Cork Footbeds available

The big project this last week was to get the new shopping cart software up and running. We got that going and so with the ability to add more variables the cork composite footbeds are now available. Enjoy!

That Awkward Moment…

Last weekend we drove south as a sponsor of two different utramarathons. They were the only two races that we were planning on attending and they both happened to land on the same weekend. The first race was the Zion 100. If you are looking for a challenging 100 mile race (as if running 100 miles isn’t challenging enough!) and a real adventure then this is the race for you. It is located on the edge of Zion National Park in the scenic vistas of the desert. The most common terrain is sandstone rock, sand, cactus, and dried out bones. We stayed there Thursday evening and all day Friday. We couldn’t stay for the finish because we had to head over to another race.

The other race is the Red Mountain 30/50K. This race is half trail and half road. I don’t know that I’ve ever been to a race with more smiley finishers! It is a great first ultra for those who are almost ready to take the next step in racing.

I was excited to go but with the warm weather we have entered our busy time of year. I’m trying to improve our process and also keep up with all our orders (plus welcoming a new addition to our family) so I’ve been a bit stressed out as of late. The race dates really snuck up on me. I found myself scrambling to get ready on Thursday. We didn’t want to camp in the 30° weather with an infant so our plan was to go to the race registration/social on Thursday evening. My wife would drop me off with my backpack and I would find somewhere to camp for the night while she drove on to St. George and stay with family. She would then drive back and pick me up Friday evening.

We got to the registration later than I wanted to but I was finally able to relax. I love the race atmosphere. I wasn’t running but I feel the energy of the runners and I love to get involved and help the race directors any way I can. I talked to a few people that I recognized from last year and chatted with the guys from UltraSpire (a local company that is making a big splash in hydration for running. Yes pun was intended).

I happened to see a group of people wearing Luna sandals. I’m not very assertive about selling our sandals. I don’t have a drop of salesman in my blood. When I saw them I thought that I should at least say hi and give them a business card or something. I walked up and picked one guy out of the group to talk to. I told him that I noticed his sandals and I handed him a business card. He looked confused and said, “but… I’ve got Lunas.” I replied that I could see that, and I thought he might be interested in Unshoes. After a moment of apparent confusion he snapped out of it and said that it was nice to finally place a name and face with Unshoes. I didn’t know why he looked confused because suddenly it seemed like he knew quite a bit about us.

After talking for a few minutes he referred to Lunas as “our sandals” a few times. I stopped him and said, “wait a minute! You are with Luna aren’t you?” I knew that Barefoot Ted was the founder and I could pick him out of a crowd but what I didn’t realize was that I was speaking with one of the co-owners of the company! He had come down to run the race and, of course, represent Luna. Open mouth, insert sandal. I laughed and told him that I felt pretty dumb! In the end, we had a nice chat about the challenges and advantages of owning a sandal company. He mentioned our Pah Tempe model and said that he thought it was cool. (I showed them to him in good faith that they wouldn’t copy them so if they come out with a competing model  you’ll know where it came from!).

Other than just a funny story, the lesson I walked away with, other than the fact that I remember why I’m not a salesman, is that despite the fact that they are our largest competitor we have something in common that very few people in the world have. It was easy to find common ground because there are not many people who make handmade sandals for a living. It was fun to talk to him. Despite the obvious awkwardness of the conversation, I’m glad that I picked him to talk to. We have some pretty intense competition going on in the small industry of minimal sandals but in the end we are all pushing to come up with better designs for real people. As long as sales don’t become more important than people, we’re all kind of on the same team to reinvent footwear.
Go team!

Pink Sandals Sale and Giveaway

We now have pink sandals available for the Wokova Feather and Children’s Wokova models. All pink sandals are currently on sale for $5 OFF.

If you would like to win a pair for yourself, follow us on Pinterest and re-pin the pink sandals. The giveaway will end on Monday, Feb. 25th.

