2011 saw the launch of the minimal shoe from a few of the leading running brands, with Saucony, in my opinion stealing the show with the Kinvara range (available at www.synergyrunning.co.uk ).

But what about the Vibram five fingers I hear some of you purists shout !!!

Yep !  They have definitely taken the running world by storm, but I believe the Kinvara allow runners to smoothly transition over to the more barefoot style shoes without the chance of over doing it and causing impact related injuries e.g stress fractures.

More importantly Saucony’s Kinvara range (and Mirage) allow the runner to practise the correct forefoot technique for a decent training session without the nightmare of waking up and realising that either, someone has snuck in and hammered nails into your calfs or,  you over did it in your barefoot session !!!

Don’t get me wrong, Vibrams definitely lead the way if you are looking for a barefoot shoe though, I have the Bikila LS, which I love (apart from the smell they like to give off after a few wears !!!) and some of the major brands are also trying their luck with similar designs e.g. Adidas, so keep and eye out next year to for more crazy finger shoes, but I doubt they will be able to rival Vibram Five fingers.

(not sure what I am on about??? check out the Vibrams we have available online and read previous blogs about Barefoot running to see what all the fuss is about).

Not to be left out are New Balance who already have their minimal range which look awesome and good old Brooks who,like New Balance, released a few models onto the market to test the water,  but will properly launch in the New year, with their Pure running shoe range (I have put my order in for both coz both shoes look so nice !!!)

So in my opinion, 2012 will be the year of the minimal shoe and that’s fine by me as I love all of what i have seen so far. Mizuno and Asics have held back to see if the demand continues, but this is not a fitness fad,it is the way forward for you,your running and your health, so expect them to stop dragging their heels and jump on the barefoot running/minimal shoe wagon some time next year.

Happy running

Check out this article  from the Daily mail http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2050897/Royal-approval-Prince-Harry-fan-barefoot-running.html.

If you would like more information on barefoot running epsecially in regards to correct technique and where to go for barefoot running clubs contact www.synergystudio1.co.uk .

Synergy Running has barefoot running shoes in stock and is also able to order in if you have a specific running shoe in mind.

Happy running

Its been a while since my last post mainly because the site had a few gremlins in it, but all has been sorted now thankfully !

Well since i last wrote on this blog my predictions that the minimal shoe would take the market by storm came true (just call me Mystic Meg !!!).

Well that was no suprise to be honest. When Saucony brought their ‘Kinvara’ (the new ‘Kinvara 2′ now available at Synergy Running) and Mirage shoe out, the feedback I got from my customers and the Synergy Running club runners was 100% positive, so I new it wouldn’t be long before the others running shoe brands launched their minimal range versions.

Keep an eye out for New Balance, Mizuno and Brooks’s latest minimal shoe range which will be available at Synergy Running very soon !

Another huge impact on the running world is the rapidly growing interest in barefoot running. This is great news as I am a massive believer in the benefits of barefoot running (barefoot running club sessions for all levels of fitness/running, available at synergy running club check out www.synergystudio1.co.uk)

If you are not sure what barefoot running is or why it is so good for you to include in your training, check out my last post titled ‘an evening with barefoot ted’.

Anyway, with Vibram leading the way with the Vibram fivefinger shoes (available at Synergy Running), more and more brands are bringing out their versions.

Saucony have the ‘Hattori’ and New Balance’s ‘Minimus 10′ are currently my fav’s , however if you are looking for true barefoot (obviously without actually going barefoot !!) then the Vibram fivefinger shoes cannot be beaten.

This is simply because the fact they separate each toe allowing the small muscles of the foot to stretch and regain the flexibility, strength and movement they were meant to have had before we started wedging are feet into fashionable footwear !!

However the fact that running shoe companies are bringing out these minimal shoes can only be a good thing So weather you like the Vibram look or prefer the slightly more subtle (but very cool looking, because I have a pair !!!!) Saucony Hattori or Kinvara 2, you will be training your feet and body to become healthier and stronger.

For more detail on barefoot running please see my last post ‘an evening with Barefoot Ted’

Until next time,

Happy Running

Held in a King’s College University lecture room that , was so hot, after about five minutes, I was wishing bare naked running was the latest craze to sweep the running world, Barefoot Ted in his cool Californian skater dude from the 70′s way, captivated us with his passion for barefoot running.

