SOLE Blog
Entries Published in 2011
December 16th, 2011
Off to Antarctica
There are lots of things that get me excited about my job, and receiving video messages from SOLE-sponsored athletes is one of them! Less than 18 hours before Team Jordan is to fly from Southern Chile to Antarctica, I received the video below in my email inbox:
December 16th, 2011
Your SOLE Story Winner Announced
After 2 days of rigorous voting, we are excited to announce the winners of the Your SOLE Story Contest! A huge congratulations to:
December 9th, 2011
SOLE works with run3D to reduce injuries in runners
On Tuesday we attended the opening of run3D, the UK's first 3D motion analysis clinic for runners. Olympic & SOLE athlete, Jo Pavey was the guest of honour and the first to experience the cutting edge technology, which uses infrared cameras to create a 3D model of your running style. Jo had suffered two bouts of stress fractures in her foot, before discovering SOLE footbeds, which have helped her both recover and achieve her Olympic-qualifying time for the 2012 London Olympics.
December 7th, 2011
Jordan Romero: Conquering the Dream of a Lifetime
From Kilimanjaro to Aconcagua and all the way up Everest, the team at SOLE has hoped, watched, and celebrated with Jordan Romero over the past 5 years. This Monday, December 12th, Jordan sets out to summit the last remaining peak in the Seven Summits (the highest peak on each continent). We caught up with Jordan before he left to conquer Antarctica's Vinson Massif, to hear a little more about what he's learned since his first climb, how he prepares differently now, and what the age of 13 means to him.
November 29th, 2011
"Good For Your SOLE" Slogan Winners
First off, thanks to everyone who submitted a "Good For Your SOLE" slogan in our contest. We've picked 5 winning slogans which are listed below. Each winning slogan may be used in an upcoming SOLE ad campaign, and each winner will get a SOLE prize pack! I'll be in contact shortly with the winners to get your sizing and details.
November 28th, 2011
Doug Stoup and The Push
We caught up with SOLE-sponsored athlete, Doug Stoup, and he told us about his newest endeavor, The Push. Doug will be guiding a team, including 2 adaptive athletes on sit-skis, to the South Pole next January.
November 25th, 2011
Black Friday Bundle
Black Friday is here, and it's time for our best deal of the year! For 4 days from November 25th through November 28th, you can pick up a pair of Thin Series footbeds, a pair of 2011 Sport Flips or Casual Flips, and a pair of socks for only $59.
November 1st, 2011
Your SOLE Story Contest
We've heard some amazing SOLE stories throughout 2011, and for the month of November we are on a quest to find the most fascinating story of the year! From November 1st to December 1st we are giving you an opportunity to submit your SOLE story for a chance to win some great gear for you and those you love!
October 24th, 2011
Accelerate at any age: an interview with David O'Meara
SOLE athlete, David "The One Mile Runner" O'Meara spent the bulk of 2011 completing a new personal record. David achieved his 5 Wonders Under 25 Minutes by running 1 mile at five wondrous locations around the world, including the Grand Canyon, Stonehenge, Golden Gate Bridge, Taj Mahal, and Petra.
October 19th, 2011
Doing Good While Doing What You Love
At SOLE, we have the opportunity to work with some pretty great people. Some of them run 350 miles straight (Dean Karnazes, runner), some of them overcome incredible obstacles (Trevor Thomas, blind mountaineer), and some of them take something that they love and do good with it. Enter Mark Vaughn. Mark is one of SOLE's Sales Representatives based in Colorado. On October 9th, Mark ran the Denver Rock'n'Roll 1/2 Marathon with a group of people trying to make a difference. In a donation request letter sent to friends, Mark wrote: I am dedicating my race to helping provide clean water to communities in Africa. I'm kind of nervous about the miles, but I know that training with this purpose in mind will keep me going.
October 19th, 2011
Good For Your SOLE Slogan
Our new slogan, "Good For Your SOLE" ™ is now appearing in our marketing and where SOLE products are sold. As you can imagine, it is incredibly difficult to come up with a slogan that embraces our corporate values, your mental association with the brand, and everything in between.
October 5th, 2011
What's Your SOLE Story?
