SHAMMA SANDALS-WARRIOR MAXIMUS---THE GOLDILOCKS SANDAL

Kind of a strange title to this post, I know, but it is really descriptive of this release from Josh at Shamma Sandals. I first tried the original Warriors from Shamma a number of years ago. I really enjoyed the incredible ground feel they provided, while offering protection from rocks, burrs, sticks, etc. More recently, I had the good fortune to obtain a pair of Mountain Goats, Shamma's model with a substantially thicker sole, made for heavy trail use. They are incredible, and I found myself wearing them whenever I was going on less-than-groomed trails. Add in their available Power Straps, and you are ready to take on the toughest terrain, wet or dry. Even in mud, these are on your feet to stay and they don't slide around.

Josh was recently kind enough to send me a pair of one of his newest models without charge, for purpose of testing and review. I am referring to the new Warrior Maximus. This review has taken longer than most, as I have worn and worn these. I have had them on dirt trail, trail with heavy leaf/other debris, sand, mud, gravel, asphalt, concrete, you name it. I really gave this pair a tough trial. Josh has truly hit the sweet spot with this sandal. They are thinner than the Mountain Goats, and thicker than the original Warriors. They came with power straps, and feel incredibly light on your feet. These are part of his Elite collection. I opted for the Ultragrip footbed. I found it really comfortable and conforming to my foot, and able to hold it's grip, even when wet. These are the perfect combination of the qualities of the Mountain Goats and the original Warriors. Just right, thus the Goldilocks reference in the title. So far, they are wearing very little, considering all of the miles I have put on them. When they get muddy, they are easy to just hose off and set up to dry. If you want a truly great experience in a running sandal, give the Warrior Maximus a try. Check them out at www.shammasandals.com

XERO SHOES NEWEST OFFERING FOR SPRING-DAY LITE HIKER FUSION-REVIEW

 

Hi, This is Bob from Primitive Health & Fitness with a review of the Day-Lite Hiker Fusion, the new offering from Xero Shoes.  Xero sent this to me without charge for testing and review.  If you happen to buy a pair from my site, www.primitivehealth.blogspot.com, I will receive a small affiliate commission.  

     That being said, I wanted to compare this new offering to the original Day-Lite Hiker that I have reviewed and tested previously.  This offering has many of the same features that are present in Xero Shoes' models, such as a wide toe box, smooth interior that works with or without socks, zero drop, and durable sole and upper.  

     The main difference I noticed was the adjustment strap on the outside of the original model is gone, having been incorporated into the upper.  There is also quite a difference in the soles.  The Fusion has a much more robust, lugged sole that makes it suitable for any hiking situation.  This sole proved to be a match for any terrain I encountered, and provided excellent protection from rocks and other trail features.  It is a lightweight hiker, and has a water-resistant upper.  

     Durability will be proven only over time, but if my past experiences with Xeros is any indication, these will be rugged and dependable.  I have been wearing Xeros for over 10 years now, and still have the original pair of sandals I bought in 2010 when the company was still pretty new.  Xero continues to innovate, and provide something for everyone.  I am very pleased with these, and think you will be too!

WATCH HERE!...................

Check out the banner above!  Xeroshoes has unveiled a whoppin' Fall collection.  I have reviewed both the Aptos and the Leather Hanas, and the reviews are up on Xeroshoes.com.  The link above will take you to their site.  Some awesome casual shoes!!

How Long do you intend to wait?

      I should probably call this conversations with myself, because I have those....not verbally, thankfully, but introspective thoughts.  I've generally been active since I was a kid, and for certain periods, I was VERY active.  High school sports were big, and kept you moving most days of the school year.  Weekends and summers, I was on my bike, riding all over our small town in Western Kansas, as well as all of the country roads surrounding it.  With friends, sometimes alone, I put many miles on that Western Flyer fixed gear bike with the coaster brakes. 

     In college, the activity slowed down a bit, but took a HUGE spike when I hit the yellow footprints of Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego on a January day, and non-stop for three solid months, pounding, running, grinding me into the best shape of my life, before or since.

     I only began running in earnest after my son was born, and began to do a lot of solitary miles in the early morning darkness, when everyone else was asleep.  That's a great time to run.

