Shoes Of The Day

Trick or Sweet?  Newton’s Gravitas: The Running Shoe that Will Keep You Going!

If you ask me, running shoes often get a bad rap. They’re seen as one-hit wonders, as specialty shoes, and certainly not shoes you’ll want to take to formal occasions. But these are the shoes that we wear out the most often, provided we actually stick to those New Year’s resolutions, and they will certainly take the greatest beating. So why is a great pair of running shoes so low on the list of stylish or important clothing options?

Well, because they look like Newton’s Gravitas, a pair of running shoes that offers high-level functionality for the 2011-2020 decade but look like they’ve been plucked out of the 1980’s. Not that there’s anything wrong with a little retro-style, especially when it comes to the timeless exercise classics that came with the rise of brands like Nike.

If you’re a runner, of course, you couldn’t care less. Shoes like the gravitas are why you run – you want to customize your own level of endurance, and you need a shoe that can take you ten miles a day just as easily as it can take you a mile. That’s what the Gravitas provides with extended heel durability, excellent fit and plenty of flexibility. There are some shoes that would seek to change you with all that they do to your foot – the Gravitas is not one of those shoes.

At $175, these shoes do come down on the pricy side, which can be especially tricky if you’re a college student and need the exercise but also need the money. Die-hard runners might – forgive the pun – gravitate to a shoe like the Gravitas more readily, especially if those runners are the ones who have been around a while, have some money, and need a shoe that reduces stress on their feet and legs.  Looking to build your calf muscles?  These are the shoes.  These shoes will keep you on your toes – literally.  I asked a triathlon expert “what do you think about the newton shoe experience?  He responded, “I wont run in anything thing else.”  Take it from us and a tri-expert and try a pair for yourself.  No trick, they’re sweet!

Should you get a pair? It’s certainly worth a look if you want a quality running shoe. And, heck, if you were looking for stylish shoes in the first place, you wouldn’t have finished this article because you’d already be reading GQ.  Or, you’re still staring and the shorts and not the shoes.

The What:
This trail running shoe is called: Newton’s Gravitas.
Color tested: Blue. Orange. White. Sliver.

The Why:
Buy them if: your calves need some serious toning, and your running form needs honing.
Forget them if: you already have perfect running form.
Tested on: asphalt of the blackest pigment.
Highest and best use: for the shoes?  Running.  For the Shorts?  Halloween.

Tip: If this is your first pair of Newtons, work them in slowly to you run.  These shoes will keep you on your toes!  (The shorts probably will too.)

newtonrunning.com

(Model and shorts not included with the purchase!  However, both the shoes and model were used with permission)

*Disclosure: shoes provided by Newton Running MSRP $175).  If you have a pair of shoes that need to be featured on shoesoftheday.com, contact us at reviews (at) shoesoftheday.com

Go Light on the Trails with a GoLite TaraLite Shoe

If there’s anything that people who enjoy hitting the trails love, it’s minimalism. Going out to hit the hiking trails gives them the scent of fresh air, maximum exercise, and most importantly – a chance to get out of the house. So it’s only fitting that this type of person also enjoy a minimalist shoe that’s able to combine simplicity in design with high-performing features. That’s what the GoLite TaraLite attempts to do. Does it succeed?

The simple answer is yes. The TaraLite is dubbed the “latest evolution in BareTech trail running shoes,” and with a name like “BareTech,” it better be good.  This shoe was inspired by sandals in the Tarahumara tribes in Mexico, and is a shoe that gives the greatest amount of leeway to your feet while also supplementing your foot’s natural abilities like any good minimal shoe would, could and should.

How is this accomplished? You have an internal thong (it’s not what you think it is) to add stability and consistency in the uncertain terrain, solid protection from the outside elements, and very little extraneous details that would otherwise get in the way of your foot and subsequently alter the way you exercise.

As stated, if you enjoy trail running in the first place, there’s a good chance you don’t need a shoe with 100 gadgets and features embedded therein.