We love to get feedback from SOLE users. Good and bad, we circulate user comments throughout the whole company so everyone is aware of what our customers are saying. The best is when we get a testimonial from someone who has been impacted deeply by a SOLE product. It's these testimonials that are a great reminder of why I get up every morning to come work here.
September 28th, 2011
Dr. Jared Shippee recommends SOLE Custom Footbeds
Podiatrist Dr. Jared Shippee has been a long-time supporter and user of SOLE products. He and his lovely wife Rachel stopped by the SOLE booth during Outdoor Retailer Summer Market, and he was nice enough to explain why he recommends SOLE Custom Footbeds to his podiatric patients.
September 27th, 2011
Social Media Intern Wanted
SOLE is looking to hire a temporary Social Media Intern for our North Vancouver office. Students or anyone with relevant experience are welcome to apply. We offer a casual work environment, work experience, a letter of recommendation, free product, and (probably) your own office in our new North Vancouver Penthouse office space. The main websites/brands you'll be working with are SOLE and ReCORK.
September 23rd, 2011
SOLE Custom Footbeds for Cycling
September may seem like an odd time to discuss how SOLE footbeds can improve your cycling. After all, the season is just about finished and cyclists are getting ready to take their road bikes inside and mount them on a trainer (or perhaps that's just in cold Canada?). Regardless, the off-season is a great time to explore new products that are going to help athletes perform optimally during the regular competition season, which is why I discussed the importance of SOLE Thin Sport Footbeds with Charles Ostiguy, captain of Team Archibald Genetik SOLE cycling.
September 21st, 2011
Dav Digs SOLE
SOLE caught up with skier and mountaineer Chris Davenport during Outdoor Retailer Summer Market. Check out the video below in which Dav discusses how he relied on SOLE footbeds and Exhales during his Mt. Everest summit, and then switched to SOLE flips while vacationing in Hawaii. How's that for recovery!?
August 25th, 2011
Finding that "Ah-ha" Moment with Big City Mountaineers
In early June we introduced you to the Executive Director of Big City Mountaineers (BCM), Lisa Mattis, and discussed why BCM is an organization worthy of being passionate about. Since then, several of BCM's summer programs have been underway, impacting dozens of kids' lives.
First time BCM volunteer, John Collins, wrote SOLE and explained that BCM doesn't just change the lives of the kids, it also changes the lives of the adults volunteering:
August 23rd, 2011
Congratulations Rebecca!
Last week we talked to Rebecca Rusch about empowering and motivating women of all ages through the SRAM Gold Rusch Tour. After Rusch's Leadville 100 finish last weekend, we don't think the participants of the Gold Rusch tour need any more inspiration - Rusch beat her previous, record-breaking 2010 Leadville 100 finish by more than 15 minutes, completing the full 100 mile ride in 7 hours, 31 minutes and 46 seconds. In addition to this, the top four women in the race ALL beat Rusch's 2010 record!
August 12th, 2011
Gold Rusch Reflections with Rebecca Rusch
This Saturday, Rebecca Rusch will tackle the Leadville 100 MTB race with hopes of taking the women's title for the third year in a row. In 2010, she shattered the women's course record and has been training hard ever since. One might think that Rusch would choose to solely focus on training, to beat her 2010 course record and make history again, but that's hardly been the case. Rusch has recently completed the SRAM Gold Rusch Tour, a series of 4 events that focus predominantly on women, biking and bringing the two together. Despite being incredibly busy, Rusch graciously agreed to an interview with SOLE where we discussed female-focused events, favorite memories, and instilling confidence in the next generation of women.
July 19th, 2011
What Is Plantar Fasciitis and How Can I Get Relief From It?
Plantar fasciitis is an overuse injury affecting the connective tissue (the plantar fascia) that runs from the front of the heel bone to the ball of the foot. This dense strip of tissue helps support the longitudinal arch of the foot. The condition starts gradually with mild pain at the heel bone. Read on to learn stretching and strengthening exercises from The Running Injury Clinic to help combat plantar fasciitis, and for some SOLE-recommended products (proven to reduce plantar fascia strain by 34%).
