Best New Shoes of 2013

by Chris McClung

Mizuno Wave Rider 16 – Best Update

Mizuno’s Wave Rider has been a favorite of runners since its first version. The shoe has a firm but smooth ride with a forgiving upper that keeps your foot in place while still fitting a wide variety of feet.  Version 15 of the shoe was its best iteration yet, until Mizuno topped itself with this latest iteration. Version 16 has the same midsole and outsole that everyone loves (from Version 15), but the shoe now has an all-new upper that weighs a full ounce lighter than the previous version. The shoe dipped under 10 ounces, which puts it on par with many lightweight shoes that have much less cushioning. By using new materials and making small changes such as reducing the size of the logo on the in-step, Mizuno dropped the weight of the shoe without compromising the cushioning or feel of the shoe under foot. And, if you can cut a full ounce from each step without changing anything else, why wouldn’t you?!?

 

Brooks Launch – Best Return from the Dead

The Launch has been the best-kept secret in specialty running since its introduction three years ago. It was so good, in fact, that Brooks made only color changes to the original design until they famously announced that it was being dropped from its line, with plans to end production in December of 2012. With the announcement, message boards and blogs exploded in uproar as many Launch lovers (read: fanatics) screamed for its return. Brooks finally heard their cries, announcing in December that the Launch would return with throwback colors this month.

The shoe is elegant in its simplicity. Its midsole is void of many of the “technologies” that mark the signature designs of other more-marketed shoes, but the simplicity is what makes it great. It is lightweight at only 9.1 ounces, but with a cushioned feel that can support any type of runner. And, the ride is so smooth that your heel to toe transition in this shoe makes your stride nearly effortless at any pace. Long live the Launch!

 

Adidas Energy Boost – Best New Innovation

 

The Boost just debuted in February and, with it, Adidas is getting more attention in the running shoe category than it has in a decade. The signature component of this shoe is a newly designed midsole material that, according to lab tests from independent sources, has the most energy return of any midsole material ever placed in a shoe. The material is also reported to be highly durable and resistant to the effects of temperature that can wreak havoc on traditional foams, making it a great pick to combat the Texas heat. Putting it on, the shoe has a plush step-in feel, and when running, it can only be described as abnormally bouncy. The bounce feels strange at first but, after the initial shock-value fades, makes you feel like you can run forever in it. The upper is snug, flexible and fits a wider variety of feet than most other Adidas models with a more-narrow fit. Also, look out for two additional versions of the shoe coming later this year, the AdiStar Boost and Adios Boost, debuting in August and October, respectively.

 

New Balance 1400 – Best New Twist

The New Balance 1400, like the Brooks Launch, is known for its elegant simplicity, with a pure-foam midsole and no added bells and whistles. The shoe debuted last year to rave reviews. At 7.1 ounces, it is considered a “marathon racing shoe,” but the level of cushioning in the shoe feels more like 9-10 ounces, thanks to its innovative RevLite foam from New Balance that weighs 33% less than traditional foams. The high cushioning-to-weight ratio makes it extremely versatile to be used as a training shoe by some or as a racing flat by others. In June, New Balance will release a version of this shoe with a new competition-style upper that is also used in their super-light track spikes. This twist will drop another ounce from the shoe with no change to how the shoe feels under foot, permanently re-defining what it means to have lightweight cushioning. This, my friends, is not your father’s New Balance.

Mizuno Wave Sayonara – Most Anticipated Debut

In July, Mizuno is dropping the popular Wave Precision from its line, the original lightweight trainer, and replacing it with the all-new Wave Sayonara. Though the decision seems like a big gamble, it is a calculated risk forced in part by the changes to the Wave Rider mentioned above. With the Wave Rider now at 9.9 ounces, the Wave Precision was too similar at 9.5 ounces, so Mizuno is giving it an overhaul with a new name in the Sayonara. At Rogue, we can’t wait. Though we have not been able to try it yet, the Sayonara is reported to be over an ounce lighter than the Precision, with a more responsive ride and faster feel, all while maintaining similar levels of cushioning. If the fit is as good as the current Precision, which has the best-fitting upper on the wall, then these changes could be a recipe for our new favorite shoe. Hello to the Sayonara, good-bye to your running group friends after you lace on these new shoes this summer!

 See the published version of this article on page 12 of Naturally Fit Magazine!

Ramblings, for your feet.

by John Schrup

I saw on Faceplant the other day some pictures of Bill Rodgers running in the Adios 2.  So, yeah, go getcher self some.  Win some Boston Marathons and stuff.

Watching the gang on the sales floor fit shoes is fun.  I participate here and there, but mostly I just mess things up, so I try to be invisible when people are fitting.  But the presentation has changed and I find that interesting.  Back in the day, when explaining the differences and similarities among shoes, we would reference cushioning systems, stability features, flex grooves, yaaaaaaaawn, etc., etc.  That was then and this is right, so we’re teaching now about things that make more sense to the individual who will purchase and run in the shoe, as opposed just selling some brand’s product because they came up with a more memorable acronym or some shit.  Now we teach about offset and stack height, flexibility and more importantly, how to make your body stronger, healthier and more athletic, so that what you wear on your feet is tertiary in importance, at best.

But let’s not get bogged down on offset, stack height and all those cool new things.  The tendency is to think that these numbers have magical properties that will make us better, more efficient runners.  If you were to wear only 4mm drop shoes, then no doubt you’d be all kinds of Kenyan in no time, wouldn’t you?  Just because you’ve wisely dumped your Kayano doesn’t mean that all of a sudden you’re landing midfoot and eating ugali and sukuma wiki.  It doesn’t work like that, though we keep looking for the elusive magical bullet.  I don’t know why, we just do.

When we tell you that the best shoe for you is the least amount of shoe you are comfortable with, we’re telling you that you are better than you think you are, that you simply do not “need” all the things you think you do.  I mean, it’s just running, man.  All that shit ain’t gonna make you cooler, faster, more African-er.  All the variables of the shoe—offset, flexibility, weight, fit, firmness—combine to make the shoe what it is.  You will know, intuitively, which is the right one for you.  Give yourself some credit.  Yes, you will.  We’re A.) not going to bring out something that wouldn’t work for you, once we know what to look for and 2.) not going to make the decision for you, unless there is something so glaringly obvious that we wouldn’t be doing our job to let you out of the store with an unwise choice.

