Chickens Dig Reebok CrossFit Nanos, Too.

At Clark Farm (Carlisle, Massachusetts).

Reebok CrossFit Nano 2.0 Shoes

I almost forgot until Tim reminded me: The brand new Reebok CrossFit Nano 2.0 shoes are available starting today! I just picked up a pair of red ones...



...and a pair of gray ones, too.

I know I just got some new inov-8s a couple of weeks ago, but I couldn't resist. Besides: (1) I miss my trashed Game of Death shoes, (2) some sizes are already selling out, and (3) I am a shoe whore.

Don't you worry, my brand new f-Lite 195s. I still love you. Stop looking at me like that.

(By the way, Reebok.com has free shipping, and offers a color that CrossFit's online shop doesn't carry: Orange. However, Reebok's site doesn't carry the men's blue shoes with the red laces, so you Captain America types -- hello, Terminator -- will just have to pay a few extra bucks for shipping.)

Are These the Next Reebok CrossFit Nanos?

Tim's eagle eyes spotted what looks to be a pair of prototype Reebok CrossFit Nano shoes on an athlete at Reebok CrossFit One.

It's hard to tell from this one snapshot, but the toe, tongue, and heel look different from those of the current model.

Can't wait to see this up close. But in the meantime, I need to go shopping for a new pair of shoes. My Game of Death shoes are thrashed.

[Source]

What Does It Take To Turn the Heads of New Yorkers?

Another Reebok CrossFit video filmed in New York City:



I'm sure the handstand walk across the street turned some heads, but it looks like most New Yorkers didn't bat an eye when they passed elite CrossFitters doing kipping pullups on construction scaffolding or air squats on the sidewalk. (I liked watching them jump over each other -- it looked like fun -- but Manhattanites are used to seeing that sort of thing done with more panache.) Folks probably just assumed that these firebreathers were participating in an afternoon bootcamp exercise program. And who could blame them, when they're accustomed to encountering much more eye-popping spectacles around town?

Here are a few examples.

No Pants Subway Rides:



UFOs:



Grocery Store Musicals:



Flying People:



This Guy:



What CrossFit WOD do you think would stop New Yorkers in their tracks? My vote's for Amanda:

Empire State Building WOD

Where to next?

"The Sport of Fitness Has Arrived"

Football fans: Watch for the new Reebok CrossFit commercial during the Giants-Packers NFC divisional playoff game tomorrow.

You've got to hand it to Reebok -- the company's throwing itself into its partnership with CrossFit. AdAge just ran a piece on Reebok's new marketing campaign for CrossFit, and it's full of interesting tidbits. The ones that jumped out at me:

• In April, Reebok's opening "a combined gym and store location on Fifth Avenue in New York."

• Reebok plans to "outfit shipping containers as mobile CrossFit gyms and deliver them to 50 locations around the world, as a means of encouraging people to try CrossFit."

• "The Sport of Fitness Has Arrived" campaign will be Reebok's main marketing push for 2012, [Reebok marketing VP Viktoria] Wallner said. It will also highlight other Reebok products, such as RealFlex, ZigTech and EasyTone." (EasyTone? As part of "The Sport of Fitness Has Arrived" campaign? Really?)

What do you think? Awesome? Or worrisome? And how long before Kenny Powers adds his two cents about the sport of fitness not being a "real sport"?



[Source: AdAge, CNBC]

Reebok Oly Shoes: First Impression

It's been a few days since my Reebok CrossFit Oly shoes arrived, but I haven't yet worked out in them.

Part of me doesn't want to even put them on -- I'd rather just look at them lovingly, and keep them in mint condition forever. But that's just my inner nerdy baseball card / comic book collector talking. The other part of me can't wait to get these suckers on my feet and into the gym.

This afternoon, I broke the shoes out of the box and gave 'em a good once-over.

The Reebok Oly shoe feels a lot lighter than most other weightlifting shoes, owing largely to a heel made of injected thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) rather than wood. I'm guessing the triangular indentations in the heel cut the shoes' weight even further, though I can't say I'm a huge fan of the resulting zigzag design. (It reminds me too much of the barfy-looking outsoles on the Reebok Zigs.)

That said, the vamp of the shoe is extremely soft and flexible. The tread/score lines on the front of the sole underscore the emphasis on free forefoot movement. Combined with the lightness of the shoe (mine weighed just 13.8 ounces -- yes, I checked), I'm guessing these suckers'll do just fine in a WOD that pairs Oly lifts with box jumps or double-unders.

