The Minimalist Nike Running Shoe
Fad Worked Out For Everyone Enthusiasm for minimalist nike running shoes
may have waned since the barefoot running craze that sparked them, but
fitness experts say the idea of minimalism has left a lighter, flatter,
more natural footprint on the running industry, which is a good thing.
Minimalist
shoes reached peak sales in the United States at $400 million in 2012,
according to the sports research firm Sports One Source, but sales
declined by 13
percent in the first quarter of 2013.
“After
the minimalist movement, the pendulum swung in the other direction, said
Tony Post, chief executive officer and founder of the running shoes
company Topo
Athletic.
“But a lot of nice things came out of
it: more natural running, lighter, more naturally shaped shoes that
allow the toes to splay, and a more neutral drop from heel
to toe.”
During
the boom of barefoot running that followed the publishing of
Christopher McDougall’s best-selling 2009 book “Born to Run,” Post was
CEO of the minimalist
shoe company Vibram Five Fingers, makers of thin-soled, toe-articulated shoes that were designed to replicate running barefoot.
These days, he said, ergonomic design integrates the lessons learned from the barefoot craze with a natural feel.
“The future is the best of both worlds,” he said. “Minimal shoes didn’t allow enough time for bodies to adapt.”
Post
noted that before the barefoot craze nearly all shoes had a 10 to 20
millimeter drop from heel to toe, even though flatter shoes are known to
aid posture and
alignment.
This year the American College
of Sports Medicine listed minimal heel-to-toe drop, the absence of
motion control or stability components, and lightness as the key
characteristics of a good, safe running shoes.
Washington
State-based biomechanist Katy Bowman said the barefoot movement alerted
people that shoes were limiting their performance, but too many started
running too
soon.
“From a biomechanical perspective I’ve
been a fan of minimal footwear, but in a progression,” said Bowman,
author of "Move Your DNA: Restore Your Health Through
Natural Movement."
"It takes a long time to achieve strength in legs," she added.
Before running in them, walk in minimal shoes for a couple of months, she recommends.
To
awaken the foot's support structure and improve circulation, Bowman
also advises barefoot exercises, like lifting each toe one at a time.
"It's
not just about taking off your shoe," she said. "It's about exposing
the foot to different elements and loads, going uphill and downhill with
debris and angles
under your foot (to get) all the tiny exercises that your foot and ankle need."
When
choosing minimal footwear, Bowman said, think light, with a flexible
sole that you can twist, not just bend, and look for zero drop.
Because shoes limit the way the body moves, Bowman said, the benefits of being minimally should go beyond walking or running.
"If
you wore them all the time, it's a secret weapon," she said, "a way to
get more movement into your day without doing anything else."
Tobie Hatfield works in Nike’s innovation kitchen, dedicating himself
towards translating athlete insights into advanced product innovations.
Original website
He
is the designer behind Michael Johnson’s iconic gold spikes, Nike
Presto and the groundbreaking Nike Free line, which this year celebrates
its tenth anniversary.
He told Designboom more about his
unexpected journey to becoming an influential shoe designer, where he
finds inspiration and the value of a balanced lifestyle.
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Designboom (DB): What made you want to be a designer?
Tobie
Hatfield (TH): I never wanted to be a designer growing up. I’ve always
had a curious, creative side to me but I never pursued it like my
brother Tinker did; he was always designing and studied architecture
before working at Nike. My dad was a track and field coach and I was an
athlete at school and college, and because of that, I’ve always been
interested in how the body moves. At college I studied anatomy and
physiology, which has turned out to be a blessing. In a way, design
eventually found me, rather me finding it.
DB: How did you come to be a designer at Nike?
TH:
I was a pole vaulter, as was my brother, and Bill Bowerman (founder of
Nike) was his coach at the University of Oregon. At that time I was in
high school, but Bill made me my first pair of custom track shoes. He
took X-rays of my feet so he knew where to best place the spikes. This
was my first brush with the Nike model of the designer working very
closely with the athlete to improve their equipment and performance.
Seeing Bill work like that first-hand left a strong impression on me.
After
college I continued with my pole vaulting career for a couple of years,
but several injuries later I decided to move into coaching. I joined
Nike in 1990 and began working with materials initially, then shoe
development, then engineering, and after several years I got involved
with design.