You will know it is right because you won’t feel a thing.  Or, more likely, it will be the shoe that is the least noticeable on your foot.  If the fit is right, if the weight is right, if the firmness is good, if the offset is right—all of that—your interpretation of the feel will be that it disappears on your foot.  The proprioceptive response will be nothing, sort of.  It’ll be the closest feeling to nothing that you can get, wearing a pair of running shoes, that is.

I don’t know where that all came from.

A couple of you have asked me why I’m all obsessed with Newton.  I wouldn’t call it obsessed, exactly, it is just that I’m really enjoying learning some new stuff.  I mean, that’s what it’s all about isn’t it?  There are times when the shoe reappears on my foot—going around corners faster than, say, easy—and I’ve been a little banged up lately, so admittedly there is some trepidation when I put them on, I don’t know why.  But they are much better than I’d ever have given them credit for.  The actuator lugs, as a technology, are much more valid than some crappy guide line flex groove or elastic arch band.  Anyway.  That’s that.

John Schrup is Rogue Running’s very own shoe guru, and has coached every age and every level of athlete in most every distance known to man … on planet earth! Including Team Rogue, currently. Don’t miss his Shoe Talk on Saturday, September 29, 9:45am at Rogue downtown (500 San Marcos St. 78702). Free and open to all!

Subtle Chuck, Amish James and Schrup go to Boulder: Day One

by John Schrup

I got a little bit ahead of myself.  Those Newton Distance that Jordan was supposed to send me had already arrived, and were placed on the shelf in the stockroom, because we are clever like that.  So I’ve got them on my feet now, double knotted, because I’m, you know, obsessive, and I’ve been told that I should wear them for a week or two, just kicking around, to soften up the membrane that the actuator lugs sit on.  I don’t know much about softening membranes, but if anything on these shoes dilate, I’m going to take up rhythmic dance.  So I’ll gladly follow instructions, because that’s what I do, and because the shoes were free.  What can I say? I’m a dirty whore.

Unfortunately, I won’t get to tell you about my experience in them, other than when I wear them around to the Central Market or whatever, for a couple of weeks because I’m going to be a good boy and do what I’m told.  Hold your horses, that time will come, and when it does I promise to be at once honest and stupid.  If something ain’t right, I’ll say so.  Over the next, uh, something weeks, we’re going to get real deep about Newton, the hype, the myth, the shoe.  Maybe I’ll post something every day.  Maybe every few days.  I don’t know.  I don’t know if we’ll have enough time.  We’ll try to be informative, entertaining, sexy.

To be completely honest, as I wear them around the shop, or on the short jog next door to Progress (all of, like, nine feet.  I PR’d!!) or to the Ho Foo–where they have lovely kales, don’t they?–for lunch, I’m a little embarrassed to have them on my feet.  Here in the shop, Sarah’s first comment when she saw them on my feet was, “Newton?”  Not that the majority of the population will even recognize them as Newton, the brand with the actuator lugs and are obnoxiously colored and cost as much as my Yaris, or whatever, but I feel that they will and then judge me for it.  Also, I don’t shave my legs, which is generally what you find when you see someone wearing Newton.  Though I am thinking about getting an aero helmet to wear to the farmer’s market because I want to be, you know, competitive.

That’s the thing:  They’re day-glo, or pretty damn near it.  Lots of very bright yellowish-green-yellows, some orange, splash of red.  You would not wear these with a, say, Brooks Brothers suit.  And not that I am usually aware of sartorial obnoxiousness.  One morning I walked in to meet my beloved Bitchwolves and my man, JG, looked at me and what I was wearing and in a tone that suggested slight disbelief, but which I interpreted as raw, unadulterated jealousy, said, “Really?”  So, yeah, I’m not real good with the fashions.  But these damn things are pretty loud.

The fit is almost what I remember from a few years back.  Almost, but not quite:  Really clean, pretty snug all over, but with ample room for the phalanges.  They’re pretty light, and I suspect that the fit helps with that as well.  The feel underfoot is pretty firm, just about what I like, but because I can feel the actuator lugs directly under the ball of my foot, I’ve got to admit that I’m still a bit skeptical.  But I’m cool with that.  I’m an open minded kinda guy.  I’ll try anything twice.  For money.

So that’s what I got.   Go ahead and mingle, but keep your eyes peeled for the house lights.  Stay tuned for Subtle Chuck, Amish James and Schrup go to Boulder.

Check it:  For those of you who fancy yourself a dedicated runner, a dedicated marathoner, who wants to find out what you’re made of, John coaches Team Rogue on T, Th mornings at 5:30.

Taste the Koolaid…

by John Schrup

So the other day I got this crazy idea.  No seriously.  Come back.  I want to talk about shoes.  Cool.  Ok, sit down.

Have you heard of Newton?  Yeah, no, the shoes.  The running shoes.  Super flashy colored things?  Triathletes wear?  They got the lugs there on the bottom, on the outsole?  Anyway, they’ve been around for a few years, and they’re getting some attention.  I think there was an article about them in Runner’s World a few months back.  Anyway, Newton are kinda popular in areas where tri is big, and they’re now bleeding over into run specialty a bit.  The triathletes like them because they like anything that is expensive and will make them faster, or at least, look faster.

The truth is that triathletes are much more likely to accept something that is new and innovative, whereas I still wear cotton t-shirts when I run.  I also have several pair of socks that are from, like, ’02 or ‘03.  Runners tend to be a more conservative lot, at least when it comes to their shoes.  I know of several people, myself included, who will stock up on an old fave so we aren’t forced to buy something new.  Yeah, that’s changing a little bit.  The new breed of runner is much more tech savvy, buying GPS watches and shit.  Some of the spreadsheets I receive from people I coach are pretty impressive, if you are one of those types that becomes mildly aroused when someone mentions Excel or PowerPoint.  Right, Mr. Jones?  Anyway, I’m not aware of any of the people in my group who go so far as to record their heart rate when they eat the wild salmon vs. the farm raised salmon, but I’m sure there are those out there in the run community.