At $115, this shoe will cost you what you might expect from other shoes across several markets, meaning it’s a fair price. But what if you’re a trail running enthusiast who wants a shoe with even more minimalism? Well, tie a sandal to your feet and start walkin’, but there’s no guarantee that your contraption will perform nearly as well as a shoe designed for both minimalism and unexpected terrain.  The outsole is sticky, holding on mightily to sandstone rock.  Check out the picture of the tread in the sand.  The GoLite TaraLite is designed to support and enhance without altering – and that’s all you should be asking out of your trail running shoe.

This trail shoe is called: TaraLite by Golite
Color tested: Orange/Black/Gray.
Buy them if: you want a no-lace, zero drop heel, natural feeling trail shoe.
Forget them if: you don’t have any toe socks that will accommodate the thong.
Tested on: sand, slick-rock, dirt and rocky trails.
Highest and best use: broad mix of trail terrain.
Tip - they fit exactly to your regular shoe size.  Don’t add – keep it minimal.

Disclosure: We received these shoes complementary from Golite.  If we didn’t like them, we wouldn’t have written about them.

Brooks Green Silence Running Shoe Review

Brooks Running is a well known running and sport shoe company whose latest shoe release is the Green Silence. This shoe couples the best of running shoe design concepts with environmentally friendly materials and manufacturing. At 6.9 ounces, the Green Silence is a light, flexible shoe that feels natural when worn and provides the thinnest possible comfortable barrier between foot and road.

The entire Green Silence shoe has eco-friendly shoe design incorporated, starting with the basic structure of the shoe made of 75% post-consumer recycled materials. To decrease energy exerted during manufacturing, the Green Silence is made up of about half as many shoe components as similar models. All glues and adhesives used in the making of the Green Silence shoe are eco-friendly and water based and, overall, over a third less solvent was used in general. Even the dyes and colorants used to finish off each shoe are completely non-toxic.

Brooks doesn’t lose site of the importance of function with these environmentally friendly runners. The Green Silence is as effective, powerful and comfortable as any other running shoe. The midsole heel has a thickness of 18mm and the forefoot thickness measures 10mm. The Green Silence also has one of the lowest heel-to-toe drops compared to other Brooks shoes.

Brooks Green Silence

Brooks has reported that this shoe design has been in planning stages for many years. The product of their brainstorming has proven to be a stylish, comfortable, durable and flexible shoe. With the amount of eco-friendly materials used, this shoe is equally great for you and the environment you run in.

• Pros: They are made by Brooks with the environment in mind.
• Cons: They’re red.  I thought this was a green shoe?
• Buy them if: You care about the planet and your feet.
• Forget about them if: You don’t want to draw attention to your feet.

Do you want to run green?  Wear red.  The shoes of the day: Brooks Green Silence.  Shhhhh….

Nike Free Run+ Men’s Running Shoe Review

Not quite ready to run barefoot?  Nike has a solution for all those who desire to join the minimalist running revolution but aren’t quite ready to toss out shoes altogether.  The Free Series by Nike combines the concepts of improving foot strength and emphasizing toe and mid-foot contact over heel contact. Unlike other minimalistic shoe designs, the Nike Free Series look just like regular sneakers and the magic is in their structure and design.

Nike released their first “Free Series” shoe in 2005.  Since then, the new models released each year have been refined and improved versions of the original.  The first model closely resembled a real bare feet feel and more recent models have added arch support to prevent injury and strain.  The shoe’s overall goal is to support and strengthen your entire foot (Yes, even shoes set goals now days.)   Asymmetrical laces relieve pressure on the top of your foot and grooved soles to encourage you to incorporate your toes in each stride, encouraging you to put less pressure on your heel.  Notice the laces?  Look a little closer.  See the text?   The “lace up and save lives” campaign is geared towards helping to fight AIDS in Africa.

Back to the shoes.  Every runner knows that heel stomping is a no-no, but that doesn’t make it any easier to avoid – after all your brain is a long way from your feet.  Another one of Nike’s aims with the Free Series was to build a shoe that actively encourages runners to use their metatarsals, toes and arch, while minimizing heel stomping when running. The shoes achieve this by simply decreasing the amount of rubber in the heel of the shoes.  Genius.