The first notable project I worked on was the gold
track shoe worn by Michael Johnson at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, in
which he won two gold medals in the 200 and 400 sprints – that got my
shoe design career off to a great start!
DB: Could you tell us how Nike Free was conceived?
TH:
To give you some background, a lot of work at Nike has gone into making
"a second skin for the foot" as Bill [Bowerman] described it. This
philosophy can be seen in various shoes from the Cortez (1972), the Sock
Racer (1985), the Huarache (1991), Air Rift (1995) and the Presto
(2000).
Anyway, one day in 2001, myself and some other members of
the innovation team were up at Stanford University watching Vin
Lananna’s track team training – they did so barefooted on the grass. I
asked him why that was and he told me that he believed it gradually
strengthened the athlete’s feet, making them less prone to injury and in
turn he could push them harder and improve on their times. This was our
"aha moment."
NIKE FREE 5.0 – insole, 2004
NIKE FREE 5.0 – outsole, 2004
DB: How did you go about translating that discovery into a product?
TH:
Our challenge was to design a shoe that allowed you to feel as close to
running barefoot on the grass as possible while giving optimum
protection to your feet in typical training and city environments. The
shoe also needed to allow for as plenty of natural motion to build
strength in the foot muscles. We had not long since designed the Presto,
which was also an ingredient in our thinking.
So, we did an
incredible amount of research into how the foot moves and reacts during
barefoot training and quantified that data into usable information that
guided our choices in materials, engineering and design. After what was
eventually a three-year project, our team of designers, bio-mechanists,
developers and engineers came up with the Free.
DB: What do you think have been the most significant developments with Free since it launched?
TH:
It’s a process of refinement and remaining true to the core idea of
natural motion. We never take anything off the table and think we’ve
mastered it. And the focus is always holistic – materials, form,
engineering, manufacturing – are all given equal consideration on every
iteration of the shoe.
We’ve seen the real benefits of allowing
for a full range of natural motion when training and the idea is to
create shoes that allow you to do that as best as possible.
NIKE FREE OG, 2014
NIKE FREE Flyknit 3.0, 2014
NIKE FREE hyperfeel cross elite, 2014
NIKE FREE 4.0, 2014
NIKE FREE trainer 5.0, 2014
DB: You spoke of a ‘aha moment’ while watching the athletes train barefoot – have you had any those recently?
TH:
That’s a tough one, you’ve put me on the spot there! The idea of
natural motion is still pervading most of our innovations and has crept
into specific sports now like basketball, football and golf – so the
recent insights that have surprised me have been more particular. For
example, Tiger Woods started wearing Free off the course for training
and noticed they’d strengthened his feet.
He wanted some Frees for
the course but I explained they are not really performance shoes. So
what we did was take a Free outsole and see how we could adapt it to a
golf spike – that became the TW13. If it hadn’t have been for the fact
he’d been wearing Frees to train in, we’d probably never have thought we
should adapt Free to a golf shoe. From listening to Tiger, we learned
he was ready for that innovation, and it brought about a shift within
that sport.
NIKE TW14, 2014
NIKE TW14 – outsole, 2014
DB: Besides athlete insights, how do you keep your ideas fresh?
TH:
I always look outside of our industry and encourage all of our younger
designers to do so. There are tons of interesting developments going on
in other industries that we can learn from; architecture, aeronautics,
automotive, furniture or electronics.
If you’re serious about
design, you always have to keep an eye on what’s going on in other
industries, because design relates to all these areas, and they all
crosspollinate one another eventually, be it in terms of materials,
structures, engineering or aesthetics.
If you can, it’s also nice
to travel, you’ll see different things, different ways of thinking and
that’s a good way to keep your mind open. It can be as simple as the
other week when I was in Europe and saw a car I’d never seen before. Its
form was extremely captivating, and who knows, that could find its way
into our work. Other times I’ll find a material used for something
completely non-sport related but think it might work for us.
Never think that you have anything completely figured out, that will keep you curious and sharp – prepare to surprise yourself.
DB: Do you and Tinker collaborate very often?
TH:
We have collaborated in recent years but we don’t work together daily.
In my early days as a designer at Nike we both made a conscious decision
not to work together because each of us needed to have our own
identities within the company. He was already established when I came to
work here, and I needed to make it on my own.