So it was a wise move for Newton to get the jump start in triathlon.  Triathletes are more open to newer, techier things and they have more expendable income.   Recently, I saw a report that the average competitor in Kona earns, like, Sultan of Brunei1 cash.  Loaded.  Rich rich.  Think about it:  Just to participate, there’s the airfare, the hotel, the fees—triathlon registration fees are absurdly high, like, obscene high—the bike, the wheels, the whatever else they can think of.  Shitload of money, just to race.  So the average tri guy isn’t going to be afraid to drop $150 or more on a pair of shoes, which is pretty much low end of the price spectrum for a pair of Newtons.

Newton has done a really, really good job of marketing themselves.  Brilliant stuff.  And they were wise to start with triathletes, since the marketing dollars go much, much further in triathlon than they do in run specialty.  And these days, far fewer people are just pure runners; they do a tri here, a charity bike ride there, a few halves then maybe a full.  So it was only time before Newton made it to the run.  And then, as the running market broadened with the introduction of the barefoot/minimalist thing, Newton was practically already in, using the natural running pitch that just about everyone is doing, in one form or another.

So, these lugs on the bottom.  What’s the dealio?    Well, um, er, ah…I don’t really know, except what the Newton people tell me and what I read In the literature.  To note, the lugs are called “actuator lugs” and they’re attached to this membrane in a recessed pocket under the ball of the foot.  The idea follows Newton’s Third Law and Order, which talks about actions, reactions, and equality or some shit like that.  It’s supposed to be more efficient or something.  But, do they work?  That’s what I want to know.  You know how I don’t like bling, or gimmicks, or, ahem, “technology” in my running shoes.  And neither should you.  All the science bullshit is bullshit.  Do they work?  That’s what I want to know.

I don’t know.  I don’t have a pair.  Yet.  Now, three or four years ago I was seeded a pair by the fine folks at up there at Newton, in the hope that we would bring the line to Rogue.  At the time, I was three or four years younger, which may surprise you, and so was considerably less likely to produce well-thought out, you know, ideas.  So Newton sent me these shoes, three or four years ago, and I put them on my ancient-socked feet and went for a run down E. 5th.  They were light.  Real light.  And I remember thinking at the time that they were perhaps the best fitting shoes I’d ever had on my feet.

I made it down to, I think, Waller and was done.  Nope.  Nuh uh.  The actuator lugs made me feel like I was running in clogs, or had big, I don’t know, nine volt batteries or some shit taped to the bottom of my shoes.  Did not feel good.  Certainly there was nothing even remotely natural about them.  So, after maybe three minutes, tops, I was over it.  And that meant that it would be a cold day in Hades before we added Newton to the wall.

So, yeah, the Newtons have been selling pretty well.  Much better than I thought.  Also, it’s a little chilly up in here.

At the moment, I’m waiting for my new seed shoes that Jordan over at Newton has agreed to send to me.  I can’t remember which model he said he’d send, but I’ll let you know next time.  He’s told me that they’ve fixed the lug issue—you can still feel them, though they’ve relaxed the membrane a bit so the lugs don’t feel so…invasive.  And, for some reason or another, people seem to like them.  Lots of people seem to like them.  They ask for them.  It got pretty annoying, actually.  And, dig this:  Our man, Chuck, who is never one to restrain himself from opinion, and who welcomes himself into a room with things like, “BOOM!  Chuck’s in the house!”  So the dude is real subtle.  And when we talked about bringing Newton in, he was adamantly2 opposed to it.  We’d sold out!  They’re gimmicks!  That’s bullshit man!  This aggression will not stand, man!  Chuck wasn’t real pleased about that, let me put it that way.

Well, Chuck done drank the koolaid.  He just returned from some symposium up in Boulder, hosted by the Newton people, and now he’s got, like, eleven pair and a backpack and a ball cap and he’ll tell anyone who’ll listen that Newton are the shit!  So, if our man Chuck could convert, which is sorta like some genteel Southern Baptist woman going, Hm…you know, I kinda like that Mohammad man, then maybe, just maybe I could be a little more open minded myself.

So in a couple of weeks, Chuck, Amish-James and I will head up to Boulder to pay a visit to the Newton people.  We’ve been invited up so they can teach us more about the company and the product.  And by teach, I mean waterboard with Koolaid.  Each of us will write about the experience and we are thinking of a sort of documentary to go along with it.  Stay tuned.

BOOM!

1Two words:  Jeanne Kirkpatrick.  The Adolphus Hotel.  Slip ‘n’ Slide.  Wait.  That’s like four words.  Five words?  Who’s counting?  You know what I’m talking about, Jeannie.

2Anyone remember Adam Ant?  Adam and the Ants?  80’s guy?  Don’t drink, don’t smoke?  Saw him at Six Flags.  Got  trampled.  Lost my third nip.  Shaved right off.

Review: Mizuno Wave Precision 13

by John Schrup

Mizuno has an almost cult-like following.  Or maybe that’s just how I perceive it.  When I’m at the IGA or something, there is always at least one person sporting a pair of the Inspire.  It happens often enough that I expect to discover that they were purchased at Costco.

Back in the day, which for you kiddies let’s call the late ‘90’s, Mizuno got hip and re-marketed the brand in the U.S.  The first Wave Rider were good, though really not that impressive, but Mizuno were prescient enough to keep the focus on that one shoe until they got it right.  By the very early 2000’s, the Rider was the shit.  The fit and feel were right on, and each incarnation was an improvement over the previous version.  People bought into the whole Wave thing and the product was certainly and quite obviously lifted up by the multiple Editor’s Choice awards.  I won’t go into the fix that it was, but an EC award then was a much bigger deal than it is now.  These days, an EC award these days means that you are looking at some of the biggest pieces of shit produced and marketed in the running footwear business.

(Other shoe companies would still do well to follow the Mizuno marketing model of a decade ago:  They focused on one shoe, got it right and then built a line around it. Nowadays, everyone is throwing a ton of shit against a wall and seeing what sticks.)

But, much like the other big Japanese running company, ASICS, Mizuno got caught behind the curve and lost momentum.  Either they got complacent, resting on their laurels, or they were just too conservative in their approach and took too long to redirect their focus.  Whatever the case, Mizuno has always produced some of the best fitting and feeling shoes on the wall, though in the past few years, they have gone a bit soft underfoot, caving to the masses need for marshmallowy plushness.

