By: Olie Marchal, Founder, SOM Footwear
This past weekend I went to Crested Butte, Colorado with my wife and another couple to run a 19 mile trail race.
The night before the race, we met with Marty (the guy who hosted the race) and got our bibs. We started to talk about the course, running, and running shoes. When we showed him our SOM shoes he said they don't look like running shoes but more like casual shoes and he couldn't wait to see how we'd do because it's pretty rocky up there!
That morning I decided to wear my old pair of SOM shoes even though the sole got pretty thin from wearing them every single day. I just wanted to keep my new ones clean I guess.
Throughout the course we gained about 4,000ft of elevation and ran through breathtaking scenery. It is especially beautiful at this time of year with the colors all the trees have to offer.
How does it feel to run on rocky single track for 19 miles in SOM shoes? Well, I must say that even though SOM shoes don't look like a conventional running shoe, it feels great to run in them!
I didn't win the race (I never do) but I enjoyed it very much. Because the soles of my good old shoes were pretty worn out I had to go slower down hill and would watch my steps. Maybe with a not so old pair of shoes I'd have made it to the finish line 10 minutes quicker. And to be honest I don't really care. I just wanted to run and have fun in my SOM shoes.
At the end of the race I noticed that a lot of runners took off their shoes and put on flip flops or sandals. None of the four of us had even thought of taking off our SOMs... thanks to their roomy toe box and great comfort!