Tag Archives: Shoe

Getting Traction on Ice and Snow

What do you wear to gain traction while running in icy or snowy conditions? I personally wear YakTrax when I want extra traction and sure footing. I know of people who drill small sheet metal screws into their shoes, and I’m sure people use other brand traction devices. What is your preferred device?

There are a few factors I consider before adding my YakTrax to my shoes.

1) Where am I going?

We live by a hospital so if I run that direction I’m guaranteed that a large part of my run will be on plowed the majority of my run. Running the Lakes? They will be plowed, but not to the ground. Downtown – plowed to the sidewalk.

2) What are the conditions of the trail/sidewalk?

This depends on where you go. Most actual off-road trails won’t have been plowed and I often will wear the YakTrax on them just to be safe.

3) Is there fresh snow/ice?

If the snow/ice is fresh or falling then I’d probably wear them just to be safe.

I’ve worn my YakTrax a few times this year for runs. A lot of my runs from home end up having a fair amount of the run being on sidewalks that are well taken-care of (hospital or downtown) so I don’t wear them a lot.

The YakTrax basically use a coil of wire to form an X on the ball and heel of your shoe. They pull over the sole of your shoe and have a strap that helps hold them on. They make a very distinctive mark in the snow! When running on clear pavement these coils add a little bit of spring to your step and if worn for long stretches can mess up your shins. For shorter periods of clear pavement you can survive or run in a snow bank to prevent the shin pain.

In the past when I’ve known I’ll want them for running around a park I’ve crossed the street or even run in the street instead of running on the hospital’s clear sidewalk.

I’ve been wearing YakTrax since we moved to Minnesota 6 years ago. I wore my first pair out mid-winter last year and bought a new pair of YakTrax Pro. I did receive a free pair of YakTrax Pro to review this winter (and some hand warmers).

My YakTrax wore out similar to how the heel of my shoe wore down. The rubber and coils on the back of the heel eventually broke due to my running form. I didn’t keep track of how many miles it took for this to occur, but having them for almost 5 years seems like a pretty good amount of time for them to last.

Another benefit of YakTrax over sheet metal screws is that you can wear them on virtually any shoe (mine won’t fit onto my winter boots, but do on my every day winter shoes). This also allows you to rotate through your running shoes instead of only wearing (and ruining) one pair of shoes!

Have you enjoyed your YakTrax or other traction method? What works for you?

First Thoughts: Saucony Kinvara

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I got a free pair of Saucony Progrid Kinvara in the mail on Friday.

Here are some of my initial thoughts without having run in them!

I like the blue color and design. As I pulled it out of the box it was quite obvious that it was a “minimalist” shoe. The upper is all mesh and fairly flimsy. The bottom is EVA+ foam and pretty flexible. The tread on the Kinvara is slightly aggressive, but not like a trail shoe. It does look more like a trail shoe than a road shoe, but a lot lighter. They weigh in just under 8 ounces, which is pretty light for a shoe.

The Kinvara use a flat shoe lace, while the rest of my shoes use the round lace. Does this save weight? Or work better for the minimalist design of the upper.

Obviously, only a run in the Kinvara will be able to say if it is a good shoe or not. It is extremely light weight and time will tell!

The Kinvara has won several awards including the June 2010 Runner’s World Best Debut shoe and Outside Magazine’s 2011 Gear of the Year award.

While you are waiting to see how my run in them went, watch these videos:

Saucony ProGrid Kinvara from Saucony on Vimeo.

Twin Cities Running Stores

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You can buy shoes almost anywhere it seems. But runners tend to be a little more picky about shoes that are going to carry them over the miles. Most runners tend to prefer a good quality running shoe or the growing trend of going barefoot. Even barefooters need clothing and accessories. So I’ve compiled a list of the “running specialty stores” in the Twin Cities metro area. I’ve commented as best I can on them. I’ve listed the Top 5, followed by a few others! I hope this list is helpful and please provide feedback on your experiences.

	Run N Fun – St Paul, Burnsville If you were to ask most of the guys I run with, they would say this is the only running store to visit. The Burnsville store just opened last year and their St Paul store was in the news due to a robbery. Their staff is extremely knowledgeable and experienced. The St Paul store, which I’ve been to a few times, covers 3 or 4 store fronts and offers quite a range of merchandise. Like most of the other stores they offer a great discount for local running clubs (I know the MDRA and USATF-MN). They have a Facebook group that shares photos, upcoming events, and information. Finally, Run N’ Fun is the choice of most of the local college teams.
	Marathon Sports – Minneapolis This is probably the running store I’ve been in the most. The MDRA training groups have had special discounted events there. Most recently I won a gift certificate from the MDRA Annual Party. They are known for having a doctor in the store twice a month. They are also located a block from Lake Harriet. I’ve always been impressed with the staff and the products they offer. The last event hosted there included post-run bagels and drinks plus a special discount (larger than the normal MDRA).
	Running Room – Minneapolis, Burnsville, Woodbury, St Paul, Rochester, and Maple Grove This is the closest store to our house and I’ve been there a few times. They are the most “corporate” of the specialty stores. Running Room is a chain of stores in Minnesota, Iowa, and Canada. I was not overly impressed with their staff the few times I’ve been there. But they have some amazing sales. One thing that sets the Running Room apart is their marketing machine. It helps to have the large corporate backing (i.e. not being family owned) but they have a monthly newsletter and sales.
	Gear – Edina I’ve never actually been into this store. Some friends of mine really love it and say it is one of the best running stores. Here is their Facebook Fan Page. It is actually very close to Marathon Sports.
	TC Running Company – Eden Prairie We visited this store one night for a Team USA-Minnesota event. Nothing really stands out to me about that brief experience. They sponsor a team and have an RV that makes appearances at races. Their Athlinks page has some great info.