It should be noted that the Rider and Inspire and all those other models you’re familiar with were all created for the American market, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that those shoes began to resemble the people who were buying them:  A little too big, a little too soft.  This is, after all, the company that sells the Wave Prophecy, which has my vote for the stupidest shoe on the market.  It’s a sofa.  Or a car.  The Japanese market models are noticeably simpler in design, and I hope that one day Mizuno will use some of those models—or variations of them—for the U.S. market.

The Wave Precision is what the Wave Rider used to be, before it got super sized:  A great fitting, good feeling, moderately light running shoe.  The most recent incarnation of the Precision is solid.  It is, for the most part, a standard build—the heel heights are not skyscraper-ish, and it will never be mistaken for a minimal shoe—which will work well for people who are comfortable with the status quo and haven’t gone too far down the injury hole that they need to make an about face with their footwear.  It is really smooth for a traditional shoe.  Surprisingly so.  And the fit is clean and snug without pinching your piggies.

Being a relatively conservatively marketed brand, Mizuno never really put much effort into the aesthetics of their shoes.  Form, mostly, followed function.  Kind of like the interior of a Subaru, except shoes.  But now on various Mizuno you can find tiger stripes, Kanji lettering, cherry blossoms, and a sort of subliminal Mount Fuji.  (The Elixir, next year, will have a checkerboard pattern on it.  I’m not so sure about that, I’ve got to be honest.  When the rep showed us those, the first thing I thought of was Spicoli, and I wanted to pound my head with the sole of the shoe, but I thought that no one would get the reference and I’d be asked to leave the meeting.)  The Precision are not without a bit of flash, either.  They don’t have any ninjas or shit on them, but the bright blue-almost-turquoise-sun yellow colorway is pretty rock star.

I’m a big fan of the Mizuno brand.  With the Precision they have a well-done, traditional shoe that has worked well for years.  This Precision is one of the best yet.  It has the fit and feel that made Mizuno what they are.  They would do well to continue in that direction.

Check it:  For those of you who fancy yourself a dedicated runner, a dedicated marathoner, who wants to find out what you’re made of, John coaches Team Rogue on T, Th mornings at 5:30. 

Review: adidas adiPure

by John Schrup

One of the best things about working at Rogue—aside from the lake parties with Chancellor Merkel and Jay Z—is all the cool new shoes we get to run in before they hit the market.  Well, some are cool, and some are not.  I’m not going to name names, but a while back we got seeded some ASICS Gel Nimbus (I forgot which version; it doesn’t really matter anyway).  I got a tibial compound fracture just looking at them.  For those of you who care, the most recent incarnation of the Nimbus, the 14, was awarded the highly coveted Runner’s World Editor’s Choice in the June issue.  You know immediately that this shoe is to be avoided entirely, and you should try to get your hands on whatever the staff at RW is smoking, cuz you know that shit is crizazy!

But many of the seeds we get are really nice.  I’m still in lust with my Kinvara .  I regularly love on my Adios, in public, and my 233’s get a booty call once a week or so.  The most recent seeds were from adidas, who, in full disclosure, sponsor the Rogue Athletic Club and also threw the parties where Merkel was in rare form (here’s a hint:  leather under wool).  Silly Germans.  Anyway, adidas sent several of us fortunate Rogues three pair of shoes each that will make up the new adipure line of shoes, due out in August.  Also, because of our relationship with adidas, Rogue will be the only store with a door to carry the line.  At least initially.  Or something.  I can’t remember exactly all the details because I’m still suffering from the Episcopalian Flu, after doing absinthe shots off Merkel’s cankles.  At least I hope that was Merkel.

So, the adipure line:  Three shoes designed to allow the foot a more natural motion, in varying degrees of naturalness.  (Did you know that adidas was the first to do the low-profile thing in an attempt to mimic barefoot running, back in the ‘90’s?  Remember Feet You Wear? The Equipment line?  It’s true.) adidas are a little late to the natural/minimal/barefoot party, but the effort is welcome, and the application is, overall, pretty good.

The three models—the Motion, the Gazelle and the Adapt—are three of the most comfortable things I’ve ever put on my feet.  Each is slipperesque and lightweight, thanks mostly to the stretchy, socklike upper.  If memory serves, they’re calling in Tech-Fit, or something equally as important sounding.  Whatever we’re calling it, the first feel is almost shockingly snug.  Like, real, real snug.   Here at Rogue we believe that a shoe should disappear on your foot; a shoe functions better if you don’t notice it.  Once these are on your feet, they’re pretty much gone, which is a good thing.

The Motion (which is perhaps not the best effort in naming this type of shoe) will feel the most familiar to most.  It has a 10mm offset, which is almost the traditional standard, but the midsole/outsole are so flexible that it feels lower.  This shoe will be the most runnable for the average wearer.  The nearest relative would be the Nike Free.  Maybe.  More substantial in some places, less in others.  The lacing is asymmetrical, to better fit the contours of the foot, and this might contribute to the overall snug fit.  This model is most likely to be used as a trainer on a regular basis.

The Gazelle is the middle of the road, so to speak, of the three.  It has a 6 or 7mm drop, depending on which paragraph of the adidas literature you read.  It, too, has the uber-snug, stretchy upper that wraps the foot like a sock and feels altogether slipper-like when on the foot.  Considerably more minimal than the Motion, the Gazelle is marketed to be a supplementary trainer—one that you’d wear for strides and drills and other General Strength work.  I like it for that, sure, but I’ve been wearing it around the shop as my work shoe and it is also the model I’ve run in the most, since it is so comfortable.  I haven’t gone more than about 35 minutes jogging, though I can see going up to maybe an hour very easy.

It has a soft yet responsive feel underfoot, and it reminds me of some late 90’s adidas flats that should belong in the Pantheon of running shoes.  (Remember the Converter?  That shoe was the shit!) That, combined with the luxurious upper, makes for a shoe that I kinda don’t want to take off.  Seriously.  Like, I need three pair:  One to wear to the farmer’s market, one to run in, and one to sleep in.  The shoe feels that good.  It’s that sexy.  Not to get all rainbows and unicorns on you, but it hugs the foot so lovingly, wraps it so perfectly that I feel a little….naughty.  Seriously thinking about going bareback in these bad girls.  No socks.  Aawww, kitty kitty.