    I have had peaks and valleys over the years, as life tends to get in the way of most plans and intentions.  I had backed off a bit, but began riding mountain bikes with my son when he was about 13.  He rides with a team, and I try to keep them in sight on the trails ;-). 

     I really like to eat.  I like sweet stuff, salty stuff, spicy stuff, sour stuff, etc.  At some point, however, you have to decide, "Am I going to have that?"  Too much isn't good for you, and I notice, without exception, that if I eat sugary foods, I am stiff and sore the next day.  I understand the sugar is at least nearly addictive, and causes inflammation in your body.  It certainly does in mine.  Food is, historically, and evolutionarily, nourishment.  Humans are so inventive, that we have found countless ways of making our sustenance more appealing and palatable.  This has, unfortunately, coincided with a huge reduction in the caloric demand necessary to obtain the food.  Bad, Bad combination.  We are programmed to eat.  We do that very well.  Processed foods are everywhere.   Unfortunately, hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, liver disease and obesity are rampant.  We treat them with drugs and surgery, but we cause a lot of them through behavior.  I don't have all of the answers.  I am no expert, just an observer.  If I, for one, want to age the way my genetics want me to, I have to be sure to eat the way those genes are expecting, and stay active as well.

In my opinion, the BEST foods for you are those that you can catch, kill, pick, or dig up.  Once those basic ingredients are combined with salt, sugar and spices, you are pulled into the trap.  I do it, you do it, nearly everyone does it.  At some point, you need to say, enough is enough.  I'm grabbing myself by the lapels and dragging myself back to the health that I was born into.  Decide now, or decide when you get that devastating diagnosis.  Up to you.................. 

MESA TRAIL-THE ULTIMATE TRAIL RUNNING SHOE [IN MY OPINION!!]

     I am very happy to be able to review another of one of the new offerings from Xero Shoes, the Mesa Trail.  Please check out the link above and take a look at Xero's Spring 2020 collection.  They now have these, the Colorado, [Review below]  and many other new styles.  This is a great release, and you really ought to take a look.  There's something for just about everybody [including the kiddos!]   

     I’ve previously reviewed the Terra Flex, a no-nonsense all-purpose trail shoe from Xero.  This shoe, however, is specifically designed for trail running.  It has a great, luggy sole that gave good traction on dirt, grass, sand, gravel, pretty much any surface we could find.  It even gripped well on some pretty steep inclines, some of which were pretty wet and mossy.

      We took the Mesa Trails out to Los Jilgueros, a local nature preserve near home in Fallbrook, CA.  We picked this spot, as it has a lot of varied trails, as well as some interesting man-made features that gave us a chance to see how these perform on lots of surfaces.

     Xero has preserved a measure of ground feel, as with all of their shoes.  This is a really rugged sole by Xero standards, so there is some ground feel trade-off for the traction and rock protection that it provides.  While rugged, the sole maintains the flexibility that we have come to expect from Xero Shoes.  These shoes do come with a removable insole if you want to enhance ground feel.  It almost goes without saying, but these are, of course, zero drop.

     This shoe has a very soft, breathable upper with a mesh-type quality from all of the ventilation holes built into it, including the tongue.  The Mesa Trail has more of a traditional lacing style than many of Xero’s other models but laces up nice and snug for trail work.

     One thing I noticed immediately was how light this shoe feels.  Xero has built a really tough trail running shoe and not sacrificed lightness nor flexibility.  Although this isn’t an “official” weight, my Mesa Trails, at size 13, came in at a mere 9.3 oz each.  If you plan to do any distances, the lightweight feel to these is a huge benefit. 

These shoes have a tough but flexible toe cap that gave me all the front protection needed on trail runs.  It also has a protective vertical strip up the heel.

The interior is soft and felt great with or without socks and the toe box is quite roomy, even for my wide feet.

     Overall, I really like the features, style and fit of this as a trail running shoe.  These are new, so I can’t yet speak to durability, however I have been wearing Xeros for 10 years now, and, although some are pretty banged up from heavy use, I haven’t worn out a pair yet, so I am expecting this model to hold up as well.  I think you will like these, particularly for the blend of toughness, grip, flexibility and comfort, without the added weight that you may find in other brands.