Tech Runner

Will the Brooks Transcend help popularise cushioned shoes again?

This week at the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market, a trade show held in Salt Lake City, Brooks has unveiled the Transcend, a new heavily cushioned running shoe.

Likened to an oversize golf driver or shaped skis by the company, the shoes utilise a new foam compound that’s said to offer 25 per cent more cushioning than BioMoGo DNA—the high-quality midsole material found in Brooks’ Pure Project shoes.

This means that the Transcend provides the softest ride of any shoe the company offers, what Brooks calls the “float.” At the other end of a spectrum of runner’s experiences is “feel,” meant to describe lightweight footwear that positions a runner’s foot closer to the running surface.

Thanks to a blend of foam and Brooks DNA cushioning material, however, the new foam is said to adapt to the amount of force applied to it—bigger runners will experience a firmer platform so that the cushioning doesn’t “bottom out.”

Continue reading →

When you think of Under Armour, you typically think of underlayer clothing. Although the company has recently moved into the football sector by providing the kit for Liverpool FC, primarily they’re known for clothing that fits snugly around your contours, for performance sake – tight, elasticated, long sleeve roll-necks, sports vests, running apparel, that sort of thing.

But much like Skechers  has recently done with their Go Run line of running shoes, Under Armour now seems like they are making a move toward producing legitimate performance running shoes with the SpeedForm – taglined “A running shoe that actually fits”.

The Speedforms are certainly a colourful bunch (image courtesy of Gizmodo)

Now, TR checked out quite a few reviews by other sites in writing this article, and not one seems to be unable to not link these shoes to bras – so we may as well join the party. And this is because, instead of working out how to make a new shoe using conventional methods, Under Armour went a bit left field, and went to a bra factory.

But there is method to this madness. Citing undergarment manufacturer Playtex’s involvement in designed the Apollo lunar landing’s space suits, Under Armour realised that bra companies know everything there is to know about getting a comfortable fit. They moved their manufacturing and design there and came up with something unique – the Speedform.

Continue reading →

As any runner knows, breaking in new shoes can be a real pain. You may think you’ve got a well-fitted, comfy pair of shoes, but that first run in the rain or extreme heat can make you think again.

But all this could be about to change, thanks to a rather nifty idea from Reebok. They are introducing the U-Form +, featuring new, heatable, mouldable technology which makes this literally the hottest running shoe on the market, designed to shrink-to-fit using heat from your hairdryer.

Heat to fit – mould the Reebok U-Form + with an everyday hairdryer

Continue reading →

Coming to a shoe near you soon…

Not content with trying to make the mere act of running easier for all , Adidas is now giving your shoes the ability to decide on your next major purchase for you, all via the magic of Near Field Communication (NFC) technology. The company has announced that it will be adding a “lace jewel” with an embedded NFC chip to its Boost running shoes, enabling shoppers with an NFC phone to tap it for detailed product information and to see reviews.

The system uses NFC specialist Thinaire‘s platform and is now live in stores in New York and California. The NFC jewels are branded, decorative tags which are threaded onto the shoe’s lace. On-shelf placards in stores inform customers that they can tap the jewel with their NFC phone for further information and store assistants are also being equipped with NFC phones which they can use to register a customer’s purchase.

Continue reading →