"Veronica and I are trying this new fad called uh, jogging. I believe it's jogging or yogging. It might be a soft 'j'. I'm not sure but apparently you just run for an extended period of time. It's supposed to be wild."
--Ron Burgundy, Anchorman
The Will Ferrell 1970's-style comedy, Anchorman, flashes back to the jogging craze. Fast-forward and 'jogging' is a now a four-letter word. It describes the shoddy running technique of your heel slamming down on the ground.
Running shoe companies responded to the incorrect style of the 1970's and designed shoes with a heel lift and cushy padding. The added protection was to compensate for poor running technique.
Shoe companies are trying to reverse poor running techniques, and a latest trail running shoe, KEEN A86 TR, gives you a design to help ditch poor habits.
The A86 TR's PU upper has a lacing system characterized with eyelets that swerve in a semi S-shape. Bright color accents and the KEEN name splashed across two-thirds on the outer side of the shoe make it impossible to be missed.
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The A86 TR doesn't have the traditional thick wedge of polyurethane under your heel. The result is a low-profile shoe with a minimal heel lift.
KEEN keeps the minimalist theme in the rest of the shoe's design. The shoe offers little protection around the toe box and nearly none around the rest of the shoe and heel cup.
The result is a shoe that weighs only nine ounces and gives you the feel of old-school cross country racing shoe. The KEEN A86 TR's light weight makes it easy to clock some impresive times for trail runs of a few to more than five miles. The lack of support can become an problem for longer distance runs.
The KEEN A86 TR bold colors will draws eyes to your feet. As you run past your fellow trail runners, they'll get a good view of your heels and soles. The A86 TR is recommended for short to medium-length trail runs. And take the time to leave behind jogging habits and get used to a minimalist running shoe. The KEEN A86 TR is listed at $90.
Jason Elliot is the Editor of OutdoorInformer.com.
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