Kourage Athletics Shirt Review

“Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising which tempt you to believe that your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires Kourage.”
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Well, OK … that’s not precisely the way Emerson wrote it, but that’s the way the quote reads on the website of the company in question today.

The quote itself is pretty cool, though; it certainly sounds like something an ultrarunner can identify with. However, in this context we’re not talking about ultras or epic adventures – not directly, anyway – we’re talking about a brand of clothing.

Kourage Athletics is a Kenyan company that exists for two primary purposes: to make high-quality performance apparel, and more importantly, to reduce poverty through creating jobs in Kenya. According to the company website, the name reflects “A choice to be kind and compassionate and to do the best to make the world a better place. Kourage is making the daily attempt to become a better individual. There is no better agent for improving ourselves and the world than Kourage.” So now the intro quote makes perfect sense, right?  The final word is courage, but spelled with a capital K for Kenya. See? Clever.

Kourage factory; photo from Kourage Athletics website

As for the product itself: all Kourage apparel is designed and manufactured in Kenya by Kenyans, then exported and sold to developed countries, with revenues reinvested into the Kenyan economy. The production factory is in the Rift Valley, otherwise known as home to the highest concentration of elite distance runners the world has ever seen. It currently employs over 200 Kenyans where each employee works 45 hours per week at national wage standards in a comfortable work setting. For most workers, employment at Kourage makes the difference in their families’ ability to afford school, medical care, meals, and enjoy a meaningful quality of life. You get the idea: it’s a good company to support.

Their product inventory is quite limited, with only 6 shirts in either male or female cuts. They are built as performance shirts, reportedly tested by Kenyan runners at the top of 15,000’ Mt Kenya and in the scorching plains of the African desert. However, they are also extremely comfortable and somewhat stylish, and would be perfectly passable as casual wear as well.

I’ve worn mine in both casual and athletic capacities; when I first received mine (the Stripes model here), I wore it around the house and as an everyday shirt. I also happened to wear it to Disneyland on a day in October when the temperature topped 100 degrees, and the shirt remained very comfortable even while worn underneath a backpack for most of the day.

Lately I’ve used my Kourage shirt strictly for running, and it works as effectively as any other moisture-wicking garment I have. It dries quickly and feels silky soft against my ski - in fact, it feels nearly as comfortable as Patagonia’s Capilene material, which as you’ll recall just landed on my Gear of the Year list for 2011. It’s also a nice change of pace from my standard race-or-company-logo shirts; I like the colorful print, and the slight V-neck offers more cooling than a traditional crew collar on hot days. It has also held up well after multiple trips through the washer and dryer.

The company rep explained to me that with their initial offerings, the Kourage product line was kept intentionally small, so they could focus on quality manufacturing and performance. More products will be introduced as the company grows in years to come; in the meantime, their shirts are definitely one of the most comfortable and versatile garments I’ve tested in quite a while.

Kourage shirts retail for $39 from the company website, which offers free shipping to customers in the United States. If you can’t run like a Kenyan, perhaps dressing like one while supporting their culture would be the next best thing.

*Product provided by Kourage Athletics.
**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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Shaking the Devil; A Barefoot Resolution

“I like to keep my issues drawn -
But it's always darkest before the dawn -

Shake it out, shake it out - shake it out, shake it out, oh woah …
And it's hard to dance with a devil on your back –
So shake him off, oh woah.”
-Florence + the Machine, “Shake It Out”, (video after post)

**

The first days of the calendar year are always somewhat anxious for me, in that it’s time to shake the devil off my back and get reacquainted with the routine of training on a regular basis.

I usually give myself permission to be a complete slacker during the month of December, so there’s very little guilt about sleeping in when it’s dark, drinking wine when I want to loosen up, or eating cookies when they magically appear around Christmastime. The whole process is so predictable, it’s become almost a holiday tradition for the family to guess the date when I’ll finally pop a button on my pants. (They don’t make Hallmark cards for that, I’ve noticed.)

New Year’s Eve tends to be a symbolic rock bottom, the darkest point before I start crawling toward the glimmer of good habits and self-discipline dawning on the horizon. Once January rolls around I can usually step up and start making some tangible progress toward whatever goal I’ve set for myself further down the calendar. But this year I seem to be struggling a bit more than usual, in that I have absolutely no idea what I want to do in 2012.

