Brilliant Marketing-Merrell Road Glove-Shoe

Merrell Road Glove: AfnR's Bloggiest Shoe of the Week

Bloggiest Shoe of the Week

I'm amused when I see multiple blog posts about a particular shoe appear across the Web within a short time period. It's kinda like a virtual trade show dedicated to one product. Brilliant marketing, really—not that I know anything about marketing.Anyway, since I'm not a presenter at this week's trade show, I'll assume the role of the unofficial directory. So, if you haven't seen all the Road Glove hoopla that kicked off yesterday, check out these links for photos and first-hand impressions:

• Running, Rambling, and all-around-awesome blogger Donald writes an extensive Road Glove review with vibrant photos and a giveaway!
• Barefoot Josh attests to the Road Glove's merits as a marathon shoe.
• The barefoot superhero from Maple Grove promotes the Road Glove's functionality and incites public interest with a giveaway.
• The folks at BirthdayShoes.com also present a convincing case for the Road Glove with superb photos.
• (post-publication update) MinimalistRunningShoes decided to wait until Wednesday to join the show with a review of the Merrell Road Glove that glows so brightly my monitor nearly burst.

Of course, there were already a few reviews of the Road Glove on the web before this week. They appeared in September and October of 2011. So, this is probably phase two of the Merrell Road Glove, etc. Spring pre-release show. Good job keeping the line in our sights, Merrell.Now, how do I go about obtaining my own "test" pair of Merrel Road Gloves so that I can confirm or refute all the claims made in the posts linked above? Hmm.... read more..

source:http://bit.ly/IumgFH

Trail Running Shoes-Sticky Rubber-Differential

Inov-8 Trailroc 235, 245, and 255 Preview

Inov-8 Trailroc 235, 245, and 255

A new range of trail running shoes from Inov-8 will tempt you in the Fall of 2012: The Trailroc™, a shoe boasting Inov-8's anatomic last, three Shoc-Zone™ options, and a uniquely designed outsole.

Trailroc Outsole

Like any good trail shoe, the outsole is the star feature here. And, the three cleat and rubber types comprising the Trailroc's outsole make for an interesting composition.Larger cleats made up of endurance rubber are placed in the high-wear areas, like under the ball of the foot. A hard, sticky rubber and more large cleats are positioned on the outer sections where grip and stability come into play most often. And, the toe and inner arch are comprised of a softer sticky rubber with smaller lugs.

Design Stuff

A couple of new design elements, changes to Inov-8's usual shoe upper construction and appearance, on the Trailroc caught my eye. And, even though you probably don't care about these minor design changes, I'll mention them. If I don't write about frivolous shoe minutiae, who will? Someone cares, right?So, for instance, the Shoc-Zone number now appears prominently on the lateral side at the base of the heel. This will undoubtedly help make the Inov-8 cushioning level system seem less enigmatic to new wearers of the brand. Fine.Also, from a lateral perspective, we see a few more wavy lines between the outsole and the upper. This differs from the rather simplistic, relatively lineless motif of previous Inov-8 shoes. In fact, the numerous lines in the midsole almost make me wonder how much cushion actually exists in their ZERO differential 235 member of the Trailroc range. See what I mean in the photo below from Natural Running Store.A more subtle display of the Inov-8 logo adds a new dimension to this range of shoes. I've always marveled at the rather conspicuous presentation of the logo on previous models, like the f-lite 230. Does a smaller logo indicate more brand confidence? I dunno. And, I'm sure none of you really care.Also noteworthy, I think, is the pull loop on the heel cup area. I mean, it's relatively large for an Inov-8 heel-pull-loop thingie. Will we complain about its aesthetic appeal when we look at the Trailroc in photos? Maybe. Will we notice it after putting on our Trailrocs? No. Again, this is a design feature that I'm only mentioning because I notice stuff that most people don't even think about.

Three Variations on Minimal

Since the Trailroc Shoc-Zone variations are being announced at one time I believe that these three shoes will be made available all at one time, too, next year. That's only logical, right? This is good. Having three options from which to choose all at once is better than buying one option before learning about a forthcoming more/less minimal option that you would have preferred in the first place. So, the Trailroc range of options are:

• the 255 with a Shoc-Zone 2 (6mm differential)
• the 245 with Shoc-Zone 1 (3mm differential)
• the 235 with Shoc-Zone ZERO - 0mm differential)

I'm most intrigued by the 235, because, despite my penchant for my f-lite 230s, I've developed an affinity for shoes with a zero differential. But, the 235 is heavier than my other "minimal" trail shoes. Why? According to Inov-8, their ZERO Shoc-Zone shoes have no midsole. So, perhaps the outsole compounds are just that much heavier. I guess I'll just have to find out when I find out.

So...

