I tested my first pair of K-Swiss racing flats, K-Ruuz, about a year ago. The K-RUUZ has a 10mm differential and a narrow toe box. Although not a minimal shoe, it was a great start for K-Swiss. But now, K-Swiss has launched their first true minimalist running shoe, the Blade Foot Run, a zero drop…
Category: Reviews
Merrell Barefoot Run Road Glove Shoe Review
I had done an early review of the Merrell Barefoot Road Glove a few months back after running in a pre-production model. The Merrell Barefoot Run Road Glove (Dash Glove for women) will be available online at Merell.com and in running specialty stores this month. Since I wrote the initial review in October 2011, the…
Under Armour Charge RC Shoe Review
Under Armour has been designing running shoes for quite some time but they have finally taken a radical approach to their latest minimalist running shoe design with the Charge RC, a transitional minimal shoe. Under Armour is best known for their compression apparel line which redefines how clothes fit and perform with the body. By…
Run Dem Crew ‘Away! Away! Away!’ Book Review
Rosie Lee is a hybrid creative agency. Run Dem Crew (RDC) is more than a running club. In 2011, several of its members took on their biggest challenge – the Virgin London Marathon. The book follows the journey of several team members as they trained for the marathon, from their regular Tuesday sessions through to…
Montrail Rogue Racer Shoe Review
Trail running equipment specialist Montrail is moving towards a minimalist direction with the Montrail Rogue Racer that is lighter and lower to the ground than many trail shoes. And they have a new design theme: Innovation by Subtraction. The Montrail Rogue Racer is designed for trail racing and daily training. The Rogue Racer weighs in…
Garmin Forerunner 610 HRM Watch Review
If you’ve ever used a heart rate monitor (HRM) before, you’ll immediately fall in love with the Garmin Forerunner 610 heart rate monitor. With a touch, tap or swipe, Forerunner 610 lets you get on with your run while it tracks all the details. The Forerunner 610 gives you several ways to get in touch…
New Balance Minimus Outdoor multi-sport
New Balance has added another model to its growing Minimus (4mm drop platform) collection – the water-resistant Minimus Outdoor MO10 multi-sport shoe. The Minimus Outdoor is built on the same natural running last (NL1) used in the first generation of the New Balance Minimus collection. In fact, the shoe is identical to the Minimus Trail…
VIVOBAREFOOT Aqua Lite Shoe Review
From VIVOBAREFOOT comes the shoe of choice for road running, the Aqua Lite. This build on their best selling casual shoe, the VIVOBAREFOOT Aqua, which is a classic lace-up trainer that is perfect for walking or working out. The Aqua Lite is intended for use in the gym, dance studio, or road running and of…
Pentax Optio WG-1 Adventure Camera
PENTAX Imaging Company is an innovative leader in the production of a variety of digital cameras including weather resistant digital SLRs and stylish, compact, waterproof cameras, as well as lenses, flash units, binoculars, scopes, and eyepieces. Recently, Pentax introduced its 12th generation of adventure series digital cameras – the PENTAX Optio WG-1 and PENTAX Optio…
Urshuz Brax
Urshuz gives consumers the freedom to customize their footwear with interchangeable, durable, eco-friendly options. Pronounced ‘Yer Shoes’ because they are YOUR SHOES, Urshuz soles are made from injection molded TPR (thermo-plastic rubber), which is 100% recyclable, and since they are not permanently fixed to the upper with glue, the soles of Urshuz can easily be…
SKECHERS GOrun
SKECHERS Fitness Group is jumping into the barefoot-style running category with the premiere of SKECHERS GOrun, a lightweight minimalist running shoe. Features of the GOrun include: Lightweight: GOrun is astonishingly light. Midfoot Strike: A 4mm heel forces the runner to land midfoot to forefoot which minimizes joint stress and maximizes efficiency. Go Impulse Sensors: Strategically placed…
Civic Duty Exhilaration
Civic Duty footwear is made of Tyvek, a comfortable, breathable material made by DuPont™ that is also water resistant and highly durable. Tyvek, it’s not just for FedEx anymore. The lightweight, paper-like material , best known for its use in mailing pouches and home building, provides the inspiration for a new line of casual sneakers….
