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Is Barefoot Standing Better For You

Steven Sashen, Xero Shoes CEO, at his treadmill desk

I gave up shoes in 2009 when I started walking, running and, well, living barefoot or in Xero Shoes.

Soon after that I gave up sitting, too.

Okay, not gave up… but I got so sick of being planted in a chair all day that I throw away the chair, propped up my desk, and started standing instead.

After a while, that got a bit old, too. So I found a free treadmill on Craigslist, ripped off the handrails, mounted the controller on my wall, and started walking while I worked.

Steven Sashen at his treadmill desk

Now you may not go as far as I did, but I highly recommend that you spend less time sitting and more time standing. And doctors agree (seriously, get off your butt right now!).

One “problem” with standing, especially if you do it 8-10 hours a day like I do, is that, well, it’s kind of boring for your feet. You’re standing on the same surface, at the same angle in, roughly, the same place.

So I loved when my friends from Quitting Sitting showed me their new product, Topo (not to be confused with the shoe company of the same name).

Standing Desk Mat TopoTopo gives you varied surfaces to stand on, with angles you can explore, a mild texture, and some cool colors.

Here’s a video they produced about Topo:

I’m writing this a bit prematurely, I’ll admit, because I haven’t received my Topo yet (and, yes, I’ll put it on top of my treadmill for the times when I’m standing instead of walking). But for those of you who do stand (and that could be in the kitchen or anywhere else, too), I thought I’d give you a heads up.

Check out Topo here… and if you get a Topo, let me know what you think!

 

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Our BIGGEST SALE EVER on barefoot sandals

SAVE UP TO 75% on Xero Shoes products!

Why do I look crazy? Wait until you see the prices during our sale!
 

We’re having the biggest sale we’ve ever had — and probably the biggest sale we ever WILL have. Between now and December 7th, you can save HUGE on almost everything we sell (see details, below).

Why?

It’s our 5th Anniversary! (almost 70,000 pair of Xero Shoes sold to people ages 2-92 in 92+ countries, for everything from a walk on the beach, hike in the woods, a stroll through the park, or even a 100k Ultramarathon through the wilds of Madagascar!).

It’s also an “Inventory Clearance” sale — we’ve got a bunch of new things coming in the Spring and we need to make room for them in our warehouse. Speaking of which…

It’s a “MOVING Sale!” — we’ve outgrown our office and need to move next month and we’ll save a fortune if we can move fewer boxes of Xeros!

And, of course, it’s Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and the Holiday season… so if you want to get some Xeros, or want to get MORE, or know someone for whom this is a great gift, here are the details:

What’s on Sale?

Amuri Cloud in Lime or Blue

Xero Shoes Amuri Cloud Royal BlueXero Shoes Amuri Cloud Lime

60% Off!

Amuri Cloud in Charcoal or Mocha

Xero Shoes Amuri Cloud MochaXero Shoes Amuri Cloud Charcoal

35% Off!

Venture – ALL COLORS!

Sensori Venture Barefoot SandalsXero Shoes Ocean Camo Barefoot Running SandalXero Shoes Camo Barefoot Sandal

60% Off!

DIY FeelTrue Kits in Hot Salmon, Boulder Sky, Electric Mint

red-green-blue

75% Off !!!

DIY FeelTrue Kits in Mocha or Black

black-brown-soles

25% Off!

Xero T-Shirts

OMG Xero Shoes are the closest thing to barefootXero Shoes Shirts

50% Off!

Beads and Charms

Xero Shoes Pendants

10% Off!

Extra Laces

All-Laces-2rows

25% Off!

Earth Ball Massage tool

massage and strengthen your feet golf ball

10% Off!

Amuri Hardware Accessories

Amuri Hardware Kit

25% Off!

We have limited quantities of all these products; if you don’t see the size/color combination you want, we’re out of that one, so pick another.

Not sure what to get for a gift: get a gift certificate! Keep in mind, though, these prices are only valid during the sale, through December 7th.

 

 

 

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How to run an ultramarathon (or 7) in Xero Shoes

I love it when people ask, “Can you really run in those things?” as I run by them in my Xero Shoes. 😉

Well, Jonathan Sinclair and Melissa Gosse, otherwise known as Ultra Mel & Jon — at http://ultramelandjon.com/ — had that experience a LOT of times recently. That’s because they ran the Madagascar Race the Planet ultramarathon stage race, running over 250k in 7 days.

How’d they do it?

Well, check out this video we made where I asked them that, and a whole lot more.

If you’ve ever thought about running marathon+ distances, listen to what this young and talented couple have to say.

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Run faster and stronger with the Exer-Genie

exergenieI know, I know… “Exer-genie” sounds like the name of a fitness gadget that women in the 1950’s would have used.

But don’t let the name fool you. This is one serious piece of equipment, all rolled up into a tiny, travel-friendly, package that anyone of any fitness level can use to get stronger and faster.

