received it for free – but to eliminate any hint of deception, it’s not that big of a deal for me to disclose my product sources. From now on, I’ll include that info at the end of each review post.

If you have any feedback or suggestions about this regulation and its impact on individual bloggers, I’d love to hear it. Comment below, or feel free to e-mail me at info@runningandrambling.com.

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SOLE Platinum Sandals Review

This could be an interesting week: the product review train that is Running and Rambling will veer in some unusual directions over the next several days. We'll go from warm-weather footwear (today) to cold-weather necessities (later this week), with one or two random stops along the way (wherever I can fit them in).

The most unusual aspect of today’s post, however, is that I haven’t actually reviewed the product in question. Instead, as often happens when I get myself in a jam, I’m turning to my wife to bail me out.

Actually, the timing was fairly fortuitous; throughout the summer, she had been looking to replace her favorite flip-flop sandals that were discontinued last year. So when SOLE offered to let me test a pair of Platinum Orthopedic Sandals, I pretended that I was really a girl with size 9 feet, and tricked them into sending me a women’s version.

(OK … that’s not really the way it happened; I explained our situation to the company rep, and he was very cool to let me do a writeup based on my wife’s testing and feedback. So with that, we’ll get right to it.)


SOLE (always written in all caps; I have no idea why) is the brainchild of Canadian Mike Baker, the founder and president who first made his mark with do-it-yourself custom insoles, and more recently expanded to the arena of orthopedic sandals.

The orthopedic angle is an important one, as Baker’s product idea was inspired by his own history of injury. SOLE footbeds are designed to create a custom fit for improved comfort, alignment, balance and injury-prevention. The company has sold millions of insoles to NFL and NBA teams, military personnel, and medical professionals. Both the insoles and sandals are approved by the American Podiatric Medical Association.


(However, it will certainly be a point of contention with barefoot practitioners that the company’s website proclaims that without proper cushioning and support, the human foot is inclined to “collapse” and cause pain all the way up the body. Maybe it’s a good thing that my wife was the one doing this review.)

Baker also has a strong social and environmental conscious, supporting several outreach programs promoting youth fitness and targeting the childhood obesity epidemic. SOLE is committed to environmental sustainability, using recycled packaging components, and converting product scraps from its factories into reusable product material. Just this month, they announced a partnership with ReCORK America to produce footwear from recycled wine corks – so next time you drain a bottle, think of it as doing your part to help create a sandal for somebody.

The distinguishing feature of SOLE sandals is how the footbed becomes personalized for each person’s unique foot properties. The wear-moldable footbed conforms to the shape of your foot after repeated uses: the arch height adjusts to your required level, the forefoot takes the shape of the balls of your feet and toes, and the aligning heel cup is contoured to your individual shape. The result is a continuous contact surface across the underside of your feet, leaving no area unsupported. You get the benefit of an orthopedic sandal with the convenience and cool looks of a stylish flip-flop.


At this year's Outdoor Trade Show, SOLE Platinum Sport Flips were awarded the Novel Innovations award for footwear, which recognizes products based on innovative design, ergonomics, environmentally friendly construction, and overall utility value. They have a loyal following among athletes and everyday occupational users, and my wife found them comfortable as well. She also liked their sleek profile in comparison to other brands, and noted a nice selection of colors available from the SOLE webpage.

SOLE Platinum Sport Flips typically retail for $70, with both men's and women’s versions available in several sizes and colors from Endless.com and from the SOLE website. It's a higher price tag than a basic pair of flips, but if you need the orthopedic support to accompany your carefree fashion, these sandals make an attractive option for warm-weather footwear.

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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Fiesta Cakes

If you should ever wonder why I feel compelled to run as much as I do, allow me to present a little story, along with a few exhibits that my wife threw together over the course of about 48 hours last week:

Exhibit A: a gumball machine cake.

Each fall, our elementary school has a Fall Fiesta fundraiser, and one of the most popular attractions is the Cake Walk, where 15 people go around a circle of numbers in musical-chairs fashion until the music stops. A number is pulled out of the bucket, and the person standing on that number wins a cake. Simple as that.

Yes, the gumballs are real

So each year, my wife comes up with some super creative designs for the cake table. And since she's helped organize the Fiesta in years past, she's aware that some parents are either too busy or too forgetful to bring cakes of their own - so she makes one or two extra on their behalf. That's just her way.

Exhibit B: My 8-year-old's favorite design this year

Each of us in our family knows that these cakes don't only look delightful, but they taste amazingly good - so the kids' primary goal at every Fall Fiesta is to win one of Mom's cakes back.

