Michael Dally with Earth Runners
was kind enough to send me sample of their new Bio
Earth Runners Sandal which is currently associated with a Kickstarter campaign. If you choose to contribute, sandals start at
$60 (or 20% off). Orders will be taken
throughout December and dispatched in January.
After January, they will be available on the Earth Runner website (www.earthrunners.com).
The footwear industry over the last several years has been pressing
consumers to try footwear with less padding ultimately mimicking a barefoot
walking style. There are many clever
names for this movement, but the concept remains the same. The spirit of this movement is the belief
that by walking closer to the ground and having less robust footwear, the foot
is strengthened and walking consciousness and body mechanics are improved.
What put Earth Runners on the
map is that they uniquely focused their initial product offerings on being
connected to the Earth’s electrical potential by strategically placing copper
insets throughout a self-molding conductive sandal sole. The copper insets curve at the toe base in
the shape of the geometric concept called “Golden Mean”. This shape, coupled with the copper insets,
allowed for pressure to be placed on areas of the foot sole believed to offer
self-healing effects similar to those achieved by acupuncture. While wearing a pair of Earth Runners associated with this
technology, Voltmeter tests confirmed the charge of the human body is
negligible while wearing grounded footwear on the Earth’s naturally conductive
surface – the same electrical potential as the Earth.
The Bio
Earth Runners Sandal is the next iteration of minimalist footwear inspired
by long distance runner. With a custom
molded sole and “zero drop” from heel to toe, the experience is similar to
going barefoot while maintaining safety in varied terrains. The foundation provided is stable. Copper impregnated conductive laces attach to
a copper plug on the bottom of the sandal allowing similar attributes to the conductive
sandal soles as described above. The
Tactile Mitosis tread is made of moldable EVA (6mm) and the BioTac bedding is
made of recycled car tires.
One of the unique features of the Bio
Earth Runners Sandal is the lacing system.
Nylon webbing is routed through the sandal bed, around the big toe and
ankle and is ultimately secured with a locking buckle. It is entirely adjustable, although it is
likely they will fit just fine out of the box.
While not necessary, Earth Runners offer Injinji
socks whether to improve comfort or to keep feet warmer during cooler
temperatures.
In the last two years, I’ve been asked to review three
different sandals which were very similar to the Bio
Earth Runners Sandal. After
receiving and fiddling with each, I decided to return them as I didn’t feel my
finicky feet justified an extended trial and quite honestly – I didn’t find
them comfortable. Largely, I have fairly
wimpy feet and prefer more coverage and greater padding in most
circumstances. I was pleasantly
surprised when I tried the Bio
Earth Runners Sandal.
As advertised, the Bio
Earth Runners Sandal both immediately contoured to my foot and I didn’t
need to adjust anything. I elected to
use Injinji socks initially due to my lack of foot machismo,
but found them comfortable with or without.
They were quite stable in all environments and the traction, something
that lacked in every other sandal I’ve tried, was significant. I found myself thinking about other things rather
than worrying about whether my foot was comfortable or if I’d slip. Essentially, my experience was walking as if
I was barefoot without the fuss of being concerned about stepping on something
undesirable or the sandal slipping out from under me. I hope this is interpreted as a high
complement to be able to rely on a piece of gear without giving thought to its
failure.
This was also my first use of Injinji socks which I
assumed wouldn’t be comfortable because I figured my toe shape wouldn’t be
conducive to the unique “finger” design.
I was equally surprised that they proved to be out-of-sight and
out-of-mind once properly snugged over each toe. Pairing them with a sandal is very
appropriate in my opinion, although vocal fashionistas may disagree.
In the lightweight backpacking world, I can perceive
quite a few applications for the Bio
Earth Runners Sandal. First, there
are plenty who would enjoy the simplicity and near weightlessness. Others would take pride in being able to walk
through varied terrain, including forging waterways, without stopping to
swap-out or dry-out footwear. Some would
likely enjoy the fact that their feet wouldn’t be as susceptible to sweating
and resulting blisters or the dinginess that sticks with more conventional footwear. Finally, others would likely enjoy simple and
lightweight footwear to do double-duty as camp-footwear or for water
crossings. Bottom line – this is a
useful product for lightweight backpackers and my only suggestion for
improvement is for a slightly longer webbing tag to allow for finite
adjustments as desired.
By supporting the Kickstarter
campaign, materials and manufacturing costs are kept to a minimum. You also help towards the down-payment of a
new manufacturing facility and legal expenses to get this endeavor off the
ground. Earth Runners offers a 30-day
money-back guarantee – so what’s not to like?
(Disclosure:
This product was provided to me free-of-charge for the purposes of this review
and is owned by me. However, any information contained herein is my
personal opinion without bias.)
Gossamer Gear was one of the
first cottage manufacturers to bring lightweight backpacking gear to the
masses. At the time, they embraced
silnylon and spinnaker fabric. In the
following years, while quantities often ran small, what stayed consistent were thoughtful
and functional designs and well made products.
The Q-Twinn Tarp
(7oz / $315) is an ultralight catenary cut tarp made for two people. Seams and tieouts are fully bonded, meaning
there isn’t a single stitch so you can avoid seam sealing. The color is a translucent black. At 7oz, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a
lighter and more sizeable alternative.
