by Nick Pang. When Puma introduced the Mobium Elite earlier this year, it started to move into the minimalist running shoes category. The FAAS collection has been around for a while and Puma is filling in the opposite end of its spectrum with lightweight and lightly cushioned shoes. Now, the most minimal shoe in the…
Category: Blog
Running Free: From San Quentin Death Row to Running Every Day in His Nike Frees
by Bill Katovsky. I was mountain biking home one recent afternoon with 30 to 40 pounds of groceries and a load of clean laundry. It was hot and I felt sleepy and tired, so I decided to take an extended rest in the shade. I sought out my favorite large moss-covered rock at the end…
Ask Sock Doc: Achilles Tendon Issues, Ditch the Orthotics, and Harmful Side-effects of Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs
Q: I switched to minimalist shoes some time ago, and in the beginning they really helped. Recovery time after long runs shortened, and constant issues I had with my IT band simply disappeared. Unfortunately something has gone badly wrong lately,and for whatever reason I’m getting constant problems with my Achilles tendon. I did a lot…
Air Force & Marine Corps Marathons; Austin Eat & Run; Freedom’s Run
After a brief end-of-summer hiatus of travel for family fun, I’ll be hitting the road for several events this fall. This will provide me the opportunity to speak more about running and health, as well as meet other runners. And, of course, I get to race. In three weeks, there is the Air Force Marathon. …
Gait 101: Learning to Run More Naturally
by Dr. Phil Maffetone. Many beginning runners remark about how much they enjoy the new experience. They care little about the nuances regarding form, technique, or proper gait. As long as they are moving, accumulating mileage over a sustained period of time, they feel content and satisfied. But at the advanced and elite level of…
The Media Want You to Believe that Barefoot Running is Bad for You!
The mainstream media’s love affair with barefoot running was short-lived. Coinciding with the success of Born to Run, when chronically injured runners began kicking off their coffin-like kicks, and going barefoot or minimalist instead, there were a number of enthusiastic articles and books about the most significant development in running shoes since Nike’s Waffle Trainer….
Documentary on Mountain Runner Anton Krupicka; and Freedom’s Run
I am looking forward to seeing the new documentary, “In The High Country”, which is the result of a yearlong collaboration between mountain runner Anton Krupicka and filmmaker Joel Wolpert. The 30-minute film will be shown in Shepherdstown, West Virginia on Friday, October 11, and the screening will be held at the historic Shepherdstown Opera…
Quick Tips: 10 Ways Barefoot Running Resets the Body
1. The feet become thicker and softer. 2. The skin, muscles, bones, and tendons have become more resistant to injury. 3. The skin becomes tough and pliable so it can shape around objects. 4. Running attentively helps to avoid hazards. 5. Form flaws are corrected. 6. There is more work in barefoot running, especially when…
Early Look at New Running Shoes from Summer Outdoor Retailer Show
Summer Outdoor Retailer 2013 trade show in Salt Lake City just finished and most shoe companies have announced their Spring 2014 models. Some of these models won’t be available until December or January at the earliest with some as late as March. However, some will be available in a few weeks. We will get a definite…
Natural, Minimalist Golf: New Book by Dr. Phil Maffetone
As a recreational golfer, it was with great anticipation that I received Dr. Phil Maffetone’s new book in the mail. In a departure of Phil’s previous titles, this one was centered on golf. Phil’s work has significantly influenced my life, running, teaching on health, and practice of medicine. I was eager to see what he…
“Naturally Respect Your Feet”: Interview with Podiatrist Dr. Ray McClanahan
Portland, Oregon-based Podiatrist Dr. Ray McClanahan is a rarity in his profession. He considers conventional treatment such as orthotics and surgery as a final-resort option for his patients. Instead, he favors a more natural, non-invasive approach that, as he states in the following interview with the Natural Running Center, “respects the inherent strength and integrity…
“Posing” the Question of Proper Running Form: Natural Running vs. Pose Method
Natural running is not some ideal, archetypal running form; it’s what happens when you let your own body figure out what works best for you when you minimize interference between the foot and the ground. It’s what happens when you let your own muscles, ligaments, tendons, and bones do all or most of the work….
