Footwear | Evolving Consumer

Nike Patents New Lacing Tech

Laces. Velcro. Buckles. Bindings. You need one of those to tighten the shoes to get the support you need. Nike recently filed a patent for shoes with tightening laces. Or at least self-tightening straps. A battery and electronics built into the heel of the shoe control the laces and maintain a snug or loose and comfortable setting for the wearer. This technology is still in development, but fun to think what it will be like to slip into a pair of shoes and have the straps tighten on command.

Of course there are drawbacks in relying on this technology. The electronics could cause the shoes to tighten on their own, or give up working while laced on your feet. Is there an emergency out setting? We’re not sure if the battery is replaceable, and therefore its life could possibly determine the life of the shoe. On the flip side an electronic indicator to replace your shoe might be what some people need. I’ve seen people wear their shoes into the ground. Quite literally.

[via PopSci: Nike Patents Back-to-the-Future-Style Self-Lacing Shoes]

Skechers Tones Up Marketing Campaign

The war of the words over “toning shoes” isn’t going to end any time soon, and the Los Angeles Business Journal is now reporting that Skechers is putting its best foot forward, and it looks to kick back at the criticism.

The paper notes, “Skechers has hired Century City crisis communication firm Sitrick & Co. to tell its side of the story and has brought in defamation attorney Anthony Glassman and high-powered litigator Daniel Petrocelli, famous for his victory in the O.J. Simpson civil case.” That’s some big firepower, but as the story notes, there is a lot riding on the shoes.

[Via Los Angeles Business Journal: Shoemaker Steps Up Defense]

Armour Up For the Court

In Medieval times knights would sometimes adorn just a bit of armor when visiting the royal court. And now a very different type of “armour” will be adorned for a very different type of court. Baltimore sports apparel company Under Armour Inc. is looking to gain a foothold in the competitive basketball shoe market. Last week the company unveiled its first-ever line of basketball shoes, which will debut in stores this coming November.

The question is whether Under Armour will be able to soar in a market dominated by Nike, which practically stole the market from rivals such as Adidas and Reebok. Of course back in 1980 the shoe maker made its name on the court with its Michael Jordan branded shoes – and Jordan has been retired from the game for a long time, so maybe Armour’s assault is actually long over do. Continue reading Armour Up For the Court

Gravity Defyer Shoes Put a Spring in Your Step (Is That a Good Thing?)

Some days everybody drags. You begin to wonder how you continue to put one foot in front of the other and keep moving? Will a spring in your heel help propel you through those days and even offer more health benefits? Gravity Defyer thinks so, and is willing to let you try for 30 days or your money back.

Gravity Defyer shoes come in several varieties including running and dress shoe styles. The shoe addresses the 80 percent of Americans who use a heel striking gate to walk and run. It’s built with VersoShock Trampoline Shock, an absorbing membrane heel. It also has twin stabilizers, that’s two springs that compress and expand with each step. The VersoShock benefits include less fatigue, performance enhancing, cell cleansing super workout, ease joint pain and pressure on your spine and says users can “have a more active lifestyle.”

These aren’t the only shoes on the market making health claims. Nike recently called out its competitors for making claims of toning while you walk. Will a spring add benefits to the shoe? Will it help you on your feet? Springs can be highly uncomfortable if you feel them poking through on a bed. Imagine how a spring might feel concentrated in your heel after a day on your feet? Just because the spring is powering your stride, doesn’t mean it’s relieving any pain in your body. It’s still a new company, and a new technology, but it seems like it could have imbalanced results.

Gravity Defyer official web page

For Running, Compression is Key

Socks are socks, right? Well, there’s running socks, tennis socks, cycling socks, general sports socks, dress sock and we could keep going. A little known sock is the compression sock used frequently for medical conditions. Travelers and athletes are learning compression socks can aid training and recovery. One Mile Runner David O’Meara, whose goal is to inspire athletes over 30 to avoid injury, wears compression socks during and after performance events.

As a runner O’Meara wears the Athletic Recovery Sock while traveling and after exercise. He wears the Performance Sock for running. Both are part of the Active Therapy Line from Sigvaris. The comparession in the sock helps to flush out lactic acid that builds in the leg during exercise. The sock’s benefits are the ability to relieve tired, aching legs and exercise-induced muscle soreness. Continue reading For Running, Compression is Key

Boa Technology Calls Out Steve Jobs

: Hey Steve, no laces to tie!

Boa Technology, you are our heroes this week! The company noted that Apple CEO Steve Jobs stopped in the middle of his talking points during a recent press conference to… gasp… tie his shoes. No big deal right? It happens to the best of us. But as Boa Technology noted in An Open Letter to Steve Jobs, “It struck us as downright appalling that the CEO of a company leading the charge towards the 22^nd century would resort to First Century Technology to close his shoes.”

The company further noted that they sent Mr. Jobs a pair of shoes “that is true to Apple’s forward-looking culture” (their words, not ours as we’re far from Apple zealots at KineticShift.com). So what exactly makes the Boa Technology stand apart? Continue reading Boa Technology Calls Out Steve Jobs

Showdown Over “Toning Products” Looming?