I don’t know if I want to chase far-off windmills or hunker down closer to home. I don’t know if I want to do something epic and inspiring or something more mundane and manageable. I don’t even know if I want to do formal races, or have more of a “choose your own adventure” year of visiting places and trails that I’ve been longing to explore. Especially considering that the Northern California ultra scene is currently wracked in so much unfortunate drama and shocking grief, it’s hard to elevate the importance of any particular race (or for that matter, running in general) in the grand scheme of things.

So … yeah. I’ll manage to shake something out, but it might take a little bit longer than usual; the devil on my back feels especially heavy this time around. In the meantime, I was asked to author a piece in a local magazine on the subject of New Year’s resolutions; instead of doing the regular “you should start running” spiel, I decided to put a spin on it that might grab the attention of anyone who has started and eventually given up a running program in New Years past. You probably know where this one is going – and the full article follows below.

**

“Resolve to Start Running – Barefoot!”

In the long, storied, frequently disappointing history of New Year’s resolutions, perhaps the most common one is this: I’m going to get in shape this year. I’m going to start running.

Certainly that’s a good idea … but what are you going to do differently this time to make sure you enjoy it more, avoid injuries, and stay consistent until January 2013 and beyond? If you want to make a major change in your previously unsuccessful or long-dormant running habit, here’s a radical notion to try: ditch your running shoes.

(You may recognize these photos - they're all recycled from past blog posts.  They were also used in the magazine article last week. ) 

Barefoot running isn’t exactly a novel idea, but it’s currently the most revolutionary (and often controversial) movement the running community has witnessed in quite a while. Runners with chronic injuries often find that going barefoot solves their problems, and veteran runners experience joy in their training that they haven’t felt since running across the playground as children.

More recently, the movement has gained increasing legitimacy. Barefoot running – as well as its close cousin, minimalist running – has progressed from a weird fringe element to popular fad to the subject of research studies. There’s mounting evidence that the natural running style associated with naked feet has multiple biomechanical and health-related benefits for all runners.

Here’s the premise: Over the past 30 years, modern running shoe technology hasn’t reduced the injury rate among runners at all. No matter how many cushioning, support, or stability features are crammed into your expensive high-performance training shoes, you’re no less likely to become injured – in fact, you’re probably even more so. By contrast, when you strip away the so-called protective and corrective features, your running form changes toward a style with less impact, and a lower incidence of most running-related injuries.

The primary downside of barefooting is that to get started, you must proceed extremely slowly. As in one minute at a time slowly. 20-minutes-per-mile pace slowly. So slow that it feels like you’re not actually running. Barefoot running is a skill developed over months and years, not days and weeks. If you’re not the patient type, you’d better make a resolution about that one as well.

Start anywhere you like – and believe it or not, asphalt is an ideal surface for your first baby steps. Remove your shoes and socks, and run for a minute or two, landing softly on the front of your feet before lightly touching your heel to the ground and then repeating with the opposite foot. Take very short steps, and don’t worry about how slow you’re going.

Build up the length of time gradually over a period of many weeks – and if you have any significant pain, stop your run and try it again another day. You’ll probably get some blisters or hot spots on the bottom of your feet; they’ll eventually become callouses that aren’t nearly so bothersome, and the underside of your foot will gradually grow firm yet supple, like the leather of a well-worn baseball mitt. Your feet, ankles, and calves will get very sore when you start; remember, those muscles are being stretched and used in ways they never were when confined to clunky cross-trainers.

Look online for barefoot running resources to help you get started, or check out two outstanding books: ChiRunning by Danny Dreyer, and Barefoot Running by Michael Sandler, who also operates the website RunBare.com. The support and instruction you will find from like-minded souls online will be helpful as you progress.

Of course, it’s January, so you can’t always run outside with nothing on your feet. That’s where minimalist shoes come in. These products allow your feet to move as they would without shoes, while providing a small amount of warmth and protection for external conditions.

Minimalist shoes are built as lightweight, flat, and low to the ground as possible, without any unnecessary cushioning or support. The most popular models are Vibram’s FiveFingers – those strange “toe shoes” you’re starting to see everywhere – but there are literally dozens of options on the market to choose from. The topic of minimalist footwear is an article all its own; for now, check out my Running and Rambling website for some ideas and other good resources.

Once you’ve built up to it properly, barefoot running is simply a lot of fun. You’ll feel like a kid, and exercise starts feeling like recess. If your goal is to maintain a running program throughout the year, the ability to enjoy yourself will be one of the greatest contributors to your success. Kick off your shoes, and go have some fun!