My pair fit well right out of the box -- and not just because the shoe features a nicely-padded collar and a snug heel counter. Reebok appears to have fixed the sizing problem it had a few months ago. (As you may recall, the yellow Nanos sold at the Games ran about one size too big.)

Another issue I had with the prototype Nanos were that the laces were too short. Reebok appears to have addressed that concern as well:

Actually, this photo shows both pairs of laces -- red and black -- that came with the shoe. The red ones are snazzy, but I think I'm going to stick with the black ones.

And let's not forget about the custom-fitting U-Form shoe lining. As with the Nanos, you can bake the Oly shoes in the oven at 200°F for 3 minutes and then put them on. As they cool, the lining of the shoes will mold to the shape of your feet. This may be the closest thing to a perfect-fitting weightlifting shoe on the market.

Mine are now baked and ready to go. 

By the way, it's a little thing, but I love that the little U-Form tab on the sides turn red when the shoes have been baked. (They turn black again once the shoes cool down.)

I know that not everyone's sold on plastic heels over wood ones, and I'll probably stick with my wooden-heeled Adidas weightlifting shoes when I'm focusing on my lifts. But for CrossFit WODs that combine Olympic lifts with jumping around or hanging off a pull-up bar, this flexible, lightweight shoe certainly looks promising. I'll report back once I've had a chance to test drive them a bit more.

[Previously: My review of the Reebok CrossFit Nanos]

A-Team Oly Shoes

Look what came in the mail while we were in Mexico:

Reebok CrossFit Oly Shoes!

I'm going to have a hard time wearing these without this running through my head.

Reebok's E-Commerce DNF

Say what you will about Reebok, but you can't say it doesn't own up to its mistakes.

The Reebok CrossFit Facebook page lit up this morning with complaints from folks who tried desperately to buy the newly-offered Oly shoes before they sell out, but failed due to system issues on Reebok's end. Some apparently spent hours on Reebok's site, trying in vain to purchase the shoes. (I was able to get through without any problems, but it looks I was one of the lucky ones.)

The silver lining for Reebok? The demand for its CrossFit shoes is off the charts. Clearly, there are plenty of us who need shoes to match our Kool-Aid mustaches.

Reebok CrossFit: A New World Record

As part of last Friday's Guinness World Records Day, Joe Hill of 3D Joe and Max partnered with Reebok CrossFit to complete the world's largest and longest 3D street painting ever seen. The artwork measured 1,160.4 meters by 105.6 meters, and was displayed in London's Canary Wharf.

I'm not sure why Reebok didn't aim for a record that's a little more CrossFit-oriented (Longest tire-flipping relay? Highest box jump? Most consecutive ring handstand push-ups or double-unders?) -- but the optical illusion presented here is pretty amazing nonetheless.






[Source]

Hello, World.

With The Biggest Loser's Bob Harper putting Jillian Michaels through a CrossFit WOD beatdown on "The Doctors" AND Reebok taking out a full-page ad featuring Rich Froning in People Magazine's "Sexiest Man Alive" issue, is this the week when our little cult suddenly enters America's mainstream consciousness?

(I kind of wish Rich Froning was wearing the new Reebok CrossFit Nano shoes instead of the nubby RealFlex, though.)

Want to bet on whether Bob Harper'll incorporate CrossFit training into The Biggest Loser next season?

28% More Ass Power

I can't say I'm surprised.

The Federal Trade Commission announced that it's reached a $25 million settlement with Reebok after charging the company with deceptive ad practices. The price tag makes this one of the largest false advertising settlements ever.

Reebok had claimed that EasyTone shoes would deliver, among other things, a 28% boost in butt strength as compared to other shoes. But these numbers were evidently just pulled out of Reebok's butt. The company, the FTC found, couldn't back up its claims of molding a "better butt with every step."



But come on: Did anyone really believe wearing these clunky shoes ("with balance ball technology!" -- whatever that is) would magically lead to a 28 percent firmer, tighter ass?

Regardless, I wish I could say that Reebok'll be ditching these awful shoes to focus on its CrossFit line, but given the profitability of this horribly gimmicky footwear, I get the feeling these "toning" shoes'll be around for a long, long time.

Terra Plana VivoBarefoot Neo Trails

Between my Chuck Taylors, Vibram FiveFingers, Merrell Barefoot Trail Gloves, New Balance Minimus MT10s and MX20s, and Reebok CrossFit shoes, my shoe rack runneth over. But the shoe whore in me was stirred nonetheless by the sight of Terra Plana's brand-new VivoBarefoot Neo Trail shoes:

They're zero-drop shoes with wide toe-boxes and barely-there soles (though the outsole is studded with grippy lugs to facilitate trail running). And while they're not made with CrossFit in mind, they look like a worthy competitor to the Merrell Trail Gloves and New Balance Minimus MT10s.