That said, I have
always valued his opinion and would ask for his feedback on my work, in a
designer-to-designer capacity. We finally got to work together on the
Nike PV (pole vault) light shoe which was used by Tim Mack at the 2004
Athens Olympics – when he won gold. After that we worked on the PV2 and
we’re currently working on the PV3. Pole vaulting is a sport that is
very close to us both, so it’s been a very enjoyable experience.
DB: Do the two of you ever talk ‘shop’ outside of the office?
TH:
We’re best friends as well as brothers so inevitably we’ll talk about
work and design sometimes, but not all the time. For the most part we
talk about our families and we talk about sport incessantly,
particularly American college football and his beloved Ducks!
NIKE SPECIAL FIELD BOOT, 2009
DB: Do you have any rules or beliefs that you apply to your work or even live by?
TH:
Balance. My family is very important to me. I work hard because I have a
family and there’s nothing I enjoy more than spending time with them.
So I like to be efficient with my time and balance it between family and
work as evenly as I can – that helps me enjoy both as much as possible.
I
like to help people when I can and try to be a positive influence in
other people’s lives. During my life different people have had that
positive influence on me, and I’d like to reciprocate that to others.
I
still coach pole vault in my spare time and enjoy building up trust
with my athletes. It’s similar to design in that there’s a sense of
collaboration and joint quest for improvement. Something I often repeat
to both designers and athletes is a quote from Oswald Chambers, "never
let the sense of past failure defeat your next step."
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After you buy the perfect shoes, it's important to take good care of them so you can wear them for more than one season.
Cleaning
and shining them regularly, and getting them resoled when needed will
help you keep your shoes looking nice and lasting longer.
Figuring
out which shoe repair shop to go to isn't easy so the folks over at
Yelp help us put together a list of the best cobblers in NYC.
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1. North 11 Shoe Repair, Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Customers
on Yelp rave about the work that the cobblers at North 11 Shoe repair
do on their favorite shoes. While it is a little on the pricey side,
Yelp users say
it's worth it. Josh N. from Brooklyn said. "First I
was a little taken back by the estimated price to repair a stitching
and re-sole my favorite Ashton Grey boots--
about 40% of the cost
to get new ones. When I received them back, they look and feel new!
Polishing is included. Couldn't be happier --with the repairs these
boots
should last a lot longer."
2. Roma Shoe Repair & Shine, Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn
Yelp
users said over and over in their reviews that Roma Shoe Repair &
Shine "saved their favorite shoes." The service speedy and the cobbler's
craftsmanship is
perfect. Not only is the work top-notch, the owner is helpful and friendly. Yelp user Cindy J. said, "The man was incredibly friendly and fixed a pair of boot heels I
thought
were ruined! He did an amazing job! They look wonderful. He was done in
half an hour and only charged $15! I will become a very loyal customer
and recommend
him to all of my friends."
3. Giovanni Shoe Repair Inc, Upper West Side, Manhattan
While
Giovanni's looks like a "hole in the wall" from the outside, don't be
fooled, he'll do great work on your shoes. Yelp users say he is
friendly, fast, and
reasonably priced, and that they would never
go anywhere else. Wendy Y said, "Quality of work is outstanding -- shoes
brought in for repair are returned nicely
polished. When my
daughter needed a couple of extra holes punched in her purse straps, the
shoe repair guy did it for free. You will be able to add years of wear
to
your shoes and boots by bringing them here."
4. Minas Shoe Repair, Financial District, Manhattan
Wall Streeters:
here's your place. The easy place for you to stop in on your lunch
break is also one of the best on the island. Yelp user Scott S. said
Hadn't been
here in a long time. Went in for a shine and
they did an amazing job. Shoes look brand new. If you're near Wall
Street this is the place to go. Excellent shoe
repair as well. Service is personal. And top-notch."
5. Chelsea Cobbler, Chelsea, Manhattan
The
helpful cobblers at Chelsea Cobbler will walk you through the basics to
make sure you get the most wear out of your shoes. On Yelp, Adam S.
said, "Absolutely love
this place. These two taught me the basics
of my new leather shoes and helped proof them for long-term use. Great
price and quick turnout. Would highly recommend to
anyone for reliable repairs. Super sweet couple, too."
6. Cobbler Express, Murray Hill, Manhattan
The
people at Cobbler Express go above and beyond to make your shoes, and
other leather goods look great. Yelp user Alli G. said, "Incredible and
friendly service.
Went to 3 different warehouses to find the right color leather to fix my bag. It looks better than when I first bought it!"