The Exer-Genie has been used by Olympians and professional sports teams for decades. And, frankly, given what a gadget geek that I am (especially fitness gadgets), I can’t  believe that I only recently discovered it.

Let me show you a quick video of how my training partner, World-champion sprinter Cathy Nicoletti, and I now use the Exer-Genie as part of our sprinting training.

In short: we’ll do resisted runs with enough resistance to slow us down no more than 10%, usually increasing the resistance with each run, and then finish with a non-resisted run.

We’re planning to integrate more heavy-resistance running (for improved drive phase performance), as well as resisted walking lunges and bounding. Sometimes we’ll use the Exer-Genie at the end of a speed workout. Other times we do an entire workout with the Exer-Genie.

There are essentially 2 models of the ExerGenie that you’ll be interested in: The Classic system with a shorter rope for strength training (you can practically replace a gym’s worth equipment with this), or the long-rope Speed system for doing resisted running (and jumping, bounding, lunging, etc.). If you’re into suspension training, like with a TRX, you’ll want to look at the Dynamic Life system as well… a variation of the short rope system.

The folks at ExerGenie are INCREDIBLY helpful and committed to your fitness. If you have any questions, just give them a call (number is at the website). Tell ’em we said Hi! Find out more about the Exer-Genie here.

The content of this post does not constitute and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of a physician or other qualified health provider with any questions or concerns you may have about your health or a medical condition.

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Mindful Running with Michael Sandler

michael sandler steven sashen mindful running

Some readers may know that Michael Sandler is one of the reasons Xero Shoes exists.

Back in the Summer of 2009 he said, “You know, if you treated this hobby of making barefoot sandals like a business — and built a website — I’d put you in a book that I’m writing called Barefoot Running.”

To make a long story short, 24 hours later I had a website 😉

Well, Michael has a new program called “The Mindful Running Program” and he interviewed me for it.

Some of what we talked about:

  • Using “mental rehearsal” (not visualization) to prepare for races
  • How barefoot running can become instant meditation
  • The 4 “neurological types” of barefoot runners, and what each one needs in order to improve

And, then, on a personal note:

  • What happens in my mind when I’m running a 100m, or when I was competing as an All-American gymnast… or when I was captured and shot at in Tienanmen Square in 1989!

Click here to check out the interview, and leave a comment after you hear it.

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Who will run the first 1:59 marathon?

Dennis Kimetto MarathonerDennis Kimetto shattered the marathon world record when he ran 2:02:57 in Berlin.

But how fast can we really go over a 26.2 mile course?

2:01?

2:00?

Faster?

Well, long-time distance running guru, Phil Maffetone thinks 1:59 is do-able. VERY do-able.

And he also thinks that the person who sets that record will be running barefoot!

Frankly, we hope he (and, I know it sounds sexist, but it’ll be a “he”) opts for a tiny bit of protection and wears a pair of Xero Shoes!

Phil’s book has some fascinating info about the sub-2 marathon, and even things that might help you run faster than you thought you could. And you’ll find out why he thinks the sub-2 wil be run without shoes.

Check it out on Amazon — http://www.amazon.com/Sub-Two-Hour-Marathon-Within-Runners-Training/dp/1629148172

can we run a 1:59 marathon?And to show you something beautiful, look at this slow-mo video of Dennis. Even with a 10mm drop in his shoes, he’s a serious mid-foot strike runner.


I’d love to get Dennis in a pair of Amuri Cloud 😉

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National Runner Survey 2014

runnerCalling all RUNNERS!

What motivates you to run? What is your favorite race distance? How often do you run?

You are being invited to participate in Running USA’s National Runner Survey, a comprehensive survey to assess the demographics, lifestyle, attitudes, habits, and product preferences of the running population nationwide.

The National Runner Survey is easy to access and available online. All responses are completely anonymous and confidential.

Don’t miss this opportunity to join other runners nationwide!

To access the survey, click here:

https://www.research.net/s/NRS15_XeroShoes

Select Xero Shoes as the organization that invited you to participate.

The survey is open until December 15, 2014.

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Xero Shoes September Giveway!

Win a complete Xero Shoes Gear package — including a pair of Amuri Cloud barefoot sandals, a Xero T-Shirt, a pair of ToeSox (for the cooler weather), and an Earth Ball massager.

Total value of the giveaway is over $90 (actually, $82.89 plus shipping)

Enter below (give it a few seconds for the giveaway app to load)… the more you do, the more points you get… the more points you get, the better your odds of winning!


a Rafflecopter giveaway
Here’s a picture of what you could win:

Xero Shoes Giveaway!

You’ll get your choice of available colors/sizes of the Amuri Cloud sandals and T-shirt. “Grip” ToeSox come in black (in your size, of course).

Good luck! We can’t wait to see if you’re a winner!

Share this with anyone else who you think would want to win.