**
Florence + The Machine, "Shake It Out" (click to play):





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The Keeper List: Running and Rambling Gear of the Year 2011

Before today’s post, an overdue announcement of sorts: over the holidays, I was pleased to see a small spike in sales of my running book. If you don’t recall my book, I can’t really fault you, because I do a lousy job of actually promoting or marketing the thing.

Each time a sale came in this month, I thought to myself, you know, I should announce some sort of reminder on the website about this – the book might make a good Christmas gift. And then in typical slacker fashion, I kept postponing or forgetting about doing so, until Christmas came and went and I completely missed the holiday shopping wave.

But since we still have a decent supply of books available, and since New Year’s is about doing the stuff you want to do rather than worrying about pleasing everybody else, I may as well mention it again here: Hey, I have a book for sale! It’s mainly geared toward novices and anyone who wants insight into life as a runner, but in my humble opinion there’s stuff that anybody will enjoy. And if you order from our website – where it’s less expensive than Amazon.com for some reason – we can autograph it or do any other special requests you’d like.

With that, I’ll stop the pandering – but today’s post is all about grabbing some additional stuff to make your running life more enjoyable.

**
It won’t particularly come as a news flash to anyone when I say that I get a lot of gear to review. What might surprise some newer readers is that I review even more stuff than you see here on this website.

Most of my shoe reviews end up here, as minimalism has become a nice little niche I’ve settled into, but I also contribute to other websites and magazines after testing apparel or other trail running gear. The biggest portion of this extracurricular product testing goes to FeedTheHabit.com, with whom I’ve partnered for more than two years now.

I recognize that I’m in an enviable situation, so I pay my good fortune forward as often as possible by giving almost everything away. Running partners, family, and non-running friends have all been the recipients of gear from top (headlamps, hats) to bottom (socks, shoes) and everything in between (clothes, food, watches). They get free stuff, my wife gets her closet space back, and I feel good about sharing the wealth; it’s a winner for everyone involved.

Here’s my caveat, though: if there’s a piece of gear that I love, or one that I get a ton of great use out of, I keep it for myself. Accordingly, my Gear of the Year review should rightfully be called the Keeper List, because it’s all about the stuff that’s too awesome for me to give away.

However, my Keeper List differs from other annual ratings in one important way: the best gear isn’t necessarily from 2011. Rather, my list is a Jeopardy-style competition where the only way to become champion is to defeat the current champ. (Completely tangentially, it’s the same way I choose my wines.) Sure, the newer stuff will tend to be better – but if I have a Ken Jennings-like piece of equipment that crushes all potential challengers year after year, there’s no reason to take it off my Keeper List. And yes, there are a couple of those items included below.

Finally, before we proceed, a note on formatting: The first link of each entry will go to my original review of the product, and the second will go to a purchase link from Amazon.com or one of my other affiliate partners. Remember, affiliate sales support Running and Rambling, so, you know … help me help you, and all that. Now let’s get to the list; these are my keepers for 2011.


Part 1: Gear and Apparel

Headlamp for roads: Black Diamond Sprinter. A 68 lumen headlamp in front with a blinking red LED in back for an unbeatable combination of visibility and safety. The entire lamp weighs a mere 3.5 oz, and the lamps are completely rechargeable. Black Diamond is updating this product for 2012 (yes, I’ll have a review), but until then you can get the current version for $64 at Amazon.com – it’s the best investment you can make in your safety this winter.

Compact headlamp: Petzl Tikka XP2 with CORE rechargeable battery pack. There’s nothing better than a headlamp that’s bright enough to light the trail before dawn, and small enough to tuck in a pocket afterward. This category has stiff competition, most notably from Black Diamond’s Spot, which is a little bit brighter. However, what tips the scales for me is the rechargeable capacity of the XP2 with the CORE pack: it’s eco-friendly, easy to recharge, and saves a ton of money in the long run. The headlamp sells for $41 from Amazon.com, and the CORE pack sells separately for $39.

Headlamp for ultras: Black Diamond Icon with rechargeable NRG battery pack. I don’t think twice about it anymore: if I’m running through the night, the Icon is on my head. It’s relatively lightweight (6.6 oz), super bright (100 lumens), with enough battery life to burn high all the way to morning. Best of all, if you purchase an NRG battery pack, it’s completely rechargeable – and just to remind you, I love being green. Black Diamond is also updating this lamp next year, and I’m very curious to see if or how they can improve it. The current Icon is discounted to $55 from Amazon.com, and the NRG pack sells separately for $25.

