New Shoe Innovations

A few years ago, I read an article--and WHEN I read it made it particularly interesting. We had just finished the 2009 Turkey and TATURs, and it was a mudfest. I know "mud runs" are fun--but when you have ran for HOURS, and are at mile 23 and still have 8 more miles to go in some of the slickest yet stickiest mud imaginable, mud is no fun. A Dr. Yuying Yan was pioneering technology in farming equipment, devising ways to eliminate the problem of mud sticking to farming equipment. If you care to read the article (with some TZ comments and hints about integrating this technology into trail shoes, click here.)

Fast forward to today. Another group of scientists led by Dr Torres who has teamed up with Paul Luckham, Professor of Particle Technology at Imperial College London, has createdFabrican, which consists of cotton fibres, polymers (the plastics which hold them together) and solvents which keep it in liquid form. Click here to read about this amazing breakthrough in sports clothing. But the Fabricon technology is only the beginning. This breakthrough is filtering over into minimalist footwear.



This is amazing, and so so new there is not yet a lot to read on this, the future of minimalist shoes and barefoot running. A new company T-Rex is making a SPRAY ON SHOE!! For years, T-REX has been a minor player in the spray-on bed liners for pick ups.These spray-on liners renew old pick up beds and make them virtually indestructible. But would that process work on human feet? The developers think so. By blending Kevlar with tri-polymer elasticon fibers, T-REX has introduced a product that makes your feet bomb-proof. As an option, they provice custom silicone toe caps, and advise installing these on all five toes.Besides providing independant movement for the toes, I think the toe caps may be a good call as they will help with bumping roots and rocks, minimizing blisters, and making it easier to remove the coating after a good run.My questions are about the technique and practibility of applying the coating, the drying time, and of course the ease of removing them. T-REX does include with each spray applicator, a can of shoe remover solvent as well.