It's really a bunch of cleverly arranged cupcakes

The trouble is, the cakes are so distinctive that they're always among the first to be picked from the table by early winners of the Cake Walk. This year, our 5-year-old did the family proud by winning a cake within the first half-hour of the carnival.

Exhibit C: A cute carousel

She picked out the carousel cake that she helped decorate, and came home the hero of the day. As for the cake - it lasted less than 24 hours at our house before it vanished.

Complete with real animal cookies

These cakes may seem like extraordinary stuff - but to my wife, they're just another good idea that she was able to pull off without a hitch. I could probably write a similar post like this just about any week you choose, featuring either cookies or brownies or my current favorite at this time of year, pumpkin muffins. They're too much for me to resist, so I compensate by working them off as much as possible afterward.

And I keep exercising on a regular basis in the mornings, because I never know what might be waiting for me each night when I get home.

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Running in Hard Times

I used to think I was something of a trendspotter – but recently, a running-related phenomenon had to be pointed out to me not once, but twice before I finally realized there was something worthy of discussion.

Specifically, the relationship between the national economy and the running community has been the topic of two Wall Street Journal articles since May: one describing how the overall number of runners tends to increase during recessions (see the full article here), and another explaining how downsizing and job layoffs have a secondary consequence of making race fields faster (full article here).

It all makes perfect sense, which is why I feel a bit oblivious for missing it. So while I can’t take credit for digging any of this information up, I tried to consolidate the two stories and add a couple observations of my own for our most recent Monterey Herald article, which follows below.

**

Running Life 10/8/09 “Running in Hard Times”

The economy is finally improving! Or maybe it isn’t. It depends on who you talk to, and what indicators you consider. One thing is certain, however: at some point – whether in a few months or a few years – our economy is going to recover, and people will begin to feel a bit more financially secure.

When that time comes, it will be almost universally welcomed – by everyone, that is, except for runners.

There’s a curious running-related corollary to the ebbs and flows of our national economy: namely, hard times tend to produce more and faster runners. It’s a pattern that goes back more than 30 years, to the recession of the mid-1970s – which also happened to see the biggest running boom in modern history. The historical phenomenon is so notable that the Wall Street Journal has dedicated two separate articles this year to the relationship between the economy and the running community.


When disposable income becomes scarce, gym memberships and personal trainers are often the first casualties of personal rebudgeting. By comparison, running looks like a tremendous value: the price of entry is a t-shirt, shorts, and pair of shoes. The club facility is any road, park, or trail you choose. The hours of operation are whatever works with your schedule.

Running is also proven to be a great stress reducer, triggering the release of brain neurotransmitters that make us feel more content. For many people who are struggling financially, running is a great healthy outlet to vent their fears and frustrations - or perhaps just a place to escape them for a little while.

That last point may be especially appealing to people who have been laid off during the current economic meltdown. When full-time workers involuntarily find themselves with nothing but down time, many of them pursue fitness goals that were deferred while climbing the corporate ladder.

Despite their sometimes big-ticket entry fees, nearly every major marathon in America has seen increased numbers of participants in 2009, or filled to capacity in record time. Usually when races grow in size, it’s on the back end of the pack – but over the past year, the quality of the fields has improved significantly as unemployed (or underemployed) runners have more time to spend developing their fitness and speed in preparation for these events.


For example, the gold standard for marathon runners is running a qualifying time for the Boston Marathon. In one study cited by the Wall Street Journal, there was an overall 39% increase in Boston qualifying times at races across the country during 2009 compared to 2008.

There’s even a potential “trickle-UP” effect from the increasing ranks of marathoners, making everybody better by consequence. For the amateurs, laid-off marathon runners help to raise the level of competition within age groups. Among elite athletes, Olympic-caliber collegiate runners may be more inclined to pursue their athletic goals instead of hunting for work in a dismal market. So when the economy tanks, it’s potentially great news for the entire community of runners.

Of course, we’d never recommend quitting a job or blowing your retirement savings as a strategy to help you (or us) run faster – but in stormy times, any glimmer of positive reassurance may serve as a temporary port of shelter. When the economy finally recovers, we’ll be as happy as anyone else – but we’ll also be hoping that some of those newfound converts to our sport can figure out a way to stick around and enjoy running’s benefits in good times as well as bad.

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The Barefoot Files: Training Update #5

I’ve passed a tipping point of sorts.