(Good God, what is in this coffee?)

The Adapt is the third, and most minimal of the adipure series.  What you get is what looks like an aqua shoe—no laces, still stretchy—if aqua shoes had a 4mm differential.  So there is a smidge of midsole in there, but not so you’d notice.  The shoe is designed to be a pure supplemental trainer, one that is worn for drills, General Strength, “barefoot” strides, squat jumps, burpees, breakdancing, whatever.  A few of us have worn it around the shop, you know, to work in, but no one has admitted to running in them.  Yet.  I haven’t run in them, and I’m probably the most likely (read:  most stupiderest) to do so.   The inclination is that if this shoe had laces, it might be more palatable, though I did find a use for them over the weekend.  It’s my new pool shoe when I take the boys to the neighborhood swim hole.  And it is my interpretive dance shoe.

(Don’t forget! Rogue Running will be the only physical store to carry the adiPure line for the first few months after release!)

Three thumbs up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

by John Schrup

If you are a regular around these parts, I’m not going to hold it against you.  And I won’t tell anyone either.  But if you are, perhaps you’ll remember my love affair with the New Balance 1400.  Indeed, we think it is one of the best shoes on the wall, which means that they have what a shoe needs, and nothing more.  The 1400 are such impressive shoes—clean, snug fitting upper atop a simple EVA midsole with complete ground contact at the outsole—I think there are few shoes better, period.  (Maybe I haven’t gone over how important it is that a shoe has complete ground contact.  It’s real, real, real, real important.  Having that makes the shoe smoother, more stable.  Indeed it is one of the first things I look for on a shoe.  All the pods and trusses and whatever that you see on the underside of your shoes are completely unnecessary.  Completely.)

My 1400s and I, we’ve been through some stuff.  One night, we were at Vespaio, kinda late.  It was dark anyway.  I had the osso buco, of course.  And we’re eating, having some really good laughs, people watching.  You know.  Real talk.  And then the Kinvaras came in.  There was risotto everywhere!  And when I got home, someone’s carbonara was in my fanny pack.  I don’t know how that got there.

The 1400 is such a good shoe that New Balance really should consider making a daily trainer version, so that those who are still a little iffy about wearing such a light shoe can experience the yummy goodness.  Oh wait.  They do.  The 890.  Also some of the best shoes.  Nevermind.

(My very, very first pair of running shoes was the New Balance 420.  Fo twenny!  Sheet EVA was awesome.  They were two sizes too big, but I didn’t care, because they were New Balance and they were the shit.  The guy at the running store told me to get some other shoes, the ones that actually fit, but I would have none of it.  I was nine, what can I say?  And, all the really old dudes at The Aerobics Center had them, so you know they were cool.)

So you’ve got the 890, superlight daily trainer and awesome shoe.  Then you’ve got the 1400, marathon racer and daily trainer and awesomer shoe.  Two of the best shoes you can buy, period.  And now, you’ve got (cue pyrotechnics!) the 1600.  If the 1400 are the lightweight version of the 890, then the 1600 is the lightweight version of the 1400.  Holy shitballs!

The first thing you’ll notice when you put them on is that they are maybe a smidge snugger than the 1400, but not so that it would be an issue.  The upper is mostly free from traditional overlays, so the feel is closer to sock-like than the 1400.  You lace them up and vwooooop, it is on your foot and gone.  Which is to say that it is pretty close to disappeared.  Which is a good thing.  The only downside to the 1600, or the 1400 for that matter, is that they are not going to fit the Flintstone foot, which is too bad, because Fred was the Big Engine before that Mosop guy was even a glimmer in his daddy’s eye.

Underneath the foot, the 1600′s midsoles are more responsive than the 1400’s, giving you more ground feel, though still nowhere near lacking in protection.  I was told by the fine folks at New Balance that the offset is 8mm in both shoes, but I don’t know.  The 1600 is lower to the ground overall, but it does feel as if the heel is lower too.  I don’t know.  It just does.  Research (I looked online) also confirms this, so maybe I’m not completely off my rocker?  Don’t answer that.  They are an ounce and a half lighter, so there’s that, which is nice.

So, complete ground contact, lightweight and vwooooop.  Three thumbs up.  What that means for you is that you get a super light shoe that fits like the proverbial pancakes.  This shoe, much like the Adios, makes you want to run.  Like right now!  Fast!  Even if you’ve just polished off a nine pound salad.  So you might want to hold off on that.  Whatever you decide, let it be known that New Balance has three of the very best running shoes available.  So get yourself down to the Rogue and check out the holy trinity of footwear.  890, 1400, 1600.  Amen.

Review: Nike Air Pegasus 29

by John Schrup

I have to admit something:  I’ve always had a thing for the Pegasus.  In the late 1980′s-early ’90′s, the Peg was the shit.  Of course, all things being relative, today those versions of the Pegasus would likely be called  “minimalist” shoes or a “Walmart” shoes, except for the swoosh.  It was one of the first legitimate running shoes I ever had, if there is such a thing, and I wore them until my big toes punched holes in the fabric.  (My first “real” shoe was the Nike Internationalist.  Shoe boner!)  So the Peg has been around since, like, the Ark and thus my love for it is rooted in my own revisionist history.

Every year since 1983?–um…math–the Peg has been modified, retooled or otherwise updated.  Except for, I think, about 1998 when it was discontinued.  Nike, the ADHD kid of running specialty, will on occasion drop the best shoe they make, either because they get bored with it or pull it to make the Nike junkies twitch, itch and scratch for more.  I like shoes with a history, and the Peg has it.  It has some street cred too.

(Dig:  Several years ago I was a coach for a high school team that went to the Nike Team Nationals in cross country.  For high schoolers, NTN (now NXN) is their chance to run with and gawk at international superstars, acquire a suitcase full of sweet Nike schwag, race on a custom built course and drink shit tons of Nike koolaid.  (On the plane ride back, one girl even said, and this is almost verbatim, “I’m only going to wear Nike for the rest of my life.”  She ended up going to Notre Dame, an adidas school.)  The year we were there, Paul Tergat, ex-world record holder in the marathon and 10,000 meters, 5-time World Cross Country champion, owner of many fine Italian suits, etc., etc. was in attendance.  Paul and I, we’re tight.  We’re, like, friends almost.  We chatted a bit each of the days we were there, about family or important stuff that, you know, friends talk about, since we always seemed to be on the same elevator.  It’s so funny.  I don’t know how that happened, except that often I would read the newspaper by the elevator doors and–here’s the funny part–I almost always finished the article I was reading at exactly the same time he walked up and pushed the button to the elevator.  Anyway.  What were we talking about?  Anyway, he wore Pegs.  At least with khakis and a well pressed button down shirt that was blue and had this white check pattern that made me think ofakitchentableclothexceptobviouslyreallyclassyhahahahahahahahaha! Paul Tergat.