**THIS CONTEST HAS ENDED. CONGRATULATIONS TO NICOLE CHRISTIANSEN! ENJOY YOUR NEW PINK SANDALS!**

  

Why Ancestral Health?

All our lives we are taught that if we have a health problem then we need some cutting edge technology to fix it, and your own body is too weak to do it. If you have foot problems, you get custom orthotics moulded specially to your feet that you have to wear for the rest of your life. For many health problems, we are simply told to take drugs and deal with the side effects. While these things have their place, it seems that most of our solutions involve masking symptoms rather than getting to the root of the problem. As the cumulative health of our world spirals out of control, more and more people are starting to question the status quo and look for other sources for help. Ancestral health is one of those sources.

Don’t worry man, it’s diet soda!

As I see it, minimal footwear is part of a larger movement called ancestral health. There are many reasons people have began to question conventional wisdom of shoes but one of them is simply because shoes and chronic foot problems are relatively new compared to the overall history of mankind.

Our ancestors may have had their own set of problems but I don’t see any harm in looking to them for lessons to improve our own contemporary lives. There are probably countless lessons we can learn from our predecessors but I would like to mention a few that come to mind.

Healthy Perspective
Looking at yourself from an ancestral health perspective can really change the way you look at things. Sometimes all you need to do to solve a problem is to look at it from a different perspective.

Priorities
We are inundated with technology. Technology has done so much to improve our lives that it is impossible to list all the good it has done. On the flipside, it can distract us from the things in our lives that are really more important. Before high tech gadgets, people had no choice but to spend their time on the things that are important.

Problem solving
The thing that appeals to me most about ancestral health is that it encourages critical thinking and problem solving. It’s all about fixing the cause of the problem rather than treating symptoms.

Empowering
I’ve heard countless stories about people simply changing their diet and removing as much processed food as possible to try to solve some digestive issue. Not only does their digestive issues go away but their overall health and energy levels improve. They find that they are in charge of their own health and not so dependent on hospitals, drugs, and other healthcare programs. Ancestral health encourages independence and that is something the world could use more of.

Connect to your roots
Our modern society has distanced itself from our ancestors. Learning more about how they lived and took care of themselves is not only helpful, but it is interesting. It not only helps us learn more about who they were but also who we are. There is something fulfilling about researching one’s ancestors that can’t be described. Give it a try and find out for yourself!

If the concept of ancestral health is new and you’re curiosity is peaked, here is a small list of subjects that may fall under ancestral health:

Barefoot/minimal footwear lifestyle
Paleo (and other primal) diets
Natural childbirth
Fermented foods
Natural Fitness/Alignment
Hunter-Gatherer studies
Bushcraft

Pink available for pre-order!

Our pink webbing is in production now and is available for pre-orders. We will begin  shipping all pink orders sometime toward the end of March. As soon as we get a photo we’ll share.

The pink webbing is being manufactured in the narrower 1/2″ webbing and will be available for the Wokova Feather and Children’s Wokova models. If you are interested in getting pink straps with a sole other than the Feather sole we can do custom orders.

Shipping Updates

On January 27th the United States Postal Service updated their rates. The rate change was only slightly raised for domestic prices so we have been able to leave our domestic shipping costs. Unfortunately, international rates went up quite a bit. We highly value our international customers and we want to do everything we can to make our products affordable. Despite that we had to raise our shipping prices. We kept the prices as low as possible.

Part of the changes we have made include dropping our international Priority shipping method. The cost for this method was raised substantially and the benefits of this method over the economy (First Class) is marginal. The value of economy is much higher so we will be shipping all international packages via economy from now on. There is, however, still an Express option available for those who need it.

We have also added an economy option for domestic orders. This method is a better value if one pair of sandals are being purchased. If more than one pairs are purchased then we will ship them via Priority.

We will continue to work to make our shipping costs as low as possible and the value of our products as high as possible. Thanks to all of you who support us!