The Split-Toe Running Shoe: Topo Athletic RR Racing Shoe Reviewed
by Nick Pang, The long awaited product launch of Tony Post’s (ex-CEO of Vibram FiveFingers) new company, Topo Athletic, which was previewed last April, is finally here. Topo Athletic called their approach to design, ‘innate amplification‘. They are in awe of the genius of human biomechanics, and to that they respectfully bring their modern constructions, materials and designs…
Classic Races From the Past: Roger Bannister vs. John Landy at the 1954 Commonwealth Games Mile
The match-up between these two great distance runners at the 1954 Commonwealth Games was billed by the press as both the “Mile of the Century” and “Miracle Mile.” Earlier in the year, Dr. Roger Bannister clocked the world’s very first sub-four minute mile — and it was on a cinder track in Oxford, England! At…
Running with the Tarahumara
by Roman Urbina, Race Director of La Ruta Ultra Run. The Tarahumara have this wonderful expression that I learned to appreciate after recently spending several days with them, the first time in Costa Rica last November and the second occasion recently in Mexico. Both times centered on 100-kilometer running events, each one incredibly difficult and…
Great Scenes of Barefoot Running in Cinema: “Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge.”
This 1962 award-winning, French-made short film was based on an Ambrose Bierce short story of a condemned man in the Civil War, and was later rebroadcast on “The Twilight Zone.” Watch it once– it’s just over 20 minutes– and it will stay with you forever.
VIVOBAREFOOT ONE Shoe Review
by Nick Pang. The VB ONE is VIVOBAREFOOT’s ultimate on-road or in-gym barefoot performance shoe. The uppers feature a lightweight and breathable hex mesh with V Web lamination for stitch-less lateral support. It is also lined with a soft-fit performance lining containing environmentally friendly Aegis to provide active moisture management, anti-stink, and a pure barefoot…
Your First Ultra
Daddy Ultra Runs is a running specialty store that’s located in Cocoa Village, Florida, heart of the Space Coast. Daddy Ultra Runs is also a member of the Natural Running Center store partner network. DUR’s owner Hernan Garcia is passionate about minimalism when it comes to footwear; and he’s definitely a maximalist when it comes…
What I Have Learned From Barefoot and Minimalist Running
In June 2013, the second Barefoot Connections conference was held in England, and most fittingly, it met inside the prestigious Natural History Museum which is located just outside London. Several leading practitioners and thought leaders in natural lifestyle and barefoot activity (walking and running) gave talks there. Family commitments kept me from making the trip…
Skechers GObionic Trail Running Shoe Review
by Nick Pang, NRC shoe review editor. Building on the success and experience with the original GObionic road running shoe, Skechers has created another blockbuster with the launch of its GObionic Trail running shoe. I have worn my original GObionic road shoe for a lot of my trail running mileage but small debris keep getting lodged…
Casting Doubt on New Study Questioning Benefits of Barefoot-Style Running
So what should we make of the latest footwear study that suggests that barefoot-style running isn’t really the best or most economical? With it attention-getting headline, “Is Barefoot-Style Running Best? New Studies Cast Doubt,” New York Times health and fitness writer Gretchen Reynolds recently pounced on a report that was published last month in The…
Comrades “Marathon”: What Goes Up…Goes Up
Why would I travel half way around the world to run The Comrades “Marathon” in South Africa? Not sure. Anyone who has ever run this race, which is the oldest and largest ultra run in the world, talks about it with a reverence and describe the amazing emotional and cultural experience. This run has brought…
Under Armour’s Toxic Six: New “Natural Collection” of Minimalist Running Shoes
NRC Shoe Editor Nick Pang reports: Under Armour continue its move into natural running motion with the launch of its “natural collection” of minimalist running shoes: Toxic Six. The collection offers the athlete an extension of the foot to deliver a superior, natural, protective ride. The ultra-flexible, anatomical Micro G midsole helps your foot move naturally. A glove-like…
Altra Zero Drop The ONE
Altra Zero Drop The ONE is a fast, light, and slightly cushioned do-it-all performance shoe that launched recently. But it is also one of the most anticipated shoe on my 2013 list as I wanted to see something between the Altra Instinct 1.5 and Altra Adam. –Nick Pang, NRC shoe editor From Altra’s literature, “From…
Open Letter to All Podiatrists: “Our Profession Needs to Keep an Open Mind in Regard to Shoes and Treating Running Injuries…”
The following excerpt is from an essay by Nicholas A. Campitelli, DPM, FACFAS that recently appeared on a popular podiatry forum and website: http://www.podiatrytoday.com/blogged/defending-my-position-orthoses. Dr. Campitelli, or as he likes to be known on his blog as Dr. Nick, does not represent the majority view and practice of most podiatrists who use orthotics as one…