Ah yes.... just had one of those crispy mornings a few days ago here in Colorado, and the trails have that tangy sweet smell of fall.
So... before Summer is completely gone, I thought it only appropriate to give you one more huarache review! I'll close the season out with a great pair Elemental sandals from
Earth Runners and a giveaway to boot! (or sandal)
First of all, sorry for the worn look... I normally take my photos fresh out of the box, but in this case, first out of the box (or envelope in this case) meant straight to my feet for some summer adventures.
Now, if you've followed my blog for a bit, you'll know that I started reviewing Earth Runners way back in 2012 with their first Kickstarter campaign and the
Quantum sandals. And as I noted in subsequent reviews of the
Circadian, Alpha, Bio,
Circadian-X sandals, Mike Dally and Earth Runners continue to improve each new iteration of sandal, and the
Elemental extends that growth.
So, what's new with the Elemental? Well, a few things... first off, these are the first Earth Runner's I've tried with the new vegan nylon straps. In the past, the choices were a basic nylon strap, conductive strap, or leather. Now you can get the vegan nylon like I have, or a combination of leather/nylon, all of which are conductive.
What I noticed right away were that the straps were not quite as wide as the older straps, and certainly more comfortable. I still used the "racing" style of lacing which works great for me, and each pair of Earth Runners comes with very detailed directions on lacing and dialing in your fit. I've alway loved the simplicity of adjusting Earth Runners with the single hinged buckle.
Speaking of the buckle, a great improvement here as well. The older style is above, and if you weren't careful, you could break the dividing piece between the openings (I did this once, but it was quickly replaced). The new and improved version is thicker, more sturdy, and seems to latch down better as well, so all around A+ on this improvement.
The sole of the Elemental is an 8mm Vibram Grip tread, and as you can see, is really nicely flexible, considering the thickness. The 8mm stack is a nice in between from a sandal that will allow you to feel everything, to a 10+mm stack that has a tendency to mute the feel, or be less flexible. This same sole is available on the latest Circadian model, only that model includes a 1mm suede leather foot bed.
Finally, the Elementals are nice and light... great sandal for kicking back all summer, hiking, or trail running. I did log some miles trail running in these, but not as much as I would like. Between Plantar Fasciitis plaguing me all summer, and never really getting my feet sandal conditioned, I just wasn't able to. However, I did do a lot of walking on vacation and a few road trips and these were terrific.
So there you have it.... goodbye Summer! But that just means Fall colors, and winter snow running and skiing! All of which are good in my mind. Check out Earth Runners on their website
HERE to get more info, or shoot me a note.
OK!.. for this last hurrah(chee), let's give away a pair of Elementals!
I'll run this contest until 10 PM MST, Monday, September 19th, 2016. Enter via the Rafflecopter dealie bobber below. Good luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Thanks as always for tuning in! Comments/feedback always welcome here or on the Barefoot Inclined
Facebook Page.
Happy Trails!
Jeff
http://barefootinclined.com
barefootinclined@gmail.com