July 18th, 2011
Learning How to Walk
BACKPACKER'S August issue has a great, 6 page article on how to walk. Think you have it all covered? Take a look and you may be surprised; you may be able to use their tips to improve your stride and end back and leg pain.
July 12th, 2011
Tips For Eliminating Chronic Pain Due to Oversupination
Some people's feet have a natural tendency to supinate (roll outwards) instead of pronating (rolling inwards) during a stride. This prevents the foot from absorbing shock the way it should. Read on to learn a couple stretching exercises from The Running Injury Clinic to help battle oversupination, and for some SOLE-recommended products.
July 8th, 2011
Study Shows SOLE Footbeds Reduce Plantar Fascia Strain by 34%
Study Shows SOLE Footbeds Reduce Plantar Fascia Strain by 34% Without Unnecessarily Controlling Other Foot Biomechanics
June 30th, 2011
Casual Flips video review
Check out this great video review of our Casual Flips from the good people at healthyfeetstore.com.
June 30th, 2011
Tips for combating foot pain due to Metatarsalgia
Metatarsalgia, or ball-of-foot pain, is marked by pain and inflammation, occurring after excessive strain has been placed upon the metatarsal region of the foot for an extended period of time. Metatarsalgia is a common condition among athletes and active individuals. Read on to learn a stretching exercise from The Running Injury Clinic, to help strengthen your ankles, and for some SOLE-recommended products.
June 29th, 2011
The Shape of Comfort
No two feet are alike, which is why there is no such thing as one-size-fits-all. Your foot wasn't made flat, so why is almost all footwear made that way? For those who experience foot pain it comes as no surprise that if your feet are not comfortable, nothing else is either. SOLE products feature accommodative support that adapts to the shape of your foot, providing unparalleled comfort without sacrificing stylish design.
June 28th, 2011
Good For Your SOLE™
Throughout our ten year history, we have been happy to satisfy over 3,000,000 soles! Our products are not only comfortable, they help with all types of foot ailments.
June 24th, 2011
Tips For Battling Overpronation
Basically, overpronation occurs when your feet roll too far inwards. It's kind of like a reverse turned ankle. Overpronation can be increased by poor footwear choice (flat flip-flops), but sometimes it is genetic. Read on to learn a strengthening exercise from The Running Injury Clinic, to help strengthen your ankles, and for some SOLE-recommended products.
June 23rd, 2011
What is ReCORK?
You may have noticed the ReCORK logo or imagery around the website. Have you ever wondered exactly what ReCORK? does? Well today is the day you find out! Read on for more information.
June 17th, 2011
How to strengthen your Achilles and avoid tendinitis
The thought of straining your Achilles tendon can cause even the strongest runners to cringe. It's not an injury I would wish upon anyone. Read on to find some exercises, courtesy of The Running Injury Clinic, that you can use to strengthen your Achilles and avoid ailments like Achilles tendinitis.
June 13th, 2011
Diagnosing and combating shin splints
Have you ever been out for a run and felt a sharp, stabbing pain in your shins? Those, my friends, are shin splints. SOLE has been working closely with Dr. Reed Ferber at the University of Calgary and the Running Injury Clinic. We're happy to provide you with some of Dr. Ferber's exercises to help combat shin splints.
June 10th, 2011
Give dad some SOLE for Father's day
Looking for a Father's Day gift Dad will actually like?
June 10th, 2011
What's so big about Big City Mountaineers?
Those of you who have purchased our EV Signature Series footbeds know that SOLE donates a portion of that sale to Big City Mountaineers. What people don't often know is, who or what is Big City Mountaineers. I had a chance to connect with BCM's Executive Director, Lisa Mattis about who Big City Mountaineers is, what they stand for, and why she's passionate about the organization.
June 10th, 2011
SOLE's size range
I think it's pretty safe to say that SOLE has the largest size range of footbeds available off-the-shelf = US men's 3 (women's 5) up to US men's 21. A men's 21 is huge!
June 9th, 2011
What's recovery footwear?
If you're a serious runner, you've probably been in this situation:
The race has just ended. You've grabbed your last paper-cup full of Gatorade. You're waiting in line at the gear check praying that the line moves just a little faster so that you can get out of your running shoes, and into something, really anything else.
