THE BROOKS BLOG

Monday’s Seattle Times gave us a shout out in an article about how eco-conscious retailers and shoppers are influencing the marketplace. The Green Silence was featured as an example of Brooks’ contribution. Here’s a teaser quote from our CEO, Jim Weber:

“The Green Silence really is a concept shoe in sustainability,” said Weber. “It’s our latest attempt, and every stitch of the shoe has a sustainable story, without compromising the performance or aesthetic appeal. We are going to bring the elements of this shoe into our core shoe line.”

>>Read the full article here.

Just before 2009 came to a close, The Washington Times Communities’ online running column "Run, Karla, Run!" honored ultra runner Scott Jurek by including him in a post titled "The Best Runners of the Decade."

Runner/journalist Karla Bruning ranked Jurek 8th on the 10-person roster, which also includes Catherine Ndereba, Tirunesh Dibaba, Usain Bolt, Haile Gebrselassie, and Paula Radcliffe. Of her highly personal, yet star-studded list, Bruning notes:

"My picks are completely unscientific and subjective, and I’m sure they will incite at least a little grumbling. But these 10 runners have dazzled the world with feats of strength. . . and racked up the hardware to prove it."

About Brooks-sponsored ultramarathoner Jurek, in particular, she writes:

"There’s distance and then there’s distance. In the burgeoning field of ultramarathons, Scott Jurek is the king of the road."

>> Read "The Best Runners of the Decade" online column in its entirety here.

As a champion ultra runner, running coach, and physical therapist, Jurek was one of the experts whose opinions we sought in preparing our Perspective on Barefoot Running . Jurek was also one of the runners featured prominently in Born to Run , the bestselling book by Christopher McDougall.

In his expert section on barefoot running, Jurek states:

"Personally, I have used barefoot running before and/or after a speed workout by warming up and cooling down in 10- to 15-minute sessions on grass or artificial turf for technique training. I have also used it to prevent injury or rehab a foot-ankle injury, such as plantar fasciitis, by running on grass or sand for one to four miles. As a running coach, I have recommended running barefoot for the same reasons I have used it in my own training program. The key is proper progression and integration (i.e. avoiding too much, too soon) to allow the athlete’s body to adapt appropriately."

To see Scott Jurek’s "pros" and "cons" of barefoot running, along with the rest of his remarks on the topic, please read his expert statement.
>> See the rest of our experts’ statements
>> Read our Perspective on Barefoot Running

How do you follow up being a contestant on OXYGEN’s hit show Dance Your Ass Off ? For Karla Guy, the next challenge is P.F. Chang’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Arizona ½ Marathon on Sunday, January 17. Karla is running in the Adrenaline . We’re so excited to be part of Karla’s first ever race.

Have a great race, Karla! You’ve done the training, now enjoy the ride—and Run Happy®!

UPDATE: Karla finished strong. Read about her race strategy here. Congrats, Karla!

>> Follow Karla on Twitter @KarlaGuy .

>> Check out Karla’s sweet dance moves at KarlaGuy.com . Scroll to the bottom and watch the video of her winning the first competition.

See the full blog post here:

http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/07/recycled-cds-and-sofa-foam-for-your-feet/

The award-winning infiniti 2

Go, Brooks! We recently learned we won two awards from Shape magazine:

• The Infiniti 2 won the “Best for Distance” Award in the Spring 2009 shoe guide. Shape’s bi-annual Shoe Award selection process uses 260+ women who test shoes from 20 athletic companies in the running, trail running, walking, and training categories.

• Brooks, the brand, won a 2009 Green Living Award for the Trance™ 8. New for 2009, the Shape Green Living Award honors people, places, companies, and products that successfully blend fashion and practicality with eco-friendliness.

As you probably already know, the Trance™ 8 is no longer the only shoe with Brooks’ biodegradable BioMoGo midsole. BioMoGo is now also available in the Adrenaline™ GTS 9, Glycerin® 7, Cascadia 4, and the above-named Infiniti 2.

Both distinctions appear in the popular women’s fitness magazine’s April issue, on newsstands NOW!