Forget toe socks!

Forget toe socks! Pair your favorite warm socks with our Pah Tempe for minimalist running in the winter.

Past, Present, and Future

2012 has come to an end and 2013 is here.  With the fresh new year I wanted to write a little bit about our history, about what is going on now, and make a few exciting announcements for the future.

Past:
When we first began selling sandals there were only a few other small companies making huaraches. All of them used laces and attached to the sole with a knot. Unshoes was the first company to use webbing straps and also the first to eliminate the knot underfoot. At that time there was nothing else out there like Unshoes.

Present:
Slowly the leather and hemp laces that used to be the standard have nearly disappeared. Webbing straps and countersunk strap attachments have become standard features on nearly all minimalist sandals. In the last year several new huarache style sandals have appeared on the market. This is an exciting time for those who love minimal sandals!

With so many new minimal sandal companies appearing, we want to highlight a few things that set Unshoes apart from the crowd. First of all, we are the only company that has fixed ankle straps. What does this mean? Other designs have one main strap that threads directly through the sole itself and then up and around the heel. It allows the sandal to be adjusted to fit the foot. The idea is that the sole lifts up off the ground and doesn’t make contact with dirt but that may not always be the case. There are several reasons why we use a fixed ankle strap rather than going directly through the sole.

Fixed ankle straps make the Unshoes design unique.

1. The fixed ankle straps can be plasticized and reinforced with rubber where they make contact with the ground. This allows for more durability. It keeps the main strap from getting dirty and wearing out. 2. It allows for the fastest possible adjustment. If the strap goes through the sole, the entire lacing system needs to be pulled and adjusted any time the sandals need adjustment. It is a simple and effective lacing system.  3. The ankle straps hold the main strap up where it comes across the heel and is less likely to fall off of the heel. 4. Lastly, we think it just plain looks better. It creates a more contemporary look than the traditional huarache.

The elastic suspension system used on our Wokova Feather model is another distinct attribute of Unshoes. It is very unobtrusive, yet it is effective. The Feather sandal hugs the foot and flexes with it without being restrictive.

Also, our Pah Tempe model is still very unique. There is nothing else like it in minimal footwear. It features a classic over-the-toe strap design and does not require anything between the toes. This sandal is the most secure model so it works well on very steep terrain and in water. It is popular for technical trail running and for backpacking. We plan to introduce the Pah Tempe in standard sizing into retail stores later.

Future:
The first exciting thing we have coming up in 2013 is pink webbing for our Wokova Feather model. Many ladies have expressed the desire for pink. The webbing we use was originally developed for rock climbing and also used by the military. Needless to say, pink isn’t exactly a standard in mil-spec manufacturing. Right now we are waiting for a color sample from the lab. We should receive that any day now. Once we approve it, then manufacturing will begin.

We have also been testing a new cork footbed material. Cork is actually not new to the footwear industry at all. In fact it has been used in footwear long before the “modern shoe” became mainstream.

A sneak peek of our upcoming cork composite footbeds.

Cork is a very highly sustainable material since it is make from the bark of a tree and grows back. It is biodegradable and can be recycled. Any sandal will eventually begin to stink but the cork footbed should help. It is naturally an antimicrobial material and because the foot will not be in direct contact with raw rubber, it should sweat less. The cork is mixed with rubber for added strength. These footbeds will be offered as an extra option to some of our sandal models. We are still testing different compounds but we expect to offer them very soon.

The last (and most dramatic) announcement for 2013 is that we are developing a new line of sandals specifically for women. More and more options are becoming available for minimalist footwear, but nearly all of them are focused on running or fitness. There are a few closed toe options for casual wear, but there is nothing really cute for women to wear in more formal situations. Ever since I began wearing minimal footwear I noticed a difference and I have felt bad for women who wreck their feet because of social norms. Our goal is to develop a line of sandals for women that can be used in the office, on a date, at church, or any other situation where minimal footwear would normally be out of the question. Hopefully some of you women can replace your high heels with minimal dress sandals! We’ll write a blog post later with more details but here is a little sneak peek for any interested.