May 19th, 2011
How to wear flip-flops safely
The American Podiatric Medical Association recently released the below video explaining how to wear flip-flops safely. I'm happy to say that our Sport Flips were featured in the video. Take a look for a few important tips.
May 9th, 2011
Team SOLE at Eco Motion 2011
After taking a short hiatus from adventure racing to climb some mountains and set some records, Paul Romero and Karen Lundgren of Team SOLE hopped back on the adventure racing train, taking on Eco Motion in Brazil. Between several airports and countries, SOLE caught up with Paul and Karen to discuss their 4th place finish at one of the world's toughest adventure races.
May 3rd, 2011
Earth Day Promotion Results
First of all, thanks to everyone who purchased a pair of Casual Flips online during April. As you may or may not know, we were running an Earth Day Promotion, and we donated $2 from the sale of every pair of 2011 Casual Flips to Criar Bosques. In turn, Criar Bosques will put the money towards planting trees in Portuguese forests. I'm happy to announce, due to your purchases, we will be planting 101 trees!
April 21st, 2011
Why climb, why compete, and why SOLE?
With the kick-off of the climbing World Cup Series starting, SOLE caught up with sponsored athlete Alex Johnson and asked: why climb, why compete, and why SOLE?
April 20th, 2011
Buy a pair of Casual Flips in the Month of April and help plant a tree!
SOLE is celebrating Earth Day by planting trees with Criar Bosques, a project of the National Conservation Association in Portugal. Criar Bosque has already planted over 4000 trees in the Portuguese forests for our cork recycling initiative, ReCORK. The Portuguese montado (cork forests) are an important ecosystem that naturally sequesters carbon, supports many indigenous animals, and is protected by strict Portuguese law.
April 20th, 2011
A free clearance item every day for a week!
In case you haven't noticed, we've been giving a free clearance product away everyday this week! Why are we doing this you might ask? The main reason was to launch our new clearance web store, where you can view the available products we have by size. Much of the time with clearance items, we only have a few sizes left, so we thought this would be an easier way of seeing what's available in your size. The other reason we are running this promotion is that we have a bunch of random products, from past years, clogging up our warehouses and we need to make some space for all our awesome new 2011 products.
April 7th, 2011
Catching up with Team Archibald Genetik SOLE leader, Charles Ostiguy
As the 2011 road bike season approaches, SOLE caught up with Charles Ostiguy, (leader of Team Archibald Genetik SOLE road-racing) to see what is exciting, inspiring, and challenging them for their upcoming race season.
March 15th, 2011
Heat Moulding
SOLE footbeds are heat mouldable, as well as wear mouldable. If you want to mould your footbeds quickly, or put them into shoes with extremely narrow heels, or have very flat feet, heat moulding is the way to go. Otherwise, wear moulding only takes a few days of use and is the simplest way to get a custom fit. If you have question about whether you should mould the footbeds or not, check out this post from our Customer Service Manager, Alyssa.
March 14th, 2011
Understanding the fit of SOLE footwear
Every Spring we get neurotic about how this season's products will fit. Because of our shaped footbeds, the fit is very specific and the upper (the straps) must be produced with precision in order to ensure your satisfaction and comfort. We constantly make small changes to try to make our footwear and insoles the most comfortable you will ever wear. Initial, step-in comfort is important, but we also want SOLE footwear to last and become more comfortable over time. Will they ultimately become your favorite footwear? That is our most important goal.
March 10th, 2011
2011 Spring footwear now available in our Canadian web store
Our 2011 Spring footwear has arrived in our Canadian warehouse! Because we're awesome, we've dropped the price on our Sport Flips, Casual Flips, and Sport Slides by $5. Not to mention, new for 2011 are our leather Premium Flips. Our first shipment is going fast, so order a pair before your favourite colors are gone. Speaking of colors, let us know what you think of the 2011 line on Facebook or Twitter.
March 10th, 2011
Additional SOLE Footwear Products Receive APMA Acceptance
We are delighted to announce that SOLE Sport Slides, Casual Flips, Casual Softec Footbeds and the Exhale were granted the prestigious American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA) Seal of Acceptance. They join many of our other products, which had already been accepted by the APMA. Each year the APMA awards its Seal of Acceptance to a select group of products in its quest to promote valuable foot and ankle health. We are honoured to be recognized for our commitment to better foot health and quality of care.
