TUNEfootwear: company and product review (Minimalist dress shoes!)

TUNEfootwear

Today we have a company (and a shoe!) that I am pretty excited about. 

The company was founded by a normal 9-5 guy named Mike Norris who, like most of us, tried minimalist shoes and never looked back.  His problem?  Again, same as a lot of us, he was required to wear business dress shoes for work and “everyday felt like I was banging my head against the wall because I was wearing these shoes that were killing my feet!”  Where Mike is Not like most of us, he decided to do something about it and in 2011 launched the beginnings of TUNEfootwear

Currently, TUNEfootwear is using indiegogo to raise funds to get their shoes to the masses (tradeshows, etc.) so be sure to check out their video and their story here!

Introducing the TUNEfootwear Ornament

For all of us who have searched the world over for a minimalist dress shoe, who have scoured racks at cheap shoe stores trying to find something with no heal, who have given up and worn solid black Puma athletic shoes with pinstripe dress pants (yep… guilty)…. Search no more.

A little background:   Everything I wear is zero drop, everything, all the time.  Running shoes, workout shoes, casual shoes, hiking boots, trail running shoes, going to the grocery store shoes, everything.  So dress shoes… sucked.  For Brown I had to wear VivobarefootDharma (“but those aren’t dress shoes” I know.  You’re right.)  and for black, I literally wore a pair of Puma all black all leather athletic shoes (and tried to never need black dress shoes…).  For casual, I’d wear boots, all the time (because I did finally find a few pair of nice zero drop boots – another of which you’ll be hearing about in the next week or 2).

So, when I heard about this startup company, I was very intrigued.  Digging a little deeper I started holding my breath in hopes that they were as good as their marketing people (person ;)

They are.

The leather is beautiful, soft, supple, and genuinely feels like nice leather (which it is… but you know how some leather feels more like plastic?  Not these).

Attention to detail is great, from the stitching, to the hardware; truly a well crafted shoe.

They are built minimal from the ground up, extremely comfortable, and very sharp looking - at home beneath a nice pair of blue jeans, slacks, or a suit and tie.  For the review, I tried out the black ones but would LOVE to get my hands on a pair of the Tan – they are gorgeous!).

It’s like secretly walking around in a pair of house slippers camouflaged as dress shoes.  Also, should you decide to Clark Kent it one day and take off to run down a bad guy in your suit and tie, they are game (no kidding – the rubber sole and wide fit truly make them feel like any other minimalist shoe-as they should!)

·         Thin flat rubber sole

·         Soft leather

·         Zero drop

·         Nice wide toebox

·         Perfectly flexible

·         Extremely light weight

·         And a HUGE plus – these shoes are only $100 (as compared to certain other ‘minimalist’ dress shoe startups charging upwards of $350…)

·         They also wear great with or without socks.

TUNEfootwear offers a current lineup of 4 shoes in combinations of 3 different colors: 
Ornament, Tassel, Penny, and Boat:

I have to say, I really do Love these shoes.  Also, as always, I’m a huge sucker for a company’s story, and Mike has a great one!

Remember to check them out on indiegogo.com and help support this startup!

VA Creeper trail run part II -- Hope Now

Well, I didn't get any pictures.

Ended up not taking the camera and just opted to carry my iPod Shuffle instead (which died a few miles in... that thing has been a piece of Junk!)

But, the run was Beautiful!  The leaves hadn't changed yet, but the foliage was still gorgeous.

Someone asked 'why the Creeper'?  We obviously are blessed with tons of trails to run on here in East TN, I didn't 'have' to go to the Creeper to run, but here's why I did:

It started out that we have a group that goes and bikes it and camps every fall (for about the last 7 years or so I guess) and so the idea of running it one time instead of biking was always there.  Last year a friend and I had planned to run it and began getting ready, had the campsite booked, travel plans made, and 2 days before we were to leave, my wife and I went in for a routine checkup (she was pregnant with our 2nd after 8 months of fertility issues) only to have the doctors tell us that the baby was gone.  A miscarriage had taken her and that my wife needed to stop taking the progesterone (that her body requires to sustain a pregnancy), start taking pain meds, and stay fairly near a hospital in case of complications.  The Creeper was out, and the furthest thing from our minds.  We stayed nearby home instead, actually went to a little campground about 15 minutes away to camp just to get our minds off things and try to spend sometime with a few friends.  My wife, my stubborn, intuitive, hopelessly optimistic wife, refused to stop taking her progesterone and refused to take the pain meds.

1 year later, that baby that the doctors had said was gone is now 4 months old.
And we took her to the Virginia Creeper with us this year.