I'm excited about these shoes.Apparently less luggy than the Bare-Grip 200 or X-Talon 190, but more grippy than the f-lites, the Trailroc looks as though it will be a great all-around trail shoe for my East-Coast terrain, much like the Roclites. It's significant that the Trailroc will feature the fantastic anatomic last, something I've been enjoying immensely while wearing the Bare-X Lite 150 on road runs. And my toes are more likely to prefer the anatomic last to the Roclite's performance last on longer runs. So, the comfy anatomic last, coupled with the fact th read more..

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Crossfit

Inov-8 f-lite 195 New Color Craziness and CrossFit

If you've considered Inov-8's f-lite, Road-X, or Bare-X series running shoes for any reason over the past few months, you've undoubtedly seen the term CrossFit associated with them. In most cases, they're described as ideal CrossFit shoes, or something like that. This is because the CrossFit philosophy(?) emphasizes efficiency in a rigorous workout. And, low-profile shoes, like the three Inov-8 product lines mentioned already, facilitate this efficient motion.When I bought my first pair of Inov-8 f-lite 230s over a year ago, they were not synonymous with CrossFit footwear. They were running shoes, trail running shoes to be precise. But, their versatility on a variety of surfaces generated appeal outside the trail running community. And, people with a penchant for trendy exercise programs naturally gravitated toward a fashionable, minimally-styled shoe.For those who don't know, CrossFit refers to a sort of gym-dependent exercise program. However, practitioners may do it outside of a gym, too. It's a modern program. You can tell because of the capital "F" in the middle of a word that has no business being compounded. And, rather than state a bunch of (probably) incorrect assumptions about the program, I'll just let you form your own notion of CrossFit based on this video:Needless to say, I do not CrossFit. Wait, I mean I am not a CrossFitter. Or, I don't do CrossFit? Anyway, I've loathed the gym for as long as I can remember. Weights annoy me. People grunting and sweating profusely on the same bench I'm about to use make me wish I was doing something else. The monotony sucks. The lighting sucks. The music sucks. And, the smell sucks. So, I run—outside.So, why am I writing about CrossFit? Well, you know how sometimes you find something that you like a whole lot? Let's say, for instance, you've discovered a band called Pold Clay. You hear one of their songs from their first album, which is only a month old. And, the song is awesome. It's fresh. It's meaningful. It's everything you need a song to be for you at this moment. So, you buy Pold Clay's debut album and listen to it nonstop for weeks in your car, while you're cooking dinner, while you're eating dinner, etc. You learn all the songs by heart and never seem to grow tired of hearing this band's music.Then, one day, you're at some large retail establishment with a subscription-service radio station playing current hits over the store speaker system. And, you hear your song, the song Pold Clay used to speak directly to you! Then you hear it again while you're having coffee at Starbucks! Then you hear it at the gym! (And, you don't even go to the gym!) Suddenly, Pold Clay's music is everywhere, and everyone likes to talk about how cool the songs are. Other people are all, "Ooh, have you heard 'Burgundy' by Pold Clay? It's awesome! I just love the singer!" These people don't get Pold Clay like you do; they don't appreciate the nuances that make Pold Clay's music special. But, these people are cooler and more popular than you, maybe even better looking. So, their "appreciation" of Pold Clay's music garners more attention for the band, which is somewhat bittersweet for you. After all, you like Pold Clay. You want the band to succeed. That's the point of producing something for public consumption, right? But, now, when you listen to Pold Clay's music, you know that people around you assume you're just jumping on the Pold Clay bandwagon. They don't know your history with Pold Clay, that you were a fan from the beginning.Eventually, Pold Clay releases another album, and it's nowhere near as good (for you) as their first album was. It's lame and overproduced. And, the lead singer doesn't seem capable of the range he had in his earlier songs. Sure, the second album debuts in the top 10 on various best-seller charts. There are at least two well-written, catchy songs that are worthy of being played over and over again in large retail establishments. But, the charm is gone. This album is de read more..

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New Balance Minimus-Road Shoes