Merrell Barefoot Road Glove
Merrell will be officially launching a zero drop minimalist road shoe with the Merrell Road Glove for men in Spring 2012 (Dash Glove for women). The Road and Dash Glove have synthetic leather and breathable air mesh uppers with reflective materials. They also have a fused rubber bumper. The midsole does not have the shock…
Brooks Running Pure Grit
Brooks Running is finally moving into minimalism with the Pure Project and it is Brooks biggest launch in its history. The line of four shoes (Pure Connect, Pure Cadence, Pure Flow, and Pure Grit) incorporate five new design elements and the shoes weigh in at less than 10 ounces each. The Pure Connect is the…
Simple Hydration Water Bottle
We recently reviewed Amphipod handheld hydration systems and I received a couple of emails from readers asking if there are any hydration system that can work for runners with small hands or thin waistlines. Then I remembered reading about Simple Hydration on the Kick Starter web site (the largest funding platform for creative projects in…
New Balance MT 110
An update to the award-winning New Balance MT 101, the New Balance 110 Trail, a minimalistic trail runner, offers many of the same features and benefits that made its predecessor successful, including a thin Rock Stop plate in the outsole that protects feet from punctures and disperses shock without sacrificing the natural running feel. The…
VIVOBAREFOOT Neo Trail
From Terra Plana VIVOBAREFOOT comes their first trail shoe with all the hallmarks of VIVOBAREFOOT: the patented ultra-thin sole, anatomic shape and great looking design but with teeth. The VIVOBAREFOOT Neo Trail is the barefoot and breathable off-road performance trail running shoe. Balancing maximum proprioception with grip and traction, the Neo Trail is designed to…
Amphipod Hydration Systems – Handhelds
We recently reviewed Amphipod waistpack hydration systems and after testing extensively in the scorching weather for a full month with Amphipod handheld hydration systems, we have decided to write a follow-up review. We tested out four of Amphipod’s latest handheld systems: Hydraform Thermal-Lite™ (12oz and 20oz), Hydraform Handheld Pocket™ (20oz), and PURErun Handheld™ (16oz). All…
Timberland Radler Camp Trail
Here comes your new favorite camping shoe – the Timberland Radler Camp Trail. You can clip them to your carabiner (when zipped) or pack them in your duffel bag or back pack. You might even fit them in your jacket pocket! This water-repellent and lightweight (7.0 ounces for US Size 10) shoe zips completely into…
HeadSweats Performance Hats
Headsweats is a maker of high-performance, ultra-light, super wicking hats and visors that keep athletes safe, as well as dry. I sweat a lot when I run. And with the heat in the West Coast, I’m always wearing a running hat. But most hats do not keep the sweat off my eyes and face. Until…
Karhu Flow Fulcrum Ride
Karhu is Finland’s legendary running brand that invented the Move Forward technology – fulcrum technology that collaborates with the foot to convert your body’s natural energy into forward momentum. The Karhu Flow weighs in at 7.8 ounces but has a whopping 14mm drop! The upper have an open-face air mesh vamp and closed-face ballistic…
Invisible Shoes Contact & Connect
Want to get as close to barefoot as you can? Huaraches or running sandals, with no uppers (other than laces) and midsole is the probably the only running ‘shoe’ for most runners and especially for those with wide feet. Invisible Shoes recently launched their latest models: Connect 4mm and Contact 6mm Barefoot PLUS. Both…
Interchangeable Sunglasses – Ryders, Smith Optics, Optic Nerve
We recently reviewed a few Photochromic and Polarized sunglasses just in time for the Summer but some of our readers prefer Interchangeable lenses. So we are now doing a follow-up review of three Interchangeable sunglasses: Ryders Nitrous Interchangeable, Smith Optics PivLock V90 Max, and Optic Nerve Neurotoxin IC. Interchangeable sunglasses offer a high-performance frame and…
Teva Nilch
Rounding up Teva’s Skinny Dip Collection (the thinnest, lightest, and most minimalistic shoes) is the Teva Nilch. We have already reviewed the Teva Zilch and is pleasantly surprised by its function as a running sandal. The Teva Nilch is about minimalist protection. Blending the benefits of minimalist construction with full foot coverage, the Nilch gives…