Ten weeks into my barefoot running development, I’m now logging more miles in either 1) bare feet, or 2) minimalist shoes like Vibram FiveFingers or Feelmax Osmas than I am in regular footwear. My biggest challenge right now is making those barefoot runs longer, easier, and (sigh) faster. In that regard, I’m making some gradual progress – as this week’s update will show.

Before we proceed, I’ve made a couple of changes to consolidate these reports. First, I’m no longer reporting mileage done in VFFs or Feelmax shoes with my barefoot updates. I’ve already gone on extensively about both these products; just know that I love both of them, I’m continuing to use them regularly – VFFs on trails, Feelmax on roads - and they’ve rapidly become my preferred style of running footwear.

Still loving the VFFs - and the funky dirt lines ... but they're not barefoot anymore.

Also, instead of linking to past updates, I’ve created a new right-hand sidebar where I’ll store highlights of this barefoot crusade, plus regular training updates. Speaking of which …

Week 10: 4 barefoot runs

* 10 min (after shod run)

* 32 min
* 20 min (after shod run)
* 35 min

Kind of an unremarkable week as far as time and mileage go, but on one early morning during this week, an inevitable consideration became very clear: it’s starting to get cold outside.

I headed out the door into 40-degree weather for one of these runs, and my toes felt pretty frosty the whole way - as if I needed another factor to make barefoot running more challenging than it already is. So I posted a question about low temperatures to the Runner’s World forum, and got a couple of interesting responses …

1) The consensus seems to be that running into the mid-30s is perfectly acceptable as long as it’s not raining or snowing, but that temps in the mid-40s with precipitation are much more difficult to handle. So now I’m going around saying, “Sure, it’s cold … but it’s a dry cold,” like that’s going to convince me to be tougher somehow.

2) The other response of note was someone who posted a link to the website of a barefoot winter runner who developed frostbite in some toes, with some others stripped of their skin down to the bone. Not quite the encouragement I was looking for. (And no, I’m not linking to it … trust me, I’m doing you a favor.)

Regardless, I think I might be able to tough out another degree or two, but I have a feeling I’ll be spending a lot more time in my minimalist shoes, or finding a different time of day to run as the weather turns colder.

After an easy 3-miler in the neighborhood

The 32 and 35 minute runs are also noteworthy in that they were done on a 3-mile loop from my house that takes me through the heart of Carmel Valley Village, a half-mile strip of businesses and pedestrian paths that are the primary gathering places for most locals. In other words, my chances of being spotted by someone I know are pretty high.

More specifically, my wife is starting to field the periodic, incredulous “Did I see your husband running barefoot this morning?” questions while shopping at the grocery store or during pickup time at our elementary school. It’s no understatement to say she’s not exactly wild about this whole little experiment of mine: she worries about me turning into a hippie, she has to wash our bedsheets about three times as often because I’m not reliably attentive to washing my dirty feet at night, and now she regularly has people asking if her spouse is insane. Nowadays, I suspect she probably has to think it over for a second before giving her answer.

Week 11: 4 barefoot runs

* 26 minutes (after shod run)

* 45 minutes
* 60 minutes
* 35 minutes

Staying on the “change of seasons” theme: it’s also starting to get dark outside. As if I needed another factor to make barefoot running more challenging than it already is.

Without being able to see the little rocks and surface irregularities on the road, I felt like Luke Skywalker wearing the lightsaber training helmet for the first time: I knew I had to relax and trust my feelings, but every few seconds I suffered some quick, sharp jab that had me wincing in pain. And just like a young Padawan, I very slowly learned to anticipate difficult spots in the road, and took the occasional stings with minimal lapses of composure. Just call me the Barefoot Jedi.

The only photo I could find was from a toy catalog ... but you get the idea.

The other significant milestone from this week was my first 60-minute, entirely barefoot run. Of course, it’s only a positive milestone in regards to the duration; distance-wise, it was probably less than 5 miles, which isn’t necessarily reason to throw a parade. But I have to say that the more time I spend barefoot, the more time I want to spend barefoot. That’s probably why the one-hour run didn’t leave me tired as much as content and eager to do more.

This isn’t quite a point of no return – as I mentioned several weeks ago, my intention isn’t to become a 100% barefoot runner, but to incorporate it on a regular basis with my regular training – but I think I’m hitting my stride quite nicely when it comes to running barefoot on the streets. The cold might test me, the darkness might challenge me, and my wife might institutionalize me, but for the time being, I feel like I’m right where I want to be.

Cool and content after a barefoot hour

It also raises the question of where the logical end point for this series of updates lies, which I’ll ponder for a while between now and the next one.

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