Tag: Shoes

Lighten the Load – Starting With the Shoes

It is a New Year and if you’re thinking about a “New You,” Lady Foot Locker is there to help. Getting fit can mean getting lighter, and now the shoe retailer is helping runners on their way with an effort to provide lightweight running shoes. These are among the most technical shoes and the market, and include a range of products from Nike, Asics and even Reebok.  Lady Foot Locker has even launched an online campaign built entirely around the concept of “Lightweight Running,” with a great selection of shoes and beyond.

Lady Foot Locker Lightweight Running

Nike Hits the Field with Air Zoom Alpha Talon

While it seems late in the season – given that the playoffs are just around the corner anyway – for Nike to introduce new equipment. But enter the Air Zoom Alpha Talon shoes. These feature a fully adaptable traction system, with retractable cleats on the interior of the forefoot. These extend when pressure is applied, giving the player more traction at times when it is needed, and then retracting afterward. The cleats also utilize Nike’s new Flywire technology, which provides lightweight support for sideways movement, and to help cushion the foot the Air Zooms further provide Pro Deflex padding. The new shoes will hit the gridiron this weekend and will be used by a variety of NFL players. Continue reading Nike Hits the Field with Air Zoom Alpha Talon

NBA Bans Shoes – Sure to be a Hit on the Blacktop

Several sports have been rocked with performance enhancing scandals, but most of it has centered around what the athletes have (in some cases supposedly) put in their bodies, but the latest twist could be what athletes are putting on their bodies. Earlier this year swimming’s governing body banned certain skintight suits, while the same has happened with triathlons. Now the National Basketball Association has made a bold move by banishing certain shoes from its court.

The NBA has banned a shoe essentially for violating the rules against any equipment that creates “an unfair competitive advantage.” The particular shoes in question are part of the Athletic Propulsion Labs’ line of Concept 1 that includes the Load ‘N Launch Technology, which supposedly can increase a wearer’s vertical leap. These shoes will not be allowed in the court during the upcoming 2010-2011 NBA season.

This won’t mean the end of the Concept 1 by any means. APL couldn’t buy this sort of controversy. While $300 a pair these shoes are also a bit more expensive than most, but no doubt we expect to see these shoes popular on other courts, as players will look for an edge.

Athletic Propulsion Labs’ Official Website

People Choice Tries on GPS Smart Shoe

While there are many tracking programs out there for children and even teens, GTX Corp introduced an innovative product aimed at adults suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. Many sufferers are actually in good physical condition and thus aren’t confined to a room or even a house. To keep track of loved ones, the company came up with a novel idea – namely putting a tracking device in the footwear.

Now the GPS Smart Shoe has won the 2010 People’s Choice Award for Most Innovative Connected Location Device at the 4th Annual Locations & Beyond Summit this past week. Continue reading People Choice Tries on GPS Smart Shoe

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

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 22nd 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

Screw Your Shoes for Winter

It is hard to think about winter given that the recent heat waves, but next week is the beginning of August and that means that fall is just around the corner. While there is plenty of outdoor running left, it is never too early to think about how to keep up the miles once it gets cold outside and the snow starts to pile up. While this reporter will stick to the treadmill, our friends over at the Competitive Runner have another tip for those who need to put in some real miles in the great out doors.

The site offers tips on transforming an old pair of running shoes into some winter trainers. The solution they’ve come up with involves adding some sheet metal screws to the soles, which should certainly provide some extra traction and stability when you hit icy conditions. It is a good tip, and a great reason to save shoes that still have a few miles left in. Maybe it will get those of us who prefer to stay indoors in the winter to actually head outside for a run.

[Via Competitive Runner: Make Your Own Screw Shoes]

Adidas Gets in on the Game

If you’re caught playing with a phone or a video game in class, chances are it could end up in the teacher’s drawer. So does this mean that some kids might be going home barefoot? Could be as Adidas has released a line of shoes called the “Originals,” sneakers, which include the Superstar, Stan Smith, Forum, Nizza and Samba. Each of these has a barcode in the tongue of the shoe (no tongue and cheek here), which can be read by a Webcam to open the world of the 3D Adidas Originals neighborhood.

 The shoes in turn become the controller, and shoeless Joes can play in a series of interactive games in this world, including a laser blaster game, a skateboard game, a Star Wars themed game and a music-based game. Let’s hope that each player has to use their shoes/controllers and that these don’t get that nasty shoe smell. That might be one reality no one needs!

Reebok Zigs and Zags With New Running Shoes

Are these really "energy drinks for your feet?" We'll find out soon.

Injuries with running often occur when you zig when you  should have zagged, but now zigging and zagging is something to reduce the load on your leg muscles. Reebok has developed a new form of soles utilizing that it calls the ZigTech, a type of zig-zag foam. According to the company’s press release “ZigTech allows your key leg muscles to do less, so you can do more. Simply put, it’s like an energy drink for your feet.”

We’ve seen (and even tested) a few different running shoes, and these are something a bit different. Also notable is that the ZigTech shoes will retail for $100 when the brand hits stores later this month. We’ll be interested to see whether this will give us the zip we’re after.

Reebok ZigTech Site