Now, if you are like me, and my staff at Synergy Running,  you will already know how beneficial barefoot running is. However, most of the population are still oblivious to it and have been brainwashed into wearing huge lumps of support or foam under their feet, terrified that if their foot touches the ground, without their pronation supporting shoes, they will be out for weeks with some crippling impact related injury !!

Well they are not entirely wrong, like everything, you have to embrace new ideas and intergrate into your training at the correct pace. Just because barefoot running has been shown to promote the more natural way to run, it doesn’t mean we can all head out like Tarzan (although I think he spent more time swinging in the trees,but anyway ) and bare foot it down our local high street !

But you don’t do that with anything do you??

If someone goes skiing for the first time, they don’t head straight for the black run and tuck to the bottom ( however it is hilarious when one of your mates decides to for a bet ) of course not, you start off slow, gradually improving your technique and strength until it becomes a more natural feeling.

Barefoot training is the same. Here in England we don’t always have the luxury of great running areas like Copper Canyon in the US like Barefoot Ted  and many of  our areas would be way too dangerous to run in Barefoot, hence the development of Vibram Fivefinger shoes (check them out on this site in the Vibram Fivefinger section on the home page).

Ted was the first to try these out and since his approval, Vibram have been developing them ever since. I have a pair of the Bikila LS and they are like nothing else I have worn. The fact your foot/toes  are free to move and feel the ground is an incredible feeling. The only way I can liken them to something is the great feeling you have when you go on holiday and spend most of your time walking around with your shoes off.

You feel every step and notice how much more control you have especially as your toes are separated and so can move more individually thus improving balance, strength, flexibility and proprioception (your body’s ability to feel and adapt to the world around it).

Still not convinced, well that’s fine, but I ask you to try them and see for yourself. Like I said you won’t be able to go running straight away unless you like the feeling of someone hammering nails into your calf muscles for the next week !!

For years we have been told and have told people to run heel toe, well that’s just not right and not how we used to run when we needed to hunt.  Ted makes a great point for anyone who still believes the most efficient way to run is to use your heel to absorb the impact..

‘try jumping off a 1ft wall landing on your heels and see how you feel’  ‘Barefoot Ted’.

I wince just thinking about doing that, but you get the idea.

At Synergy Running we believe that everyone can benefit from introducing barefoot training (this starts with just walking in Vibrams e.g to work or taking your shoes off as soon as you get home) and it is not just about your feet.

Bringing your forefoot in contact with the ground allows the lower area of your back (L4,L5 & S1 , the most common areas of back pain)to receive information which it can correctly process and help stabilise your hips through correct glute activation (the major muscle group involved in correcting pronation, yes it happens all the way up in your hips not your foot !!)

We could go on and on, but one thing I want you to take away from my ramblings is that this is not some new technology or material, it’s how we were meant to be and is available to anyone with two feet, BUT and I want to emphasise this again. It will take time , so don’t go burning your traditional shoes yet. The Running companies are already bringing shoes out that will help you strengthen gradually  e.g Saucony Kinvara,Mirage and Hattori to name a few (available at www.synergyrunning.co.uk)

Vibram Fivefinger shoes are the future and are available from Synergy Running and myself and the Exercise Specialists of Synergy Studio (www.synergystudio1.co.uk) are always available to advise you on the best way to introduce barefoot training into your running.

As always I would love to hear what you think, so if you are a fan of the barefoot concept or think it is a load of tosh let’s have it.

Happy Running

*for selected colors only

At Synergy Running we wanted each customer to feel they get a top class service unrivalled by any other running shop or for that matter any shop full stop !!

Customers will now be able to view their running technique in a sleek hand held media player and passers by the North London  running shop will also be able to watch the first in a long line of planned videos showing exactly what is on offer in our specialist running shop.

To see what all the fuss is about, why not contact us and see for yourself, it may be a step closer to a new P.B !!!!

Happy Running

Polar have long since established themselves as one of the leading brands of fitness watches as worn by many of the worlds top athletes e.g. Paula Radcliffe.

The latest polar watches accurately monitor your heart rate, training regimes and offer GPS (available on the RS300x G1) enhancing your performance and increasing the fitness gains.

Synergy Running shop has selected the best models to suit all levels of abilities, whether you are a serious competitor or someone who is just getting into fitness, Synergy running has the perfect watch for all your needs and at great prices.