Nightlife at Western States 2011: Black Diamond Icon, Nathan Endurance vest, and one very fast ultrarunner (hint: not me)

Jacket: Patagonia Nine Trails. You’ll see this name again further down the list as well; basically, 2011 was the year that Patagonia became my go-to ultrarunning brand. I wore the Nine Trails jacket at three ultras and during countless training miles last winter and spring; for lightweight weather-resistant insulation, there’s nothing better. Unfortunately, it’s not currently available on the Patagonia website, but TravelCountry.com has a closeout price of $60 on remaining stock.

Shorts: Patagonia Nine Trails. Are you sensing a theme yet? My first ultra in the Nine Trails shorts was the Miwok 100K in May, and I never looked back. Anytime I’m running for more than 4 hours, these are the shorts I’m wearing. Like the jacket, the shorts aren’t currently available from the company, but TravelCountry.com has a few pairs in size small available for $60.

Shirt: Patagonia Capilene Silkweight. I never reviewed this shirt, but here’s a true story: Back in the spring, when Soft Star offered to put their logo on any shirt I wanted to use for my upcoming ultra calendar, I told them to buy this Patagonia shirt. I have a couple other capilene shirts from past races; they’re not only the most comfortable items in my collection, but they’re remarkably durable after multiple runs and washings. So my official Team Soft Star kit this year featured Patagonia shorts, shirt, and jacket – a nearly clean sweep in the apparel department (the only exception was my socks). The shirt is available for $39 from the Patagonia website – and if you’d like your own Soft Star logo on it, I’m sure the Elves would be happy to oblige.

At the Tahoe Rim Trail 100: Patagonia shirt and shorts, Ultimate Direction Uno waist pack 

Gloves: Sugoi Firewall LT. Sorry, no review link on this one either: I did a glove comparison for Ultrarunning magazine this fall, and these ended up being my favorite from the bunch. It’s a nice upgrade from the previous Firewall gloves, with similar water resistance and slightly better insulation. $35 from Amazon.com.

Small hydration pack: Ultimate Direction Uno. I’ve had my current model for years – and before that, I used an older version for several years as well. It fits me well, I like the upright bottle position, and the separate pockets give surprisingly ample storage for such a small pack. I use it anytime I’m running between 90 minutes to 3 hours. $17 from Amazon.com.

Large hydration pack: Nathan HPL 020. How awesome is the 020? Not even Nathan can beat it. This year they released the Endurance, a similarly-designed and very strong vest that I wore while pacing at Western States (see WS photo above, and see my Endurance vest review here) – but when it comes to selecting one pack as my gold standard, I still prefer the 020. And when you consider that they’re available at the extreme discount price of $53 at Amazon.com, there’s no reason this vest shouldn’t be in every ultrarunner’s gear closet.

Break time in Zion National Park with the HPL 020

Tights: Salomon Trail III. Full disclosure: I don’t wear a lot of tights - fortunately in California, I don’t have to. So my list of contenders in this category isn’t huge, but these tights have been the most comfortable of those I’ve tried over last winter and this fall. Available for $69 at Amazon.com.

GPS: Soleus GPS 1.0. This review just posted a couple of weeks ago, so I don’t need to rehash things here, other than to say that I’m a big fan. It’s basic, high-quality, and extremely affordable at $87 from Amazon.com.

Socks: Drymax. This is the true Ken Jennings of the group: I’ve probably tested a dozen other brands over the past few years, and none compare to Drymax. I wear their lite trail model ($12 from Amazon.com) for training, and the max protection model ($31 from Amazon.com) for ultras. The Drymax reign continues.

After 50 rainy, muddy miles at Woodside in Soft Star RunAmocs and Drymax max protection socks 

Part 2: Footwear

As you might expect, my shoe list can be broken down into several categories – in this case, I went by primary use, starting with …

Minimalist road shoe: Vibram FiveFingers Bikila LS. Vibram came up huge this year with the advent of their LS models – laced versions of popular models that made the footwear easier to use and more accessible to a larger variety of people. From its inception, I’ve labeled the Bikila my gold standard for minimalist road running shoes, so you can imagine how impressed I was when the company managed to improve it this year without sacrificing anything that made it awesome in the first place. Right now they’re discounted to $70 at TravelCountry.com, so grab ‘em while you can.