The Nike Free Run+ is a particularly lightweight and flexible.  Your feet will immediately feel at home in the cozy, yet firm and comfortable fit.  Nike has also made a point of increasing mid-foot support in particular to decrease the soreness many barefoot runners experience.

Come on, set your feet free with these shoes!  The shoes of the day:  Nike – Free Run+ (Neutral Grey/Black-Sport Red-White) – Footwear

Nike Free Run+ Men's Running Shoe

Pros: Light. Weight-less. Nike. Always a plus.
Cons: Everyone’s got ‘em.
Buy them if: You want the feeling of running  barefoot, but your feet still need some convincing.
Forget about them if: You’ve had enough, and just want to go barefoot.

Oh, and Dallin, thanks for allowing us to take a picture of your foot.

Vibram Five Fingers “Floves” For 2011

In 2011, Vibram will be releasing new and exciting Five Fingers shoes.  Nearly everyone has seen Vibram’s unique line of foot-gloves (a.k.a. “Floves”) known as Five Fingers.  When first introduced in 2006, they were different.  They weren’t like anything anyone had ever seen.  They drew attention for their strange appearance and questions about comfort, durability and versatility.  By now, all types of Five Fingers shoes are well known to be comfortable, heavy duty and long lasting.  They just don’t break down like typical running shoes.  For 2011, and just as flexible and comfortable as their predecessors, the new Vibram offerings include a brand new line for kids and a new adult style designed especially for runners.

The Bikila LS, Vibram’s first of its kind running shoe, is as innovative to minimalistic running as the original Five Fingers was to the  shoe industry.  The “Bikila” named after Abebe Bikila who in 1960 rejected a fresh pair of Adidas shoes and ran bare foot just like he trained.  The Bikila LS is the first Five Fingers model to feature laces, added to provide perfect fit and customization.  This shoe’s sole is also different than the rest of the Five Fingers line, specially designed to propel your forward as you run and literally keep “you on your toes.”

Bikila Sole *Image courtesy of fitness footwear

Vibram’s kid sized Five Fingers are anxiously awaited but the details of this new line remain a mystery.  Parents with kids who love to be barefoot will take solace in being able to protect their child’s feet while still allowing them the pleasure of bare feet.  Vibram has so far released very few details regarding this addition to their Five Fingers line, but parents and kids alike are sitting on the edge of their seats for the release date.  So are we.

Wonder what barefoot dress shoes will look like?

Kigo Footwear  Shoe Review

Looking for a light-weight minimalist shoe for your fall wardrobe?  Check out Kigo Footwear.   Founded in 2006, Kigo is a minimalistic, environmentally and eco-friendly shoe company that sells comfortable, fashionable, durable footwear for both the indoors and outdoors, city life and country adventures. Kigo shoes average 5 ounces because they are made from such lightweight materials and have such a simplistic design. Unlike other shoes that are up to hiking and outdoor activities, Kigo shoes are also attractive and subtle enough to be worn as everyday footwear. All Kigo shoes are designed with foot and overall health in mind.

Kigo currently sells four types models of shoe: the Shel and the Edge for both men and women, perfected for outdoor activity; and the Star and Curv for women, designed for outdoor and as well as everyday wear. The Shel and the Edge offer full foot coverage to keep feet protected in the outdoors, but are notably lightweight and flexible, giving you the joys of going barefoot without the dangers or discomforts.  The Shel in particular has become popular in the minimalistic running community for its comfort, durability and simple design. The Star and Curv are typical Mary Jane shoes but are made with unique eco-friendly materials and crafted with an emphasis on durability. These two models are also extremely flexible, able to be nearly folded in half, making them easy to pack and super comfortable to wear.

All Kigo insoles are antibacterial and removable making them easy to pack, wash and wear. The eco-friendly aspects of Kigo shoes include the very materials every shoe is made with, including EVA insoles. The uppers on all styles of Kigo shoes are made from post-consumer waste, also known as recycled materials. Even the dyes and stain treatments used to finish Kigo shoes are certified non-toxic. This environmentally friendly aspect of Kigo footwear makes them even more popular among outdoor enthusiasts.  What eco-friendly minimalist shoes do you dig?