Synergy Running currently has these great fitness/running watches in store and online (www.synergyrunning.co.uk)…..

Polar FT 2

Polar FT 7 (available in 2 colours)

Polar FT 4

Polar FT 40

Polar RS100

Polar RS300X G1 (GPS watch)

We know they are good because we use them for our training !

If you use them let us know what you think.

Happy Running

Synergy Running

So check it out and let us know what you think.

Happy Running

Races like these are always hard, but I had to complete this one with a torn meniscus which meant not only was I running like Quasimodo i had some dodgy 70′s knee brace too ! but enough of my excuses !

The day went great with some great performances from the Synergy Team. Adam Lawrence finished 12th with other great runs from Iolanda Vendrell, Alan Oakley,Sandy Henshaw,Sarah Niblock (who is so hard core she decided to run a longer course then the rest , she got lost !!!) Sarra Dally (she had the toughest task of running with a runner who one minute was moaning then the next thought he was invincible before moaning again when he realised his knee wasn’t, oh that was me !!!) Rachel McMullin (Ran her first 10k coastal trail race)Marcia Lanigan and last but definitely not least, James ‘Quasimodo mark 2′ Norman who ran the race with an IT band made of stone !!!

Brooks Cascadia 6  and Saucony Jazz, already highly rated shoes, seemed to be very popular with the runners and the feedback was good.

Many runners like the cushioning the Brooks Cascadia shoe give allowing you to run on a mixture of terrains while the Saucony Jazz apparently are excellent at getting rid of water when you have to finally give up hopping around the puddles and head straight through them (yes you do have to get your trainers dirty sooner or later !!!)

For those who like the great outdoors, trail running is for you and you don’t have to travel far. lots of great trail running routes are waiting just outside your doorstep, no matter where you live, so get looking (Google for you lazy people who don’t have a map !!).

First they brought out the ProGrid Kinvara neutral shoe

• Neutral running shoe that allows your foot to run uninhibited
• Minimal midsole construction with protection from the pavement
• Lightweight, flexible
• Weight: 218 gram, yes that’s right, 218g

The weight alone should make you sit up and listen. that’s basically 100g lighter then the highly rated Saucony ProGrid Triumph 7′s.

With the cool kids talking about ‘bare foot running’ Saucony seemed to be one of the first of the giant running shoe companies to realise that the future of running shoes (for most people, and that is an important point to say) is a design that allows the foot to run uninhibited as though it was touching and feeling the ground itself.

Now obviously ‘Synergy Running’s ’ motto ‘One shoe doesn’t fit all’ comes into play here, as those who have significant pronation issues may find they struggle with injuries before they really get a chance to test out the shoes.

Soooooooooooo…….

Those clever people at Saucony decided to bring out a similar shoe with a little support in it. Although not due for release until February 2011, Synergy Running managed to get hold of it before the rest !!

Now I am a big believer in not settling with your running/gait type e.g. severe over pronator, something far too many runners do.  Always look to strengthen your body to allow you to head towards a neutral shoe, it may take time but is definitely the way forward (Contact me or the Strength Conditioning Specialists at Synergy Studio 0208 3470630 for information on how to correct pronation and other running problems).

But for those who just aren’t ready for the neutral Kinvara shoe yet this is definitely the next best thing. the Saucony ProGrid Mirage is only 252g (mens)  and offers all the extras the Kinvara does but with a bit of medial support.

The look of both models is exceptionally, sleek and stylish and makes the running shoe stand out from anything else currently on the running market and for those who may be particular about colours, they come in various dazzling versions.

Now, you can tell I like these shoes, but I have to critically evaluate them too so here are a few (and its only a few) points against both the Saucony ProGrid Kinvara and Mirage.

As mentioned they may not be suitable for those runners who have moderate – severe pronation issues or for the heavier runner. However most of these factors should be something the runner is working on to improve so may only be a temporary negative aspect.

Education is the key to success with these latest Saucony running shoes. If runners don’t understand the benefit of bringing the foot closer to the ground allowing it to act as it was designed to, then the sales of this shoe may suffer, but I doubt it !

‘Runners World’ have already awarded the ‘ProGrid Kinvara’ the ‘Best Debut’ shoe and I am pretty sure the Mirage will get its accolades too.

Check both models out at www.Synergyrunning.co.uk it may be that final piece in the PB jigsaw !!

Happy Running

Synergy Running