Cushioning

Many people wonder why we stress the nature of the neoprene material in the front of our footwear. It's really quite simple... Most shoes use an EVA foam, which can compress to nearly 50% of it's depth and over a short period of time, it will remain there. This allows for the shoes to feel very cushioned and soft when you first buy them but within a period of months, you can feel the pavement again.

This is not the case with our shoes. I used to replace my athletic and running shoes every 4-6 months because they would loose that soft feeling. I now have a pair of Freedom 2000's that are close to 3 years old. I wore this pair for two years pretty much every day from 6AM to 8PM and they still feel cushioned! I still wear them when I ride my motorcycle and work in the yard, but wear my Anniversary Z-CoiL's and my sandals now for everyday use.

An interesting article was published that pointed out when you should replace your normal (non-Z-CoiL) shoes

"When Should Running Shoes Be Replaced?"

"Your kicks will cushion for only about 200 miles," says Lance D. Barry, D.P.M., a Georgia podiatrist who has completed 21 marathons. "After 200 miles, the midsole has lost enough impact cushioning to make you more prone to heel pain and carpal tunnel-like symptoms."

Don' t track miles? "Pinch the sole with your thumb on the outside and fingers inside," says Richard Braver, D.P.M., a science adviser to Runner's World. "If your fingers can't compress the sole, it's time for a new pair."

Source: Matt Bean, Men's Health Magazine (NAT) [5/24/06] "

I challenge anyone to take the pinch test with a pair of Z-CoiL's that are a year or two old... it will still compress! The quality materials used in Z-CoiL Footwear outperform all other shoes on the market.

Till later,
Caesar...