So why the Creeper?  To celebrate.  To celebrate miracles, hope, new life, and The Creator of the beautiful creation we ran through this year to celebrate - With the new life that, on that very weekend last year, we thought we had lost.

For those interested, here is that story, the story of our daughter who's middle name is... Hope.

Special thanks to my dear friend Kevin who was supposed to run it with me last year and came back with just a few days notice to run it with me (more than double the distance of his furthest run Ever) this year in honor of baby Hope.

Virginia Creeper Trail run

I'm taking off tonight to VA to go camp and then run the Virginia Creeper trail (no sanctioned race, just because it's breathtakingly gorgeous up there and the weather from White Top to Damascus is supposed to be low of 40 and high of 70 for the day!)

Very excited about the run - not even considering any times, no splits, no goals, don't care.  

I'm going with a friend and going to enjoy the Beauty of this!  

I'm considering carrying my phone in my hydration belt so I can snap some pics along the way -- if so I'll be sure to share them when I get back next week!

Thacker Warm-ups (Crossfit)

Just thought I'd throw this up for everyone.  As most of you know, I'm a big proponent of Crossfit.  Thing is, it takes a long time to learn the lingo ('what the heck is an x,y,z???") and an even longer time to figure out how to properly do the movements.

If you Crossfit, chances are you've watched a nauseating amount of youtube 'how to' videos.  A couple days ago, after listening to the fellas over at Barbell Shrugged, I found this series called the Thacker Warmups (from The Lab Gym).

By far, this is the best snatch (mind out of the gutter) progression/warmups videos I've seen.  Take a look:

Best of the Best 2: Trail Running Shoe

**UPDATED 4/3/14 to shoe 2 new (clear) winners!  

See bottom of the page**

Here's entry number 2 of the Best of the Best series.

As I mentioned before, I'm doing this to try to highlight the very best in different categories after prolonged use.

Today's category is "Trail (specific) Running Shoe"

AND..... This is a tough one.

To be perfectly honest, I still haven't found The Perfect trail running shoe.  So what I'm going to do today is give you some honorable mentions for this category along with the +/- for each.  Additionally, there are trail shoes for "easy" trails, trail shoes for rocky trails, and trail shoes for highly technical trails that will eat your feet for breakfast.  I'll hit one of each.

#5:    New Balance MT00 Minimus

For "light/easy/soft" trails

At number 4 we have the NB minimus.  This is, in my opinion, the first time NB really got a minimalist shoe right.  They had an early entry into the market, but they made the shoes how execs wanted and never bothered asking the barefoot/minimalist community how to make it and, as such, they were awful.  This one was their first one that was right.  It wasn't perfect, but it was good (and their best yet).  

What it does right:

• Unbelievably light weight (4.4 oz)
• Good ground feel
• Awesome flexibility
• Wears well with socks or without (actually better without)

What it misses:

• Your feet will get completely soaked.  For me, this isn't a problem because I wear them without socks, but for some it might be.
• the pods on the bottom leave gaps:  
• 
  Now, this pod design goes a Long way in decreasing weight, but each of those gaps goes straight through to your foot.  So the problem is, you have the  mental 'comfort' of having shoes on and if you're (therefore) lax at all in your step you can have a stick or rock go right between those pods and hit your foot which is... Not comfortable.  
• And the big problem with them is all that cool green mesh material tears.  Quickly.  A lot.
  
  Which is why, I'm sure, they're clearing these out.  In fact, you can get them at runningwarehouse for $50 right now.

#4:  The Merrell Embark Glove (Gore-Tex)

For moderate-more technical (rocky) trails

Remember when Merrell came out with their first "Trail Glove" and everyone LOVED it!?  Yeah... not me.  I thought I did, but after a couple weeks I ended up shelving them.  There wasn't some huge glaring thing I Hated... I just didn't love them.  However, This shoe (which apparently no one else liked because Merrell discontinued them very quickly after release) I did love.  

What it does right:

• It's a light shoe
• Still has the fused rubber toe guard (like the Trail Glove)
• Wide toe box
• Vibram sole
• It's Gore-Tex.  I love that.  Really, really love that.  
• And it has a 1mm shock absorbing rock plate.  This was the biggie.  It has a rock plate, but still no cushioning, and the rock plate is VERY thin so it takes the edge of rocks but doesn't kill your ground feel (ironically, that's probably what killed the shoe - people were expecting to not feel anything).

What it misses:

• Can't be worn without socks comfortably
• Loses a little flexibility

• This is a trail shoe.  Specifically for trails.  And not just any trails, but more technical trails.  I would Not like this shoe for a road shoe... but that's not what we're talking about here.

#3:  Merrell Ascend Glove

For Technical trails (and all trails!)

This is the shoe that Merrell brought out to take the place of the Embark.

