Remind Insoles

I have had a recent obsession with insoles.  After getting some nice Cadence and Footprint insoles I decided to try out another skate company insole, Remind.  

I got two versions their Cush and their Medic

The Cush

The Medic

Ok so these are really comfortable  insoles.  Feels like walking on carpet constantly. Like a really nice thick Persian rug

But unfortunately they are just too traditional for me. The arch support is just  too rigid for me.  They are great for walking around and very comfy at work but I just felt the high arch support hammering my arch when I ran in them.

I really don't know if I would rather have these in or the stock insoles. I guess for standing around at work I would rather have these but they are just too hard to run in.  

Now in Remind's defense they are not made for running. I am not using the product as intended. But I was hoping that they would be softer and have lower arch support.  

A plus for the graphics, but no one can see them but me right before I don't put them on...

So as far as traditional insoles go these are probably great but they are not for me.  Sorry Remind...

Ditch the hard plastic and make them all out of your Blue Magic material and we can try again, until then they will remind me why I don't like traditional insoles.

Thanks for reading and if you like a high arch support insole please try these for your self.  I've tried Superfeet and other traditional insoles and these feel much better made than those.

Well... Gotta run!

Footprint King Foam Insoles

I hate arch support!  Our feet already have an arch. If you support the arch all you do is weaken it.  What does this have to do with anything?  It means I am very limited in what I can find as after market insoles that I like.  Read my Cadence review for what I think is the best traditional insole I have ever used.  But we all know that I am not traditional and I'm a bit off my trolley.  

Enter the solution to my problem!  Footprint King Foam insoles.

These things are pancake flat

Love it!  No arch support.  I'll do that myself thank you very much.  

The Youtues are full of videos of people dropping bowling balls on the insoles over pieces of glass. Of course the insoles absorb the impact and the glass doesn't break but it does with the competitor's insoles.

The claim by Footprint is that the insoles absorb...

I'm not sure about the exact percentage but I will say that they turned all my running shoes into moon boots!

It felt like I was running on pillows

Not this guy's pillow...

Call Pillow Protective Services!  I don't think he went door to door to let people know he is in the neighbor hood.

But seriously it's like running on marshmallows

The problem with this is that it's like running on sand.  It's super comfortable and almost no impact... But there is no spring rebound.  It absorbs all the energy of your foot strike like a foot sucking vampire

Quinton is a weird dude...

So do I recommend these for racing? Hell no!  But I found the potion for joint pain and recovery.

Super Recovery Shoes:

Take one pair Hoka One One

Add one pair Footprint King Foam insoles 

Add feet

Stir with sweaty socks and lots of miles

Enjoy the total lack of impact!

I mean seriously I felt like..

As my constant readers will know that I have a rebuild foot

 

This is my actual right foot.  This is why I am so obsessed with the quest for ultimate comfort.  I also have a scoped out left knee that is missing some cartilage now. 

After miles on King Foam over trails, roads, and concrete side walks I have had zero pain afterward!  They are like joint pain patches you wear on your feet.  

If you want to try a more traditional version they offer King Foam Elite which is a more traditional Sorothane like gel feeling material.  The regular King Foam is like beer coosy and yoga mat had a kid.  

If you suffer any kind of joint pain I totally recommend them.  If you need a recovery shoe for those after super long run days, I say get a pair and throw them in your shoes for a gentle ride.  

The world becomes this

With out all the middle aged moms.  

They come in different thicknesses for different shoe volumes.  I reccomend getting the thickest pair that will fit.  They range from ultra low, to low, to normal to high profile. For soft training insoles I get the regular King Foam, if you want a long distance racing insole get the King Foam Elite.  The elite are a little bouncier even though Footprint claims that they absorb even more impact.  You will not be disappointed.  

Again don't expect a speed boost, but expect to be able to run farther with less pain and soreness than ever before.  