7. Romano Cobbler, Chelsea, Manhattan
You
can trust Romano Cobbler with your most expensive, most beloved shoes.
Lewis M. said on Yelp, "I brought 8 pairs of Gucci shoes to Romano for
repair and
refurbishing. Let me tell you, he's the best, what
beautiful work he does! Wonderful service, prices, quality; he only Uses
JR Leather soles. I will be back every
time I need your expertise! Thanks Romano ...you are THE BEST!!!!!"
Romano CobblierGabriel B. via YelpRomano is the best of the best.
8. Albert's Shoe Repair, Astoria, Queens
Bring
your shoes to Albert's and they'll look better than when you first
bought them, is what Yelp users say. Robin B. was impressed by how
quickly the cobbler could
have her shoes for her too, "Yes, this
place is the real deal. Friendly service and great workmanship. I
brought in two pairs of shoes and he said, "ready tomorrow,
ok?" I
thought, am I in heaven? Nobody ever turns my shoes around that
quickly! Both pairs came out looking great. He has a real attention to
detail! You won't be
disappointed."
9. Rostelle Shoe Repair, Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan
Not only does Rostelle's do a great job, the price is right too. Yelp user Suz B. said, "Amazing service. First of all, the guy was really helpful, friendly, and
accommodating.
Was quite happy to let me decide when I wanted to pick them up. An
extra bonus is that they're open really early. He did an AMAZING job
re-heeling my
boots. And the tips were buffed to the most shiny
shine I have ever seen! really, a month later, on the cooler streets of
Edinburgh, they still look fabulous. I was
VERY happy to have
found this place (a bargain at $20, too!). Seek him out if you're in
deed of shoe repairs. You can't go wrong. It's brilliant!"
10. Michael's Shoe Repair, Gowanus, Brooklyn
You
might not recognize your shoes when you pick them up from Michael's
because they'll look so good. Ilya M. said on Yelp, "What can I say.
Michael really knows what
he's doing. Brought a couple of pairs of
shoes that needed to be resoled and new heels. When I came to pick them
up, at first I thought he gave me the wrong shoes.
Then I
realized that he did such a great job that they looked brand new. What
surprised me the most is that I had my shoes done in a couple of
different places. But
this guy topped them! He actually sewed the
leather soles, To make sure it has a better hold than just glue. And
keep its original look. Gave it a nice matte finish on
the upper leather... From what I heard he's been in this business for over 20 years. Shows why he's still in business."
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The
first thing you need to understand: If you're a polishing purist, you
need to look the other way. But if you're a guy who just wants his shoes
to look sweet,
you're going to love this.
Aaron Marino of
alpha m. says that your shoes are representative of you. Make sure your
shoes are polished, professional, and looking great.
Alpha is
showing the way. Here's a simple technique that takes approximately five
minutes with most of the time taken with set up. Polish shoes after two
to three
wears so they're always looking their best.
Learn how to polish your shoes
Get
your scuffed shoes. You need a polish that closely matches your shoe
color (Kiwi brand is recommended for about $3) and an application cloth,
which Alpha uses an
old wife-beater. You also need a towel to protect your pants.
1. Prepare your shoe by wiping it off, and unbuckle or unlace.
2. Open polish and lather cloth - apply thin layer all over so that the
shoe looks matte. You don't need a ton of polish. A nice thin coating
is all that's
required, making sure to get into the nicks and onto
the tongue. If you have contrasting stitching, be incredibly careful.
Let it dry and do the other shoe.
3. Lay protective cloth over your
legs and hold shoe into knees - start buffing so you're left with a
beautifully polished shoe. Rotate shoe around. If you get to a
part that you can't create that motion, get in and buff with one hand.
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Whether it's rain, snow, or ice, winter weather can really wreak havoc on your dress shoes.
thenmall is a startup that makes a high-quality, classic shoe that won't go out of style or break the bank.
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We asked thenmall cofounders Lane Gerson and Ariel Nelson to share
their tips for protecting your shoes during the bleak winter months.
How do I save wet leather shoes?
Though
it may be tempting to stick the soaked shoes in front of a direct heat
source, like a radiator or fireplace, Nelson and Gerson advise against
doing so.
"Stuff your shoes with newspaper to absorb the moisture,
then replace with cedar shoe trees," they said. "If you have leather
soles, let them dry too."