I haven't had this shoe very long (as it is a new summer release) but have managed to put quite a few miles on it already.  This is my go-to trail running shoe now and this is what I've learned:

What it does right:

• Zero drop still (of course)
• Much more comfortable for sockless wear (though still not the best)
• Light for what it is (~8.0 oz)
• Nice aggressive tread (not a cleat - but the best merrell has ever done in a 'glove')
• Vibram sole
• Now, for what really Makes this shoe:  It has a thin layer of padding full length and "Trail Protect Pads" (rock plates) in the forefoot and heel and Not full length - so you get the protection from all the hidden rocks that would otherwise wreck your world while not giving up any flexibility!

What it misses:

• Sockliner still isn't great
• What I didn't like, as compared to my Embarks, was that they didn't have a  Gore-Tex version - However, just as I'm writing this, I see they have now late-released a Gore-Tex version (of course... now that I have these).
• Now, for what really Hurts this shoe:  It has an arch.  Seriously Merrell?  What the heck?  No mention of an arch anywhere, Merrell's have not had arches before in the 'Gloves' to speak of, but this one Definitely has an arch.  And I hate it.  Now, I still run in them a lot, but it Does really bother me, that's the one thing that kills this shoe... I just don't understand... Why in the world would they do that?

**NEW WINNER**

Since the writing of this post, where I wasn't really happy with any of the trail shoes, I've tried two new ones that are, in fact, clear winners:

#2:  Altra Superior

#1:  Altra Lone Peak 1.5

See New blog for these winners:
http://secondwindbook.blogspot.com/2014/04/altra-trail-shoes-undisputed-king-of.html

Best of the Best 1: Road Running Shoe

Alright guys, here's entry number 1 of the Best of the Best series!

As I mentioned before, I'm doing this to try to highlight the very best in different categories after prolonged use - we all know that we (on occasion...) try a product, Love it, rave about how it's the greatest thing ever, and then 6 months, or even 2 weeks later, you shelve them for a problem you didn't see right away.

Well, this "Best of the Best" series aims to fix some of that - the products I put in these categories are products that I've tested extensively (most for about 2 years).

Today's category is "Road (specific) Running Shoe"

Winner:  Nada!  

(no really... 'Nada')

The Nada Sports (previously under the 'Somnio' brand) "Nada"
I first brought this shoe to you back in October of 2011 and then spoke about the companies move into ladies only here  

That said, this shoe is still so unbelievably impressive, it's still worth it to buy for everyone.  The shoes (available in lots of colors) are made in a completely unisex design and platform.  They are sized in men's sizes but then labeled in women's sizes and then they tell you they run a full size large... Is that confusing enough?
Let me translate:  If you are a man, you order your size (so if you wear a men's 9.5, order a women's 9.5 and it will be right for you), if you are a woman, you order 1 size smaller than usual (so if you wear a women's size 9.5, order a women's size 8.5)

The shoes are amazing.  Still, hands down, the very best minimalist shoe I've ever worn for road running.

The shoes are completely seamless, no rubbing, no irritation, no hot spots; you can easily wear them with socks or without.

They are made of a sort-of stretch mesh that is very thin and unbelievably breathable. 

The mesh is so thin and stretchy that the shoe is “held together” by these strips of overlays (what a lot of people refer to affectionately as the Somnio duct-tape) that are made of Thermo Polyurethane – these strips keep your foot from sliding but that’s about it – they don’t restrict and they are Not stiff at all.

The sole is listed at 6mm but due to the material (very very soft) it honestly feels even thinner than that and provides excellent ground feel. 

One thing that will be interesting to see on this shoe is how well the sole holds up in the long run just because it is so thin and soft.

The toe box is wide and, again, the mesh is so stretchy that I would wager almost any foot width could be accommodated. 

This leads me to my only complaint… sort of.  Though it doesn’t bother me while running (I only visually notice it while I’m stretching), the toebox is wide, and the mesh stretches very well, but the actual Sole of the shoe (the actual white sole) is very narrow.  What this does is when I’m doing a wide hamstring stretch or a standing groin stretch (for instance), my foot actually slides over the edge of the sole.  Just an interesting point… not a hindrance that I can tell, but feels odd when not running – I wish the actual sole of the shoe were wider (I feel like the sole of my foot is wider than the white sole of the shoe… but not wider than the internal compartment of the shoe itself)

There is, of course, NO heel to toe drop - in fact, though never mentioned by Somnio that I can tell, people rumor that NADA stands for No Anterior Drop Applied.   Though possible, to me “NADA” simply means what it means in its truest form… nothing.  Nothing extra, nothing superfluous. 