So when we got back to Albuquerque, I went to the Fleet Feet (that’s another story.  Here’s a hint:  Hoarders) and bought a pair of Pegasus because, well, my bff ever Paul Tergat wore them so I was going to wear them and suddenly my DNA would change and I’d be an unusually skinny, polite Kenyan who ran super fast.  I ran in them for, oh, two weeks I think.  And then I got a stress fracture in my foot.  Those stupid ass Pegs went straight to the back of the closet.  They were horrible.  Nevermind that I doubled my mileage in the space of a week and did like 9 workouts over the course of maybe 5 days.  Those shoes sucked.)

So now we’re up to Incarnation 29 of the mythological Pegasus.  It was just released, all chock full of Zoom Air and Cushlon and Fly Knit and Flywire and all sorts of other life affirming technologies.  It is noticeably lighter that previous versions, in keeping with the current trend toward lighter footwear, and twice as marshmallowy.  When you put them on your feet, the sensation is one that can only be described as “blooooop.”  Think about walking in one of those bouncy house thingys that you can rent at about eleventeen different places on Cesar Chavez.  It is the softest thing you will ever put on your foot.  Ever.  If you put a piece of chocolate on it and held it with a stick over a camp fire, it probably would taste pretty good.  On a scale of one to ten, with one being a granite carbon iron diamond and ten being the softest thing ever, the Pegasus 29 is softer.  So on those days when you feel that biomechanically appropriate footwear just isn’t doing it for you, or you just aren’t into feeling the ground, at all, ever, then the Peg is for you.

Bloop.

An Open Letter to Brooks: RIP Brooks Launch

Dear Brooks,

I should like to begin by saying that I have been, for many, many years, a big fan of Brooks shoes.  And for no particular reason that I can remember.  I just always liked your brand and your products.

The relationship began in high school, when I both trained and raced in Brooks.  It must be admitted, however, that the genesis of my allegiance was a more pragmatic one:  My parents didn’t have the money—or likely, wouldn’t spring for something that was, in their professorial eyes, an amusing distraction.  And so my spikes and trainers were purchased, well discounted, at the local Marshall’s.  No matter, as I’d achieved a level of mediocrity in Dallas-area cross country competitions rarely seen.  I remember drawing skull and crossbones on the heel counter of each racing shoe, delusional that all of the competitors who would ultimately finish up to two minutes ahead of me in the three mile race would be so intimidated that they would hide behind the trees before the start, conceding victory to someone with athletic abilities so far beneath them as to be unchartable.

And so that was it.  I’ve always liked your shoes.  I think I liked that you were the underdog, scrapping against the big dogs, the David (Brooks…HA!  Political humor!) to their Goliath.  Fast forward many, many years.  I’m co-owner of a small running store and I liked that you were, by this time, making only running and walking shoes—authentic if there ever was—and were still there, trying to reach the top of the hill, still scrappy.  And I like the way you did it, with silly, humorous, cartoony magazine ads that showed humility and a sense of play.  And, I liked your products.  (I mean, what could you not love about the Beast?  It was the Hummer before the Hummer was cool.)

And remember the Brooks Burn?  Oh man, you guys made an awesome shoe, that Burn.  The 2 and the 3 were even better.  Bright colors, light weight, no techy stuff to get in the way.  I loved the way they felt on my feet as I flew along the ditches next to the Rio Grande, or on the trails up higher in the foothills.  (We’re in Albuquerque, at this point, if the geographical notes hadn’t given that away.)  Each time your sales rep would come to the shop to show the new goods, I’d get excited in the same way I remember being excited on Christmas morning.  When I was a kid.  Not now.  Now on Christmas mornings, I’m mostly wanting coffee—lots of coffee—so that I can partake in my son’s excitement at ripping open the packages.  You guys are so lucky, being up there near Seattle, with all that coffee.  Man, Christmas mornings up there must be awesome!

I remember being a little sad when you discontinued the Burn.  That kinda sucked.  Not terribly sad, but the kind of sad you get when you go to a show, and your favorite band says goodnight and walks off stage without playing their best song, you know?  But then your realize that the house lights are still down, so you know there will be an encore, and they’re gonna bring that shit out and keep the party going full on!  Aww yeah!  Well, it was kinda like that, except shoes.

And son of a bitch! if that encore wasn’t the shit!  OW!  Whooooooo!  Best encore ever!  Damn that shit was on!  In the space of, like, nine seconds I’d completely forgotten about the Burn.  When you introduced the Brooks Launch, oh shit! that thing is awesome!  There is nothing on the shoe wall that even comes close to the smoothness of the Launch.  Nothing.  I mean, no techy shit, just butter smooth EVA and rubber!  Holy shit, you can do anything in that shoe.  I’m trying to think of a design that is better balanced, more functional.  But I can’t.  It works for almost everyone who puts it on.  It’s brilliant, really.  The guy who designed that is a real talent, that guy.  I mean, after all, one mark of a good design is to make something so impressive out of so few materials.  Just brilliant.

And so now I’m at Rogue Running here in Austin, TX.  Maybe you’ve heard of us, maybe not.  Austin is pretty much where you want to be if you’re in Texas.  And here at Rogue, in Austin, TX, we are the last of a breed.  Or the first of a breed, whichever way you want to look at it.  We pay attention to our customers and the shoes they need, unlike other running specialty stores, where they pay attention to, um, something else, apparently.  Yeah, we’re smaller than others, but we know what is functional, and then what is bells and whistles, smoke and mirrors.  And we love the Launch.