Other Running Stores

I included some “corporate” stores, because they do sell running shoes and occasionally the staff can be very helpful. In college we actually went to Finish Line. They didn’t really provide much technical help, but we got a good discount.

Schuler’s Shoes (Twin Cities New Balance) – Bloomington, Burnsville, Golden Valley, Maple Grove, Roseville, Saint Cloud, St Louis Park, and Woodbury

Runner’s Edge – St Paul Their website doesn’t work and the phone rings and rings. Anyone know if they are open still?

Nokomis Shoe Shop – Minneapolis

Runners Gate – Lakeville

Gear West – Long Lake

Start Line – Minnetonka

REI – Roseville, Bloomington, Maple Grove

Foot Locker – Minneapolis, St Paul, Richfield, Edina

Finish Line – Burnsville, Mall of America, Minnetonka, Maple Grove

[tags] Running Shoe Stores, Shoes, Store, Twin Cities [/tags]

Thoughts on Running Shoes

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I have really enjoyed my Mizuno Wave Inspire running shoes. I started with the 3 and am now on my third pair of the 4’s. They came out with a 5, but the 4 is cheaper so that’s what I went for. Oddly, I first picked up the 3 because it was on the clearance rack at a running shoe store.

I know, that is dangerous. But I did due diligence and talked with the staff to make sure that the Wave Inspire was the correct shoe for me based on my wearing of the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 7. Later I found this great chart that shows all of the different major brands and which shoe you should wear based on your current one.

I’m not sure that last sentance makes sense so based on the fact that I wore the Adrenaline GTS it recommends Mizuno’s Wave Inspire and Asics GT-2140, etc… I wish there was a good chart that could help you pick out trail running shoes based on your road shoe, without making a trip to the store.

It is a fun little chart and I recommend looking at it. A lot of people say that you should never change shoes after you find one that you like, but there is a lot of anecdotal information out there that every now and then it is good to switch brands – each one is a little different and that will help your foot and body. Obviously, I have changed brands a few times. I wore Adidas in college, Asics for a few years, then Brooks, and now Mizuno. I can attest that they are all a little different and my feet have enjoyed pretty much all of them.

INSTRUCTIONS

I started writing this post to highlight some of the “care instructions” and a “Caution” that came with my most recent Mizuno purchase. I find them a little humorous.

– None of the Mizuno range shoes are suitable for machine washing. This may destroy or damage the technical fibers used on the shoes. We had a freshman one year in college who washed his shoes occasionally (in the washing machine). One time he washed them and then the next day we ran on some muddy trails. He complained the whole time about getting his clean shoes muddy.

-Your shoes should be regularly cleaned and maintained. Generally this can be done by hand washing in soapy water, however you should not use chemically enhanced powders or detergents. Does running through puddles count? I’ve never washed my shoes with soap. Does it add extra mileage to them?

– Do not force or artificially dry your shoes. This may damage or destroy the materials or substances used in production. Well talk about confusing – don’t wash, then wash them but you can’t dry them. Actually the best way to dry your shoes is to stuff them with old newspapers and lean them up against a wall so the toes are pointing down. They’ll usually be dry overnight.

– You should regularly check your shoes to ensure that the necessary components are still suitable for performance as deteriorated midsoles or outsoles may cause injuries. Components? Are the shoes little widgets? Shoes only last for about 300 – 500 miles depending on your build and gait. The soles will start to break down and show wear. Even if they don’t it is a good idea to purchase new ones.

Cautions

– This product has been designed and manufactured for the sport running. Use of this product for other activities limits the warranty for this product. I didn’t realize shoes had a warranty, except for Nike which would replace any shoe whose air pocket burst. So if I walk around in my shoes does that void the warranty? That doesn’t bode well for all of the Jeff Galloway fans out there. Not to mention the grammatical error!

[tags] Running Shoes, Nike, Asics, Mizuno, Brooks, Adidas, Shoe Care [/tags]

You can wash shoes (johnaugust.com)
Under Armour Takes Chance On Shoe Market (cbsnews.com)

Time to Change the Shoes

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After a good 440 miles it is time to lay my old shoes to rest. The Brooks Adrenaline GTS 7 were a great shoe, it is sad to put these old friends to rest. But not to worry I am wearing a new pair of the same shoe, so you could say they are relatives. I look forward to many more good miles with this new pair, they have done me well so far! I’m not shedding any tears and neither should you. The old pair will still be around for awhile as work/regular shoes. We spend too much money on running shoes for them to just be thrown away with still so much use in them.

Shoes should be changed around 300 – 400 miles or when you begin to see excessive wear and tear on the shoe. I ran mine a little long, but I’m a tight wad and don’t like spending money on new shoes. The long term benefits are huge and the short term ones aren’t too shabby either. My legs feel better with the new shoes. It is also smart to alternate your old and new shoes for a couple of days to help your feet adjust to them.

Some stats on my old running shoes:

Racing miles – 78.47

Easy miles – 287.5

Intervals – 57.31

Other (tempo and hill) – 16.5

Total Running Time – 23:41:47

I started wearing them June 1 and stopped at the beginning on September.

Stats from my Running Log powered by
Technorati tags: shoes, running information, Brooks, Running Ahead

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