That pretty much sums it up… this shoe has everything you would want (zero drop, complete flexibility, zero break in, seamless, sockliner, flat bottom, ultra lite), and nothing you don’t (no support, no arch, no drop, no… nothing) all in THE single lightest shoe I have ever seen…. That’s one of the greatest features:  these shoes weigh 3.6 ounces.  Yeah, that’s right, 100 grams – almost HALF the weight of a pair of Fivefingers!

Also, as a nice bonus, the shoes are $85 – which, in comparison, is Quite reasonable.

They also come (now) in lots of colors:  white, red, black, carolina blue, green, orange, pink, and more - check them out here:

Lifefactory glass water bottles

Lifefactory is a new company to me and a relatively new family in general (launching in 2007).  Pretty cool story actually, with founders being a pediatric physical therapist and feeding specialist and an architect designer -

check it out here:

Anyway, probably the first thing you noticed was "Glass" and wondering why in the world I'm reviewing a glass water bottle.  Well, I like glass a lot as it is basically an endless natural resource, it's easy to clean, and it doesn't leach flavors (from other drinks or soap...) but, glass is... well breakable.  

Enter one of the big reasons for this review:

Now, the bottle is awesome, the caps are really cool (more on that in a minute), the company has a neat story, but what makes this all work is the sleeve!  These bottles have "carbon hex" silicone sleeves on them that "helps prevent breakage and provides a nonslip grip".  

Now, I'm quite sure it's possible to break these things, but I did Try to break it under normal use, ie I rolled it off my bar on the hardwood floor, dropped it straight down like a pencil on my linoleum covered concrete slab, even pushed it off the tailgate of my truck onto the asphalt sidewalk, and (best torture test ever) handed it to my 5 year old and told her "it's not breakable - go nuts" and it survived.  

The thick silicone sleeve is awesome.  Also helps that this is not a drinking glass - it's quite thick (my 22oz model with the straw cap weighs in at 1.2#).

This particular model is from the brand new Straw Cap Collection

There a couple of things that I Love about their particular straw cap design.  First off, it's got a nice handle that pivots out of the way when you're wanting to drink, you can open and close it with one hand (so if you're on a stationary bike you can maintain stride and grip with one hand the entire time - this same thing holds true for being on a treadmill but... why would you be on a treadmill, go outside!) the glass itself has a nice wide mouth (under the cap) that allows for ice cubes, protein powder, etc. and the Best thing about their straw cap design is the straw.  I know, sounds simple, how can you mess up a straw, right? But people do.  

Lifefactory uses a soft medical grade silicone flexible straw - not the pencil stiff plastic ones that I've always found in normal straw lids.  Why it took someone so long to figure out that was a good idea is beyond me, but awesome job Lifefactory.  Another big bonus?  I'm not a fan of using reusable straws forever, while these are great, flexible, easy to clean, and dishwasher safe, I still like to replace mine and you can buy a 3 pack of replacement flexible silicone straws straight from Lifefactory for $1.99.

The people over at Lifefactory have this awesome concept that they call Cradle to Table.  What this means is that they actually offer this exact design (nice, thick glass bottles with silicone sleeves) for babies to adults.  Seriously, they have nipple bottles in 4 and 9oz sizes, then they have toddler versions in 9oz with sippy-cup lids, and then they have "kid" ones in 9oz with screw on flat caps.  And (best idea yet) all the baby/toddler/kid lids are interchangeable on all 4 and 9oz bottles.  

Then for the adults they come in 16oz and 22oz and they have flip top lids (which are pretty cool - it's a small opening to drink out of with the ability to take it off and have the large glass top opening for putting in ice, powder, mix-ins, etc.), screw-on flattop lids, and these new straw lids (like the one I have):

"The NEW Straw Cap is designed for upright, spillproof sipping (no tipping required). The Straw Cap is perfect for the treadmill and yoga class. The pivoting handle provides a great way to carry the bottle and stows out of the way while drinking." 

So you have 

• Stage 1 bottle nipple
• State 2 bottle nipple
• Sippy-cup lid
• Screw-on flat lid
• Flip top lid
• Silicone straw cap

I honestly got to test this bottle for about 48 hours before my wife saw it and stole it (I knew I should have snagged 2...).  She has carried it around in her purse and diaper bag, which are about as organized as a filing cabinet that rode 3 counties in a tornado, and it never leaked a drop (her most important test criteria) and now she's decided she wants to get some for our daughters (one bottle age and one lunch box age).  

Verdict:  I really do like it.  It's well made, responsibly made, American made (sleeve and cap are made in America, glass is made in France, and assembly takes place in America), stylishly made, cool story (which you know I'm a sucker for), and neat concept (the Cradle to Table design).