Contributor Chelsey Magness gets geeky with her training regimen for a month via Suunto and the company’s new M5 Running Pack, which includes an HR strap and a “foot pod” to track pace and speed in real-time on a run.
These rocker-soled Skechers are touted to promote a “natural running” gait; our testers vehemently disagreed. “To me, while running on pavement, the Shape-ups shoe felt bulky and weird,” noted one tester in our review.
This miniature music player from Sandisk is not made for the outdoors specifically — it is not “ruggedized” and water will kill it. But for training and around-town use, the no-fuss unit is just what Gear Junkie needed.
“It’s not a sock, it’s a foot-cover!” That’s the tagline for Puretoes, a new sock-like product with holes for toes and grip material on the soles.
Vibram has announced a line of “lifestyle” models for spring 2012, including FiveFingers shoes made for daily wear and two small toe-shoe models for kids.
A mesh upper, a split-toe design, and “octopus tentacle”-inspired detailing on the sole make the to-be-released Maliko from OluKai Inc. one of the most unique water shoes we’ve ever seen.
A new speed record was set this weekend for a complete thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail. Gear Junkie gets an exclusive on what it took for speed-hiker extraordinaire Jennifer Pharr Davis to run/hike the 2,181-mile AT in just 46 days.
It won’t be for sale until 2012. But the just-announced Vertical K shoe from La Sportiva undoubtedly has fanatics of running steep mountain trails drooling already.
Fresh off a victory at the Western States Endurance Run, a prestigious 100-mile ultra race, Kilian Jornet talks gear, nutrition for endurance sports, and the limits of a human body on the run.
The phenomenon of shoes with articulated toes is one of the strangest product trends in recent years, if not ever. This article provides a baseline look at the small industry surrounding the growing genre of footwear made with slots for toes.
Five-toed shoes are a strange phenomenon in the outdoors space. But for Vibram, the Italian maker of FiveFingers, articulated “foot gloves” are big business, and, as demonstrated this week with Fila, copycats will be taken to court.
Good-looking and minimal, a new company, Kigo Footwear, makes an attempt to distinguish itself from the myriad barefoot-style options now for sale. Gear Junkie tests the shoe running and gets back only mediocre results.
From minimalist trail shoes to full-leather boots, Gear Junkie offers a roundup of some of this year’s most intriguing footwear makes. Pick out your optimal shoe and lace up to hit the trail!
New Facebook app lets you virtually run the 166KM Ultra Trail du Mont-Blanc race plus sign up for swag and a potential trip to Chamonix.
As reported around the barefoot-minded blogosphere this week, the U.S. Army has banned Vibram FiveFingers and all other “toe-shoes” because they “detract from a professional military image.”
Our writer, a new dad, tests a stroller made for jogging and outdoors activities in everyday life. With large wheels, knobby tread and a suspension system, the stroller proves overkill (in a good way!) for most any kid-transporting task.
Thirsty? Our writer tests three new hydration drinks, including grape-flavor Nuun tablets and a crystallized coconut palm nectar with high amounts of maltodextrin added for energy in a liquid form.
Last summer, Gear Junkie put a made-for-the-mountains running shoe to the test on the 15-mile Jupiter Peak Steeplechase race in Utah. The shoe, La Sportiva’s Crosslite model, has since proved its worth in a variety of trail-running environments.
New Balance’s light and flexible new trail runner, the Minimus Trail, is so different from most of the market that it regularly gets mistaken as an aqua sock. Gear Junkie gives a complete review.
Running shoes designed with aid from a British military unit and rated to go 1,000 miles? That’s the claim from UK Gear with its PT-1000 running shoes. Our writer puts some miles down for a test.
A new entry into the shoes-with-toes niche, the Evoskin from Inov-8 Ltd., is a direct vie for Vibram FiveFingers advocates. The pure-silicone shoe offers an experience that is “akin to running without shoes on,” our reviewer cites.
You might look like Spiderman all dressed up in the EXO clothing. But any weird looks you get are worth it for the performance gains this techy new apparel line from Salomon can offer.
Touted to have oversize geometry, copious cushioning, and a 30-percent bigger footprint overall, Tecnica’s new line of jumbo trail-running shoes turns the current “minimalist” footwear trend on its head. Gear Junkie gave the company’s Diablo Max model a thorough run test.
Gear Junkie ran the Blue Ridge Marathon last month, cited as “America’s toughest.” This post breaks down the road-running shoes, apparel and equipment he used to conquer the hilly, 26.2-mile course.
Combine high-output bushwhacking and wilderness navigation mixed with sections where you run on trail — that’s “wilderness running,” an esoteric activity most often seen in the sport of orienteering and adventure racing. Gear Junkie gives a primer.
U.K.-based shoemaker known for its trail runners now has a line of shoes made for the road. Gear Junkie gets on a test, including a 26.2-mile race in the unique new smooth-sole shoes.
Gear Junkie offers a report on his race this weekend in Roanoke, Va., the National College Blue Ridge Marathon, touted as the country’s “toughest.”
In its next issue, due on newsstands at the end of this month, Outside magazine will announce the Summer 2011 winners of its Gear of the Year awards. Here’s a sneak peek. . .
Two members of Team GearJunkie/YogaSlackers are in New Zealand this month. This video highlights their fast, half-day run to complete the country’s famous Kepler Track.
They cost $325. They come with a detachable nose cover and a siliconized “head strap.” Meet the strange and amazingly versatile Terrex Pro sunglasses from Adidas.
Gear Junkie reports on two pair of outdoor-oriented tights from Salomon after more than a year of use. They are now his “de facto pants in the outdoors.”