2012 has been a great year, but we are very excited in the changes we’ll be making! Our goal is to continue improve our products and better serve our customers. Cheers.

Christmas Sale! 30% off

As promised, we are offering a Christmas sale!

We will be offering a 30% discount on all sandals for a Christmas sale. The sale will run Friday, November 30th through Monday, December 3rd.

We’re not really into the big hype of Black Friday/Cyber Monday and contributing to the chaos but we did want to offer some kind of sale for the holidays so we decided to wait until things settled down just a bit.

I don’t know about you but this isn’t exactly my idea of fun.

As many of you know, our sandals are all custom sized and handmade here in the United States. That means that our turnaround time is two to three weeks right now. If you will be purchasing sandals as a gift and would like them delivered by Christmas please indicate in the order details so that we can make any necessary arrangements. You may also send us an email to let us know.

We also offer gift certificates (or a “gift kit” as we call it) which will also be on sale. If you’re interested, contact us and we’ll get you set up!

It’s All in the Arms (guest post)

I’m happy to introduce our guest blogger today. Arianne Brown is an incredible runner, writer, teacher, and mother. She writes a running blog and also writes columns for several newspapers. She has a sub 3 hr marathon record. I have enjoyed reading her articles and I think that our readers will also like her writing. Thanks Arianne!

When I first came up with the title for this blog (I’ts All in the Arms), my mind immediately shifted to a scene from the movie, “Happy Gillmore,” were Chubbs is teaching Happy how to golf by saying, “It’s all in the hips.“

As hilarious as this is, it proves the perfect point that we need to use other parts of our body that we may not think of, in order to perform certain physical activities.

I remember when I was playing HS basketball,  my dad would always say, “legs, bellybutton, elbow, nose, wrist.”  When shooting the ball, you bend your knees, and then you line up your elbow with your bellybutton and nose and then snap your wrist down. All this together, made for the perfect shot. Most would have never thought that your bellybutton and nose would be key body parts in shooting a basketball…but, they are!

Me playing a family game of b-ball, back in the day.

Here’s what it really should look like 

When someone thinks about running, the first body parts that come to mind are legs and feet. This is only obvious, as your feet and legs are what propel your forward and keep you moving. Without them, running is impossible. But, have you ever thought about how important your arms are? Yes, your arms…those awkward things that hang at the side of your body. For most, they seem to just bounce along with the rhythm of your feet and do nothing.

I used to be one of those runners who never quite knew what to do with my arms. In Jr. high and high school, I was criticized for my “high arms.” My natural tendency was to run with my fists close to my shoulders. When I got tired, this was especially a problem. My shoulders would begin to hurt, making my hands go higher and higher. I even noticed that it got more difficult for me to breathe. I never knew what to do with my arms or how to fix the problem…it was very frustrating.

State XC meet Sr. year. I was very tired. You can see that my arms are high and flimsy. (The date is wrong…I’m notthat old 

…Enter, the push-up. Yeah, that thing that you were always told to do in PE but never quite knew how, or whether to do “girl” ones or “boy” ones…your behind was always too high or too low…whatever.

…That was me. I avoided it because it always made me feel silly. I decided a few years ago that I was going to make it a goal to master this silly thing and do 30 push-ups every day, to strengthen my arms. And guess what?! It worked! As my arms got stronger, I no longer felt the urge to move my arms up when I got tired. In fact, it was my arms that helped me overcome the fatigue. I noticed that because I was able to control my arms, it opened up my lungs, and I was able to breathe easier.

Strong arms also helped my legs move faster…Yes, you read right. The faster your arms go; the faster your legs will go, too! Try it!…If your armsare tired, it makes it that much more difficult for you to move your legs.

So, when running, remember” It’s all in the arms!