At play in the Salinas Valley in Bikila LS

Minimalist all-purpose athletic shoe: Vibram FiveFingers KomodoSport LS. I’ve worn mine for running, basketball, tennis, floor workouts, and just plain goofing around. They’re getting very popular with CrossFit and Paleo workout enthusiasts as well. If you have multiple activities to do and only enough money for a single pair of Vibrams, this is the one. They’re currently discounted to $80 at TravelCountry.com.

Minimalist trail running: Merrell Barefoot Trail Glove. 2011 may well be remembered as the year Merrell triggered a seismic shift on the minimalist landscape with its Barefoot line of footwear. In my review I called this shoe minimalism for the masses, and since then I’ve recommended it to a lot of trail runners. They retail for $110 from TravelCountry.com.

Minimalist hybrid trail/road running: Altra Adam. They’re not the ultimate trail shoe, or the ultimate road shoe, but they’re a pretty solid combination of the two. They normally retail for $100 on the company website, but if you use this link you’ll get them for a 10% discount.

Minimalist hiking: Vibram FiveFingers Trek LS. My first-generation Treks had defeated all challengers as my favorite hiking shoes until Vibram topped itself with the Trek LS. Rugged leather, durable outsole, crazy comfort. They’re also nice enough to pass as dress shoes if you so choose (but I don’t – see below). They’re currently discounted to $112 from TravelCountry.com.

Rock scrambling at Lava Beds National Monument in Trek LS

Minimalist dress shoe: Merrell Barefoot Tough Glove. This shoe took out one former champion (the VIVOBAREFOOT Oak) in my collection, and has been an almost-everyday shoe since April. It looks sharp, it’s super comfortable, and it’s got all the right mechanics. It retails for $120 from TravelCountry.com.

Minimalist kids shoe: VIVOBAREFOOT Neo Kids. I was lucky enough to have several brands of shoes for my children to test, and the Neo Kids emerged victorious. Their minimalist construction is unbeatable, and the styling is ideal for kids to use like good old-fashioned sneakers. They retail for $75 from the VIVOBAREFOOT website.

Transitional trail shoe: New Balance Minimus Trail. Yes, it’s odd that the shoe with the most minimal-sounding name is actually the least minimal of the group mentioned here, but there’s no question that New Balance means business when it comes to cruising light and low to the ground. The Trail version of this shoe (also called the MT10) has a slipper-like feel, lightweight flexibile construction, and rugged traction underfoot. Its principal drawback to pure minimalists – the 4mm heel to toe drop – is precisely what makes it ideal for transitioning from a structured, supportive shoe to the minimalist end of the spectrum. The 2012 version will have a flat platform, but in the meantime you can get the 2011 Minimus for $100 from TravelCountry.com.

**
Do you have enough items for your shopping list yet? I’m already waist-deep in reviews for 2012, which I’ll collectively preview sometime next week. There are some very strong offerings from most of the heavy hitters mentioned here; it will be interesting to see if any new products wrestle the title of “keepers” away from the current roster. Time (and miles) will tell, I suppose – so let’s meet back here again next year and I’ll let you know for sure.



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VIVOBAREFOOT Book Winner; Random Shots of Christmas

A couple of brief notes before an equally brief post ...

1. Thanks to everybody who commented on my Christmas cookies and entered the VIVOBAREFOOT book giveaway this week. The winner is Adelyn, who I've already contacted via e-mail.

2. I'm taking a brief digital siesta after this post, but I hope to be back by the end of next week to officially close out 2011.

And now your Random Shot of Christmas:

The town Christmas tree in Carmel, CA, as seen a couple of hours ago this evening.

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!



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Frosting and Rambling, Part 3 (With a Secret Giveaway Inside!)

As I mentioned previously, the primary theme of this post is Christmas-related. In particular, it has something to do with these:

(Click to enlarge any of these photos)

Christmas cookies that my wife makes and the entire family decorates as one of our Advent traditions. It’s a subject I’ve described here a couple of times before, and one that’s typically reliable for some fun responses.

However, the topic of Christmas cookies doesn’t really have anything to do with running – at least, so I thought until earlier this week. That’s because it wasn’t more than a day after putting the finishing touches on our family’s batch of goodies that I received a package in the mail from VIVOBAREFOOT. Here’s what I found inside:

A thin book, a small goodie-shaped box, and a note of some kind either wishing me a Merry Christmas or thanking me for my support this year or something along those lines … honestly, I was a little distracted by wondering what the heck was inside the box.