What if my shoes start to smell bad?
Funky-smelling shoes are usually caused by bacterial or fungal build-up.
"There are a variety of fixes, including applying antibacterial sprays or a light layer of baking soda," they said.
You could also try inserting an odor-controlling insole or even dryer sheets.
Salt stained my shoes — now what?
First,
Nelson and Gerson recommend using saddle soap or a specialty salt stain
remover to get rid of the stain itself. Then, stuff the shoes with
newspaper and leave
them out to dry, away from a direct heat source.
"Last, apply leather conditioner or natural oils to replenish the leather and return it to its original luster," they said.
What are the best kinds of shoes to wear?
"Synthetic
materials created specifically for inclement weather such as Gore Tex
and rubber are fitting materials for the worst of the winter," they
said. "When cared
for and treated properly, full-grain leather is a naturally resilient material that can also withstand the elements."
They recommend using natural oils, like mink oil, to make leather even stronger in the winter.
What styles of boots are fashionable this winter?
"The
Chelsea boot continues to be a winter staple," they said. "This season
the combat boot and dress chukka, both classic styles, are seeing a
variety of new
interpretations."
thenmall's Carter boot, a twist on the combat boot, continues to be one of the brand's bestselling styles.
What products are best for regular shoe maintenance?
"Shoe horns are always recommended as they help to preserve the back counter and overall structure of your shoe," they said.
You should also be conditioning and polishing your shoes on a regular basis, which will keep the leather supple and moisturized.
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give your shoes a rest.
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You shouldn't just slip on the same trusty pair of dress shoes day after day.
Why? Because if you let them rest they'll stay alive that much longer.
"The
best way to extend the life of your shoes is to rotate your shoes
and use quality shoe trees after each wear," said Jim Kass, vice
president of operations for Allen Edmonds shoe company. "If you wear the
same pair everyday, your shoes don't have ample time to dry and they
won't maintain their shape."
As you wear your shoes, the leather soaks up the perspiration your feet give off.
If
you don't give your shoes a day to air out, the leather will warp and
your shoes will start to lose their shape — not to mention get musty and
start to stink.
So, it behooves you to purchase at least one
other pair and switch off between the two. Your original pair will last
much longer, and you'll have another pair to wear with new outfits. It's
a win-win.
Plus, variety is the spice of life. Why would you want to wear the same pair of shoes every day?
If
you'd like to be extra cautious with your prized shoe collection,
invest in some shoe trees. Put them in after you take your shoes off for
the day, and they'll not only soak up your foot sweat, but keep your
shoes in perfect shape.
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A
few years back I bought some Bontrager RXL road shoes at the St. Louis
Swap Meet for 10 bucks. I’ve never really used them because from day one
they felt too
narrow and caused pain on the outsides of my feet.
If you’ve experienced pain on the outside of your feet while riding you
may be like me and need cleat shims to
correct a Varus tilt in
your shoe to pedal interface. I’d highly recommend checking out Lewedges
or some other kind of pedal shim on the market.
With pedal wedges
the shoes were better but still felt too narrow and uncomfortable and
didn’t get much use. I decided to start using these this winter while
riding
the trainer just to see if I could break them in a bit.
After a few rides that we were uncomfortable I got an idea, I put the
shoes in the oven and baked them at 250
degrees for about 5 minutes.
Some
shoes are designed to be heated up and worn to get a custom fit around
your foot, its very common in the world of inline skating and becoming
common on highend
cycling shoes. I’m certain that these Bontrager
shoes don’t have that feature, but I thought, “What the heck.” After the
first heating they felt incredibly
comfortable for the next ride.
A few days later I wore them again and the left shoe felt tight and
constricting again, while the right shoe felt much better.
I’ve now given the Left shoe 3 more heatings and am finding it 90% as comfortable as the Right shoe.
So what’s going on here?
Either
the mostly plastic materials of the shoes are stretching a bit and
forming a better fit while they are warm on my foot or I’ve just worn
them enough to stretch
them out naturally. I think that the heat treatment helped alot and they shoes felt really good while they were warm.
If
you have a pair of shoes that you just have never been able to get to
fit, you might try heating them up. The procedure couldn’t be simpler.
Turn on the oven,
place the shoes in the oven for about 5 minutes,
then put the shoes on your feet and go ride. Only thing to really watch
out for is if any kind of metal would be
touching your skin, it may burn you.
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