March 10th, 2011
2011 Sport & Casual Flips Have Arrived in our US web store
Our 2011 flips have started to arrive! You can now order a pair of our new Sport Flips (Men's, Women's) or Casual Flips (Men's, Women's) from our web store. Because we're awesome, we've dropped the price on both of these models by $5! Pick up a pair of Sport Flips for $65, or a pair of Casual Flips for $70. Let us know what you think about the new colors on Facebook or Twitter.
February 24th, 2011
The people have spoken, and boy did they like our sale!
Due to the overwhelming response we received, we've decided to extend our 2010 footwear sale in our Canadian web store. Pick up a pair of 2010 Sport Flips, Casual Flips, or Sport Slides for 30% off the regular retail price. This is really your last chance to pick up a pair of 2010 Sandals. Avoid the line and order online!
February 16th, 2011
New Feature Pages for Dean Karnazes & Ed Viesturs
We're excited to announce that we recently launched two new feature pages on our website. The pages highlight our two Signature Edition Footbeds and athletes: Dean Karnazes and Ed Viesturs. If you didn't know, $1 from the sale of every pair of Signature Edition Footbeds is donated to Karno Kids (Dean's charity) and Big City Mountaineers (Ed's charity). By launching these new feature pages, we hope to better inform our customers about our Signature athletes and their worthy causes.
February 16th, 2011
SOLE Loves Cork!
You might have heard that SOLE is sponsoring ReCORK, a natural cork recycling program. We partnered with Amorim to provide this service across the US and Canada. Restaurants, wineries, hotels and several other points of distribution are now collecting their used, natural corks and sending them to ReCORK to be recycled.
February 15th, 2011
Sustainable in our packaging
One of the best ways to become more sustainable is to simply reduce the raw material being used, which also reduces energy consumption when shipping the goods. We hang our flips and socks from recycled paperboard hangers. Our paperboard packaging uses 100% recycled (90-100% post-consumer), non-bleached, kraft paper. No foils or coatings that hinder recycling are used. We are working to use vegetable-based inks in the near future.
February 14th, 2011
30% Off Eh!?!
Attention Canucks! To make room for our Spring 2011 sandals in our Canadian warehouse, we need to ship our 2010 sandal stock to our US warehouse. However, before we ship them out, we'd like to offer them to you at a crazy discount!
February 4th, 2011
Updates to our web store
To improve our online shopping experience, we recently made a few updates to our web store. The goal was to make the web store easier to navigate, allowing you to get to our products more quickly. For the web monkeys out there, this is called improving the usability of a website.
February 4th, 2011
When is it time to buy a new pair of footbeds?
This is a question I get all the time: "When do I need to buy a new pair of footbeds?" The answer is... depends :) Generally we say a pair of footbeds should last you about 1 - 1.5 years. However, depending on your use, they could last longer or shorter. My favorite story concerning this is about Dean Karnazes. When he ran the Endurance 50 (50 marathons in 50 days in 50 states), he used one pair of footbeds throughout, but wore out a few pairs of shoes.
January 31st, 2011
What the heck is a moisture wick?
If you're like me, sometimes all the technical jargon around a product can get confusing. Although technical info is important, I'm more interested in how a product can help me for everyday use. Further to that point, there's been an ongoing joke in our Vancouver office to the tune of, "What the heck is a moisture wick and why should I care?"
January 17th, 2011
2010 Achievements
2010 marked a lot of great milestones for SOLE:
- We launched our first fall/winter line of footwear.
- We celebrated the inception and growth of our ReCORK program.
- We were voted “Footwear of the Year” by Gearist.com.
- We successfully completed our 10th year as a brand.
January 11th, 2011
Notes from Nick: Why run for St. Johns Hospice?
On May 2nd 2010, Dave Redfern, my best friend, died at St. John's Hospice in Moggerhanger after a brave fight against oesophagus cancer. He left a huge hole in the lives of all who knew him, and still does so today. The last two weeks of his life were made so much better by the amazing care he received at St John's Hospice, which is a truly remarkable place.