There was a time when we joked that we could open up a store selling just the Launch.  We understood the brilliant, simple design, the functionality, the breadth of appeal.  It is arguably the best shoe in decades.  Oh, man we love that shit.  (Full disclosure:  It is a bit soft for my taste, and the differential is a bit much, but I appreciate the smooth transition and know what works for others. )  I mean, the Launch is one person’s daily trainer, one person’s marathon racer, and then everything between.  I’ve used the word “brilliant” too much already, but it isn’t hyperbole.   It is simple in design, simply brilliant.

It blows us away, us Rogues, that the rest of the country doesn’t share our appreciation, our fandom, for the Launch.  I’ve talked to people in other running markets, and they’re all, nope, we don’t carry it; no sir, never run in it.  WTF?  Srsly?  That Launch is the shit, you don’t even know!  And they’re all, huh?

But I guess I can see why others haven’t fallen for it the way we have.  I mean, from a sales point of view, there are no technologies to market.  I mean, it’s pretty simple as far as running shoes go.  It’s just EVA and all, you know.  I guess that’s why you guys put, like, zero marketing dollars behind it.  I’m pretty sure I’ve never seen an ad for it.  I know on your website, the Launch gets a 5-star rating in customer reviews, and it appears to be the highest rated of any shoe on your site with 85+ reviews. One guy gave it 3-stars, and the worst he could say was, “these are great trainers… but they are not for me.” Seriously, even the worst review is a back-handed endorsement, that’s how good they are.  So I know the people who run in it really dig it.  I mean, we know.  The Launch gets more repeat customers than almost anything we sell.  Maybe it is because it’s only $90.  I mean, that’s nothing these days.  And what running specialty shop wants to sell a bunch of $90 shoes?  Even if it is a really, really, really good shoe that functions well for a just about everyone.  Did I mention that it is a brilliant design?

I guess I can see why, when the majority of the country is still selling the Brooks Adrenaline as their number one shoe, for chrissakes, that the Launch doesn’t even appear on the radar.  Never mind that most of the country—most of the running spectrum—whether you’ll admit it in public or not, doesn’t need a shoe like the Adrenaline.  Never mind that our understanding of footwear and biomechanics and runners now tells us that, really, people will more often than not run better—more efficiently, with fewer injuries—in shoes that aren’t over-corrective, over-cushioned, over-engineered.  Never mind that.

But we know how you feel about that anyway.  You guys love your “technologies.”  Performance shoes need “technologies,” right?  I mean, in that symposium you were so generous to invite my boss and me to a couple of years ago, you said that “less is more is bullshit.”  I think those were your exact words.  Maybe because that was another company’s tag line, I don’t know.  But that’s what you said, right before you introduced a line of shoes that is designed to be biomechanically appropriate, er, less is more (like the Launch, except different; unlike the Adrenaline).  But you didn’t even really mention biomechanics, except to mention how the new line would better “align force vectors.” (God, I don’t know how many times I heard that.  That sounds so cool!) Compared to, what, the Adrenaline?  The Ghost?  You said something about “float” and “feel” and how your core shoes and this new line of shoes were both biomechanically valid, or something to that effect.  That’s why we love the Launch so much:  It doesn’t fit that spectrum.  It already is valid in its function.   But I guess since it doesn’t have any marketing behind it, no technologies, it isn’t valid to you guys.

And that’s probably why you are discontinuing it in January. And, that’s probably why you are discontinuing the Green Silence too. [Tears well up, author struggles to continue writing.]

Which is cool, we totally get that, but now we’re a little confused.  A little sad.  And a little, ok… a lot, pissed off.  You guys had done it.  You guys had become number one.  You surpassed the undisputed king of running specialty to become number one!  Yeah, you did it, and you did it because you made better shoes!  So forgive us if we’re a little confused after you just discontinued two of the best shoes on the wall for chrissakes.  And, don’t, don’t blame it on the shoes. Don’t say “the numbers just didn’t support it.”  This isn’t the shoes’ fault. We know it, customers know it. A handful of other running shops who get it know it. In this case, the almighty dollar won out over superior product, and that just ain’t right. Sure, your other shoes are good but these shoes were great… so great that we will probably have our own special memorial events to commemorate their passing, seriously, no seriously.

You’re so intent now on becoming a $500 million dollar company, or whatever your goal is, that you are now more interested in numbers, in dollars, than you are in making good product.  I think I get it:  If the shoe doesn’t have anything on it that needs a proper name, or an acronym or some shit, it isn’t worth it.  And don’t bother even trying to defend your side of the story.  Because we know, we see it.  Just like we saw with ASICS, when they were number one.  They got to be number one because they made good product and marketed it well.  And that’s what you did.  You did.  But times are different now, and it is time to do things differently.  I thought you would do things differently.

This whole barefoot/minimalist movement—which you originally talked shit about—began because the customers wanted something new and better, because whatever they were wearing wasn’t working. Shoes had gotten heavier and more clunky, and injury rates rose as quickly as the weight on their 15 ounce Beasts.  This was really a market driven movement.  The customer wanted less shoe, simpler designs, and biomechanically appropriate footwear to run in.  So of course you had to make the shoes.  Of course you did. And are now making your own version of a “barefoot” shoe.  It’s the fundamentals of business, even this liberal arts major knows that.  But c’mon:  It is so obvious that you are more interested in being number one than making real, authentic product.  I mean, your “barefoot” shoe has more “technologies” than the Launch, so it must be a better shoe, right?  Absolutely.  (Because that Nav Band, yeah, that’s an awesome technology.)  We totally get that you have to make the shareholders happy.  We’re not arguing against that.  What we’re arguing against is that you are being all snaky about it, that you’re saying one thing and doing another, that you’ve lost your focus, that perhaps you are no longer the authentic brand you once were, that you maybe got to the top and would rather stay there and get bigger than be authentic.

And that you are becoming the Giant you just defeated. But, it doesn’t have to be that way. The future is unwritten, and you can still do this differently…. just making superior, authentic products.

My feeling is that people will buy Brooks, and will continue to buy your stuff because the shoes really do feel good on the feet (again, a bit soft for my taste, but still…).  Maybe they like that Desi wears them, or Chrissie, I don’t know.  Your everyman pitch is really spot on, really.  But in the end, I see this kinda like McDonalds offering salad.  They do it because the market wants it, and not because it is the right thing to do.  Maybe that isn’t a good analogy.  Maybe I’m just seeing things too black and white.  Maybe I don’t have shareholders breathing down my neck.  Maybe I just spend most of my waking hours watching people run, talking to them about it, using observation to know what ultimately works.  Maybe I need my own focus group, I don’t know.