I’ll get to that in a second, but first, about the book: it’s a glossy version of VIVOBAREFOOT’s very informative eBook about minimalist running. I downloaded and printed this when it was first released online this summer, and found it to be a nice overview of the benefits of barefoot running and the philosophy of minimalist footwear. It also has some drills and stretches that I found quite helpful and that I continue to practice today.

However, since I already have a copy of this book, and since we’re ostensibly talking about holiday cheer, I’ve decided to conduct my own little flash giveaway right now. If you’d like my copy of the book for yourself, leave a comment below this post and I’ll pick a winner on Saturday night. I figure I may as well pay this one forward.

On the other hand, I’m not offering the contents of the box, because, well … they’ve already been taken care of, so to speak. Imagine my delight when I found these cool little VIVOBAREFOOT cookies waiting for me. They lasted just long enough for this photo session to wrap up before getting consumed by my “product testing crew”; when the subject is cookies, it’s amazing how quickly my family steps up to offer assistance.

In their defense, my family could have very well been experiencing cookie-separation anxiety at the time, because of all those cookies in the top photo, only a small portion ever make it into our own bellies. Most of them are given away to friends and neighbors, which is the Christmas-y thing to do and all that, but it does require a little more restraint than most of us (well, OK … mostly me) are comfortable with.

Instead, the joy in our cookie tradition is in the decorating, which different members of our family approach in different ways. For example, my wife excels at classic beauty – I dare say it comes naturally for her – although she’s experimenting with swirls and twirls and expanding her skilled repertoire with each passing year.

My 8-year-old daughter is still growing into her own artistic identity; a couple of years ago her works had a prominent Jackson Pollack feel to them, but I’d now say she has more of a cubism-era Picasso vibe going on.

My son follows in his mother’s cookie-styling footsteps quite closely, which fits his own personality as well; he’s a straightforward, no-nonsense kid who does things pretty much by the book. Not that there’s anything wrong with that … and I suppose if he had to pick one parent to emulate, he certainly made the responsible choice.

His 10-year-old sister apparently would make the opposite decision, in that when it comes to cookie designs, she and I are kindred spirits – so much, in fact, that it’s become hard to distinguish her own works from mine.

For example, here’s a small sampling of our creations. Some of them are hers, others are mine – and it’s honestly hard for me to tell which ones are which. They’re all kind of fun, however …

… such as this pair: Elwood Blues on the left, and Fozzie Bear on the right.  One's on a mission from God, and the other's wearing fart shoes.  (Yes, we saw The Muppets this year; and no, I haven't laughed that hard in a long time.)

Here we have SpongeBob’s friend Patrick on the left, and a tie-dye hippie angel on the right. This is Northern California, after all.

This pair needs some explanation. On the right is my attempt at Perry the Platypus. On the left is a Christmas tree with an identity crisis. If anyone ever claims that a Christmas cookie can’t be introspective, send them my way.

And with that, we’ll call it a wrap on the 2011 cookie report, but not on the holiday cheer. If you want in on the VIVOBAREFOOT book giveaway, drop a comment in the box below, and I’ll announce the winner on Saturday night. Happy Holidays and good luck to everybody!



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Huge VIVOBAREFOOT Discount Sale at PlanetGear.com

It’s funny the way some of these post topics intersect sometimes.

I had planned a Christmas-themed post for tomorrow night, which then became a Christmas-and-VIVOBAREFOOT-themed post, which is still on deck as scheduled. However, in the midst of all this I received an e-mail from PlanetGear.com regarding a massive VIVOBAREFOOT sale going on this week, and it seemed significant enough to interrupt regular programming (or non-programming, as the case may be) to fill everyone in.

Here’s the deal: VIVOBAREFOOT’s outstanding minimalist running shoes, the Evo and Neo, are currently on sale for ridiculous discounts at PlanetGear.com. As in Evos for $55 ridiculous. Neos for $45 ridiculous. There are a couple other models thrown in the mix for good measure, but basically it’s a minimalist runner’s bonanza.

(Feel free to check out my Evo review here or my Neo review here if you need refreshers on either one.)

Obviously, selection is limited to stock on hand, and right now there are quite a few more women’s colors and sizes available, although men can still find something pretty cool as of this writing. Go check out the sale, and grab yourself or a loved one an early and very affordable Christmas gift.