There are people who have said that they were able to start running because of the impact absorption of Hoka One One.  These insoles do that for almost any pair of shoes you put them in.  I now have 5 pair. These are awesome and will be a requirement for all my shoes from now on.

Strong reccomend.

Thanks for reading, gotta run!

Boco Gear Trucker Hat

Hi... My name is Skyrimrunner... And I have a trucker hat problem.

This is just a handful of the headwear that I own.  I have loved trucker hats before Ashton kutcher made them cool.

 

I have loved them even after hipsters made them really uncool.  

And it seems that the running community is starting to agree with me.

They are the perfect headwear. Classic.  Manly.  Rugged. And most importantly, you can sweat your ass off in them and they don't stink really and hold up forever.  I have an Otto trucker that is more than 10 years old and still running.  

I am always on the quest to find the best trucker hat ever.  I decided to see if Boco gear would have that holy grail.

I got a simple black and white old school two tone.  This is their 5 panel non foam model.  Turns out I actually had one of their 6 panel low profile hats 

I got it at the Summerville Sweat Tea Half Marathon one year.  It's ok... More of a casual hat for me. The super low profile wants to fall off my big ass head. 

Back to the main course.

This one is much better!  The inside is all super tech wicking material.

Taken it out for a few sweaty charleston pre-summer runs in the sauna that we call weather here.  It performed marvelously.  Sheds sweat really well and stays in place without feeling tight.  And it doesn't get soggy like a lot of other hats. You know what I'm talking about... When you can grab the visor and just squeeze out water with your fingers.

I do wish I had gotten a foam front version as I like the extra bulk of the foam front and thicker brim.  But that can lead to the soggy sponge on your head feel also.

This is hands down the best "technical" trucker hat I have ever owned.  I have owned many attempts, and they have all failed.  Even Boco's own 6 panel was not up to the task.  But this hat managed to capture the light and free feel of the good old foam trucker while being made of much better materials.  The non foam front gives the hat a much lighter feel without all the sponge to hold sweat.  The same is true of the brim which is also thinner and lighter than a traditional trucker.  

I really am impressed that someone has managed to make a replica of a trucker hat with "modern" materials while still keeping the feel and style.  This is the Dodge Challenger of hats.

Boco gear has taken a classic

And remade it in modern style while still keeping the character and style of the original. 

The only thing left to do is find out what I'm going to draw on the front of this blank hat... But for now, gotta run!

Shoe Porn: Nike Vapor Fly Elite

Starting a little segment called Shoe Porn where I look at hot new running shoes coming out.  Not from a function or fit perspective but simply on the superficial looks!  Do they look sexy? Fast? That's all Shoe Porn cares about!

So Nike recently tried their Breaking 2 project

No not that... It was an attempt to break the 2 hour marathon.  The did it in 2:00:25

So the shoes they used are supposed to increase a runner's efficiency by 4%, which I guess should have gotten them from the world record to sub 2 hour.  

I think from now on I'm going to wait an extra 26 seconds before I cross my next finish line in honor of Nike's attempt/failure.

Let's start the peep show and check out these shoes.

Here's a bunch of pictures of the science behind the shoes... The main thing seems to be the cushioning and the carbon spring plate.

The shoe is like one of those weird stealth sea ships that look different depending on the angle you look at them.

Direct side on, the heel looks a bit weird...

Looks even weirder from the other side.

From behind it looks pretty sharp and pointy.  Looks like some kind of motorcycle racing fairing.  

So looks pretty cool.  As a Hoka One One fan I like the idea of more cushioning .  The overlay free knit upper looks super comfy too.  

This is a super sexy space age looking shoe for sure.  It looks fast just sitting there.  Black and red would make it look faster...

So the questions:

Would I pay high price ($200ish) these? No

Would I pay regular price (120ish) for these? Yes!

Would I pay sale price (<60) for these? Hell yes! 

Do I want to review these?  Yes! 

Ok guys and gals, gotta run!