Don’t worry, I’m totally not going to break up with you, because, I mean, we have history.  But maybe we do need to talk.  Or, maybe we need to talk about an open relationship. Now, that would be awesome!

Ok… now I feel better…

Hugs,

J

What’s in Your Quiver?

by John Schrup

Several years ago, when I was spending a winter in Taos, I got to know a few men and women for whom telemark skiing was as magical a pursuit as running is for us.  They talked about the beautiful “pow pow” and “bowls” and “baby heads” (huh?) and “corn”; they went on ad infinitum about turning.  Apparently, if you’re into that kind of thing, a perfect turn delivers a high not unlike what we get in that perfect progression run.  Their enthusiasm for the perfect turn was infectious.  They told fantastic stories that grew hyperbolically in direct proportion to the amount of beer consumed.  I couldn’t replicate their enthusiasm when I described my perfect run, mostly mumbling something about how you just had to be there.

One of the things that fascinated me about their stories is that they all seemed to have several pair of skiis.  Several.  Apparently, one needs different skis of different lengths or widths or something, depending on whether you are in pow pow or corn, I don’t know.  It was fascinating to me mostly because it was all new information, and also because it would be ridiculously expensive to have several pair of skis.  Several. Pair. Of. Skis.  For me, skiing is prohibitively expensive.  Even if I were rich, I probably still wouldn’t ski much because of the whole, you know, tree thing.  If alpine trees could only be made of EVA or chocolate mousse or something.  But when they talked about their skis, they talked about what they had in their quiver.  Quiver like, you know, bows and arrows and shit. 

And this is one of the main reasons I love running:  The simplicity, the  inexpensiveness of it.  I mean, relative to skiing or polo or yachting for chissakes, running is ghetto.  All you really need is a good pair of shoes.  Well, back in the day, all you really needed was a good pair of shoes.  These days, you pretty much need a quiver of shoes if you are serious about taking care of yourself or setting PR’s, or getting a BQ.  I’ve seen pictures posted on Facecrack of closets full of running shoes, three dimensional Jackson Pollack looking things.  So if you are one of those, and I think you are, let me save you some jack and tell you what you need in your quiver.  I’m not necessarily talking brands, makes or models.  That all is up to you, up to what feels and fits best for you.  These are the four types of shoes you need to achieve your own personal street cred.

The Zero Drop

With this whole barefoot/minimalist thing came our standard polarized argument:  For or against.  The discussion really hasn’t gone that, sadly, and we’ve missed out on what I think is the greatest benefit—it makes you stronger!  Yeah, nay sayers, spending time barefoot or in shoes that closely mimic being barefoot will make your feet and lower legs stronger!  It just does.  Think of all the justifications you want.  It does.  All your science shit don’t scare me none. 

Aaaaand you don’t have to run in them.  Get something comparable.  Get a zero drop shoe, one that resembles a standard running shoe, and wear it to the park, to the new Trader Joe’s, to the farmers market.  The Hattori LC, the Minimus Zero, the Blade Foot Run are all super duper comfortable and you won’t look all douchey and shit!  They even make zero drop shoes in styles for casual wear, you know, so you could wear them to the Junior League Ball.  But wear them.  They’ll make your feet and legs stronger and in turn make you a better runner.   You know what they say about the other 23 hours.

The Daily

Ok, so you don’t wear it every day, but you know what I’m talking about.  The shoe you slip on for your obligatory easy runs or recovery runs, maybe for the first couple of long runs when you’re just putting time on your feet.  The Daily is maybe the heaviest of your shoes, there’s more stuff under your foot, more foam.  But they’re still pretty light and flexible and when you put them on, they disappear as if by magic.  You can mash out miles and miles, run a double in them sometimes if they didn’t get soaked in the morning run, and if you get caught up in an extemporaneous tempo run with your head banger friends, you won’t feel like you’re wearing KISS boots.  Perhaps the greatest thing about that whole minimalist “trend” that you bitch about has delivered us super lightweight shoes like the Kinvara 3, and the Adios 2.  One is a racer weight trainer, and one is a…trainer…weight…racer.

The Racer

Ok, so one of the downsides to the minimalism thing is that the lines between trainer and racer have blurred.  Maybe that isn’t a downside, I don’t know.  Personally, I don’t think it is, particularly when you remember the trainers from, oh, 2009 that were overflowing with these beautiful, wonderful technologies that did, um, nothing.  What used to be called marathon racers, we like to call the Daily.  You know, the 1400 and the Adios 2 (again!).  So here I’m going to use Racer to describe what used to be called a 5K or 10K racer—something on the more minimal side of minimal.  More minimaler.  These bad girls are good for those days when you’re doing your GS circuits, rewiring your motor patterns on with some 200’s, even shuffling through the four mile loop on Town Lake as your weekly recovery run.  (One of the things we’ve found to keep you glacial on your recovery days is to wear a little less shoe than normal.  Seriously.  It works.)  I like the Hagio and the INOV-8 195.  They’re both quite nice and neither will beat you up too much if you, you know, forget and wear them in place of your daily.  It could happen.

 

The Backseat

 

The backseat is historically a Daily or a (marathon) Racer that you leave in the backseat of your car, so that if you leave any one of the other three at home, you’ve got backup.  Often it has some Greenbelt on it, from that time when your friend texted you last minute to meet at the 360 trailhead and you had to run in jorts.  But you had your shoes!  Because they only see the inside of your car and your sweaty-ass feet, they have achieved a ripeness that can only be described as “dead for some time.”  Upon entering your car, non-runner friends will convulsively dry heave but your runner friends are rendered stoned and drooling by the familiar funk and stench.  This is probably your most important, most vital pair of shoes.  They will tell you who your real friends are.  They could save your life.  And you never know when a run might break out. 

You might have noticed that I haven’t listed trail shoes here.   If I were writing this from, oh, northern New Mexico, or Oregon or something, I’d drop a trail shoe in here.  Most of you aren’t on the Greenbelt every single day, so you’re better off buying a backseat shoe.