And since this isn’t a regular post and the whole thing is pretty self-explanatory, I guess that’s all I need to say until tomorrow night.



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kigo drive Review and Coupon Code

In contrast to the number of companies who have moved into the minimalist arena recently, it’s worth noting that kigo is already on their third generation of minimalist athletic shoes.

That’s not to say that they’ve perfected their craft, though – in fact, when I reviewed their second generation edge* shoe, I came away fairly disappointed, in that there wasn’t really much to distinguish the newer version from the previous one; more specifically, a lot of the deficiencies I identified in the first-generation shel shoe went largely unaddressed. Not that I expected the company to jump through hoops for me, but it’s always a cool thing to see a company respond to user feedback.

(*in case you’re wondering about the convention here: all kigo shoe models, just like the company name, are written entirely in lower-case. I explained why in my edge review.)

kigo drive

That’s why I’m happy to report that this time around, kigo has indeed made some significant changes to their flagship athletic shoe, and that the new drive is very close to what I was hoping the shoe would be more than two years ago. It’s not 100% perfect, but it’s a significant upgrade to a shoe that already had a lot of attractive features to begin with.

One of the things I appreciate about kigo is their commitment to responsible shoe construction, and everything about the drive is true to that mission. Material construction of the outsoles and insoles utilizes PLUSfoam, a compound created from various combinations of reclaimed consumer products.

The uppers are constructed of a CYCLEPET compound made from recycled plastic bottles. All dyes, glues, and water- or stain-resistant elements are certified non-toxic. And when you’re done with the shoes, you can send them to the company’s recycling center so the materials can be reconstructed for the next pair.

Like its predecessors, the drive has outstanding minimalist specs as well: it’s a completely flexible, pure zero-drop shoe on a 2mm outsole, weighing roughly 4.5 oz. This is approximately a half-ounce less than the edge, which is impressive considering how light it was to begin with. If you want to leave the removable 2mm insole in place, your standing height is 4mm, otherwise there’s a mere 2mm of thickness between your foot and the ground.

drive on top, edge on bottom; the edge is my son's everyday school shoe, thus explaining the heel wear

Now for the improvements. Previous kigo shoes were uncomfortably narrow through the entire foot, particularly in the toebox area. Even though the CYCLEPET upper material is somewhat flexible, it wasn’t enough to make up for the narrow last which restricted natural toe splaying.  kigo fixed that with the drive, creating a wider footprint front-to-back, most notably in the toebox, which now allows plenty of room for all your toes to do their thing.

The upper has also been revamped, and now features a speed lacing system for ease of entry and for custom tightness around the midfoot. This is a huge improvement over the previous versions, but there’s still one aspect I’d like kigo to tinker with: when you tighten the laces, the fit improves around the midfoot, but remains somewhat loose around the heel. It would be great to see a strap or some other means of construction that incorporates the ankle collar into the midfoot area for more uniform tightening.

kigo’s outsole was one of its strengths from the start, and I still give it fairly high marks for traction on roads and dirt, in dry and mild-to-moderately wet conditions. The problem here is that while kigo has stayed the same, other brands have made remarkable advances in minimalist outsole traction for off-road use (in particular, a 2012 Vibram model that I’m not allowed to talk about yet), so now this fingerprint pattern is just a “solid but not outstanding” feature of the drive.

Sizing was also an issue with previous iterations of kigo shoes, but the drive runs true to size. However, it’s (somewhat oddly) only available in half sizes, so if your size happens to be an even number, you’ll have to wear something a little bit roomy or a little bit snug. Sizing is still unisex, which might be an issue if you’re a male with excessively wide feet or a female with unusually narrow feet.

Last year I expressed some concern to the kigo owners that their window to get established in the minimalist athletic shoe conversation was closing, thanks to the influx of so many new companies coming to market. With the drive, kigo appears to have raised their game sufficiently well to remain near the forefront of this category - and they offer a relatively unique product in terms of design and material construction that makes it distinctively attractive and sets it apart from most other minimalist shoes on the market today.

The drive retails for $91, which is a less fortunate upgrade compared to the edge*. However, from now through the end of the year, you can use coupon code SHIPKIGO to get them with free shipping here from the kigo website. The offer ends on December 31st, so take advantage of it for a late Christmas or early New Years gift.

(*See the comments section for a brief exchange with one of kigo's owners regarding the price point.)

*Product provided by kigo
**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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