A war of words could be brewing over those so-called “toning” shoes reports MediaPost, which notes that Nike is firing back at rivals Reebok/Adidas (Adidas owns Reebok). Nike is running print ads (see below) for its own Trainer One women’s shoe, with the headline “The Ultimate Quick Fix is not a magical toning shoe,” and follows with the tag line: “This shoe works if you do.” In other words it goes back to the old Nike slogan of “Just do it.” So is that the end of the “toning” craze? Not likely. Continue reading Showdown Over “Toning Products” Looming?

Not Your Dad’s Topsiders

Shot-4_Ret — You can't walk on water, but Sperry's Ping with SON-R technology let you walk in water.

Back in the ’80s topsiders were popular as the preppy shoe of choice. They faded into the background to be kept afloat by sailors and other boaters. But while the traditional style is still available from manufacturer Sperry, some new designs use tech specific to water sports. The Ping uses SON-R technology that gives the wearer feedback of the surface he’s walking on. Made to go on land and under shallow water for launching boats and small boat water sports like Kayaking and canoeing, the Ping has an “outsole-to-insole-to brain” sensory feedback system constructed of multiple pads comprising the same sole. This SON-R system lets you feel the rocks under your feet and navigate different surfaces even when you can’t see them under water.

Continue reading Not Your Dad’s Topsiders

Hands On: Hitting the Trail With the Montrail Sabino

Montrail-Sabino-Trail-Shoe — Montrail Sabino Trail Shoes

Over hill, over dale, I hit the dusty trail and the Sabino carried me along. After years of primarily being one to pound the pavement, I laced up with a pair on Montrail Sabino shoes and got off road. Now truth be told, given the state of many roads and even sidewalks in much of the country these days, finding “off road” isn’t as hard as it seems. But these performance running shoes are really designed for stability in true trail conditions.

The Sabinos are heavier than many of today’s lightweight running training shoes, but that’s because these need to stand up to harsher terrain. In other words you wouldn’t use a sports car where a SUV needs to go – then again, many SUVs probably couldn’t go where these shoes will take you. Made of synthetic leather and lylon mesh upper materials and thermoplastic midfoot shank, the Sabinos fit like a glove and were just right for the rather humid and warm day when I hit the trail. Whether we’ll be able to say if these were neither too hot nor too cold will have to determined at another time, but it is safe to say that these will do the job in a variety of weather conditions. Continue reading Hands On: Hitting the Trail With the Montrail Sabino

Wheels Keeping on Turning and Turning

While the general economy in the United States seems to be barely moving, Elasco, Inc. is just wheeling along. The company, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Deltron, has seen a significant increase in the sales of its high performance roller skate wheels. And we thought roller skates were as dead as disco.

But in fact Elasco has increased sales of its proprietary polyurethane wheels to existing quad skate OEM customers by 116 percent this year. Although part of this could be that consumers are replacing wheels on old skates, as roller skating as a retro activity is catching on, the other part of the equation is that roller derby is also hot again. Continue reading Wheels Keeping on Turning and Turning

K-Swiss Gets a Little Too “Powerful” With Tubes Campaign

: He’s not an athlete, he just plays one (badly) on TV

Nike didn’t drop Tiger Woods as a spokesman after all of his “problems,” which suggests that even bad boys can still sell products. But the recent decision from K-Swiss to use a fictional athlete to market shoes seems way, way off base. A newly launched ad campaign for the TUBES fitness shoes from K-Swiss features “slightly delusional ex-professional baseball player” Kenny Powers, played by actor Danny McBride, from the HBO series Eastbound & Down. Considering that Powers seldom thinks before opening his mouth, it is an odd choice for a spokesman.

But David Nichols, executive vice-president of K-Swiss sums it up another way, “we wanted to deliver unfiltered straight talk about how awesome TUBES are. Who better to do that than Kenny Powers?” Continue reading K-Swiss Gets a Little Too “Powerful” With Tubes Campaign

Avia Recovery Shoes Take Flight

Walking on a bumpy, packed sand surface is supposed to be better than an even, paved surface for your feet and leg muscles. That’s what the company MBT came up with a few years ago and this season shoes with the but-busting concave soul have been released by many brands. Avia is one of those, but they created a double rocker, or the rocker concave soul with an air pocket under the arch. Three models include the ishape, iburn and iquest. The negative heel, double rocker and low density forefoot in each shoe model claims to make downtime activity productive by building muscles in the leg and quads – those muscles in the rear. This is done by making you work for every step by rolling your foot over the shoe’s soul.

Avia has a history of innovation since its beginning in 1079. Soleredemption.com has an interesting profile on the company’s progress.

Avia Avimotion

Hi-Tec Forging a New Trail on Running Shoes

Seamless is the new stitching. A new trail running shoe from Hi-Tec was on show at the OutDoor show last week, the Infinity V-Lite. Layers of technology make for a streamlined shoe. A seamless upper reduces weight and tendency to develop blisters. Hi-Tec worked with Vibram to provide an exclusive sole with two rubber compounds that provide traction and durability. A rubberized coating provides permanent water repellence. There’s plenty more features to give the shoe a comfortable fit and support while on the trails. And it looks cool too. We hope to get our hands on a pair when they become more widely available.

Hi-Tec

Via: Outdoors Magic Gear Blog