NB Minimus Zero Trail and Road: Shoes for the Outspoken Minimal Runner

The latest New Balance Minimus Zero Trail and Road shoes news comes to us from an article on the NB website. (Thanks to Donald of Running and Rambling for bringing this one to our attention) Senior Designers Drew Nyssen and Chris Wawrousek describe the inspiration and motivation for the design of these forthcoming NB Minimus Zero offerings."These are shoes designed for the most vocal, outspoken group of minimal runners," Chris says, "They’re not afraid to let people notice their shoes."It's redundant for me to continue repeating here what you could easily read via the links in the first paragraph. But, I'll mention a couple of points. What's the Internet without a little redundancy, anyway?The uppers of these new versions of the Minimus appear to be much more flexible and less confining than the 2011 renditions.This is good, because you might have read here that my primary complaint about the toe box on the NB MT10 is that; although wide and spacious, the curvature of the toe area is somewhat rigid. And, since it doesn't exactly fit the shape of my foot, my little toe still feels squished. Thus, I prefer the enormously flexible upper of a somewhat less spacious Inov-8 f-lite 230 over the MT10. Also, these NB Minimus Zeros seem more race-appropriate, at least to me. They definitely have a sleeker appearance in comparison to the MT10 or MT20. And, I like that the designers sought to enhance the slipper-like fit while looking to traditional racing flat architecture for a lightweight shoe. I've mentioned before that I don't feel as fast in my MT10s as I do in other shoes. So, I've never felt compelled to race in the Minimus Trails.But, perhaps those drawbacks of the 2011 Minimus will change with the February/March 2012 release of the NB Minimus Zero Trail and Road line. I'll be anxious to find out for myself. read more..

source:http://bit.ly/zKvIFK

Inov-8 Bare-Grip 200 :: 30-Miles-from-New Review

Inov-8 Bare-Grip 200 :: 30-Miles-from-New Review

Those of us who are less than perfect will occasionally spend our hard-earned money on things we don't necessarily need, superfluous items that do not fill huge, gaping voids in our material lives. These are things we want, things that look really cool, things that require great effort to justify purchasing.The Bare-Grip 200: with Zero Arrow Shoc-Zone™!For me, the Bare-Grip 200 from our friends at Inov-8 is one of those things. I already have a marvelous collection of trail shoes, which more than sufficiently accommodate my runs on the various trails around the Triangle: There's the Roclite 285, the Minimus Trail, the f-lite 230... So, I certainly don't need another trail shoe.But, look at it. That is an awesome shoe! (Okay, maybe it's not as awesome if you don't like green) And, it was on sale for 25% off!JustificationGiven it's pronounced lugs, the Bare-Grip 200 is more of a specialized trail shoe than anything else I've worn. It's designed for very wet, sloppy, and/or loose terrain with lots of inclines to climb and descend, fell running, really. And, the last time I used the word "fell" in a sentence about running, it wasn't a noun.The Bare-Grip 200 is all kinds of awesome!So, we don't have fells here in central North Carolina. But, it rains. Our trails get muddy. And, those leaves, they can be pretty slick in the Fall and Winter, wouldn't you say? Plus, the snow and ice certainly warrants a shoe with significant traction. So, yeah, I'll be able to use the Bare-Grip 200 pretty regularly! This might even have been a wise purchase, safetywise. (Did I mention that it was on sale?)FeaturesNotable features of the Bare-Grip 200:Grippy lugs (duh) — These actually serve as a bit of protective cushioning while running over rocks. So, the Bare-Grip simulates barefoot running without subjecting your feet to the perils that VFFs might.Zero differential between the heel and the toe — Inov-8 markets this feature as a ZERO Arrow Shoc-Zone™. (I imagine that the capital letters are for emphasis) No midsole at all — This makes the shoe incredibly flexible and fun to wear. Inov-8 explains that the lack of a midsole "allows all the natural power and speed of the foot [to be] transferred directly through the shoe." The video I've embedded below explains the appeal of forgoing a midsole quite nicely.Better protected toe box — Well, this is subjective, I suppose. To me, that's a rather sturdy bit of rubber, or whatever, buffering the toe box from the outside world. I've found it to be quite useful already. The toe guard is more significant on the Bare-Grip 200 than the one on the Roclite 285. And, I appreciate that.Read more about features in this Bare-Grip 200 review. I lack the attention span to really delve into specifications, etc.Sizing and FeelI tried the Bare-Grip 200 on in two different sizes, just because. These are built on the Inov-8 performance last, which coincides with the last of the f-lite 230 and Roclite 285. But, my US Men's size 11.5 Roclite 285 is a bit roomier in the front than my 11.5 f-lite 230. So, just because those shoes are built on the same last doesn't mean they fit the same way. But, I digress.The Bare-Grip 200 is a long shoe The size 12 Bare-Grip felt better on my feet than the 11.5. I liked the added width in the toe box the larger size afforded my little toe while the 11.5 squeezed just a bit. Although, in retrospect, the shoe's upper may have stretched enough after a few runs to warrant keeping the smaller size. I make note of this because I've been second-guessing my decision to keep the 12 now that it feels a bit more loose on my foot. And, if I could have kept the 11.5, I would have preferred it, because I feel a little self conscious about the length of my feet. Anyway...The shoe feels fantastic on my feet, light and incredibly flexible. I wouldn't say it fits any more snugly than the f-lite 230. The upper is just as breathable as I'd expect by looking at the photos, which is to say that it's very breathable read more..

source:http://bit.ly/A6ZT8h