I remember eying the Neo Trails a few months ago when I saw a sneak peek online, but promptly forgot about 'em when the NB MX20s came out.

Aside from a pair of Onitsuka Tigers Rotation 77s, the only shoes I wear to the office these days are from the VivoBarefoot line, but I've never tried any of the brand's athletic shoes. Sadly, I may have to wait a little while longer to give the Neo Trails a shot; with a $130 price tag, these babies are $45 more than my current favorites in the gym.

They're slick-looking, though, right?

Review: Reebok CrossFit Shoes

It's been a month since I bought a pair of Reebok's CrossFit shoes down at the Games. Only a few hundred pairs were made and distributed to Games competitors; the leftovers were then sold to spectators like me. So while the rest of the CrossFit world impatiently waits for Reebok to offer its shoes to the buying public, we lucky few who nabbed a pair at the Home Depot Center have been trying them out. Through all of August, I put mine through the paces: lifting, running, jumping -- the works. 

So what's the verdict?

Before we get down to brass tacks, I should point out that the pair I own may not be the final launch version of the Reebok CrossFit shoes. Even though they were deemed Games-ready, I'm guessing that Reebok has some final tweaks up its sleeves. (From what I've heard, they'll be available as early as November -- though I've also heard January -- and will retail for $130). But I'm working with what I've got, so here goes.

There are some things I absolutely love about these shoes. First and foremost, I'm a big fan of the Reeboks' super-wide toe box. The forefoot feels slightly wider than even those on New Balance's Minimus shoes (though upon visual inspection, they appear to be the same width), and offers tons of room for the natural spread and stretch of athletes' toes. Also, unlike some other manufacturers, Reebok's managed to build a wide shoe without sacrificing the look of the product.



Yes, some find the Reebok CrossFit shoes to be butt-ugly (including my wife), but I don't. As I've written before, I think the styling comes correct. I haven't once felt self-conscious about wearing them out in public despite the fact that they're blindingly yellow. I associate yellow-and-black with Bruce Lee, wasps and the Steel Curtain -- so I actually feel pretty bad-ass when I strut around in these babies. (Yes, I realize that most people actually just think I'm color-blind, but shut up.) Bonus: The shoes came with both yellow and black laces.

(Not a fan of the yellow and black? Check out more colors here.)



The Reeboks -- at 9.15 ounces -- are fairly lightweight, and only slightly heavier than my New Balance Minimus MX20s (8.10 ounces) and MT10s (7.15 ounces). The padding and support around the ankles feel solid without being obtrusive, and the throat at midfoot -- although pretty snug when laced -- doesn't overly constrict my feet like the Merrell Barefoot Trail Gloves did (or even the New Balance Minimus MT10s). The Reebok shoes' mesh uppers are soft and breathable but durable; after a month of fairly aggressive wear-testing, I haven't noticed any fraying or tearing of the fabric -- not even at the toe-cap, where there's minimal foxing.



As for the vaunted U-Form custom-fit technology? I stand corrected -- it's not just a marketing gimmick. When I first put the shoes on my feet right out of the box, they felt a little loose in places (especially in the vamp and heel counter). But after baking the shoes in a 200-degree oven for 3 minutes and then keeping them tightly laced on my feet for another 8 minutes, the Reeboks fit like a glove. Plus, they felt warm and toasty.

(Note: My shoes didn't come with baking instructions, but I found 'em online here.)



That said, this is not (yet) a perfect shoe.

Some of the flaws are minor, and can be easily fixed. For one, the sizing of the shoes that were sold at the Games is totally screwy. These Reeboks run a full size larger than normal. I usually wear a Men's 9.5 or 10 -- but the Reeboks that best fit me are size 8. Given that Reebok has signaled that these shoes will be sold primarily (exclusively?) online, accurate sizing is critical. Folks who have waited months for these shoes to become available aren't going to be happy about opening up FedEx packages of shoes, only to find that they're too damned big.

Another small problem: The shoelaces are way too short. If you lace the shoes up all the way, you'll barely have enough left over to make bunny-ears.

The biggest issue I have with the Reebok CrossFit shoes, however, is the sole. Yes, I like the minimal heel-to-toe drop, the treads wrapping around the edge of the instep to protect against damage from rope climbs, the lack of zigzags, nubs or other rubbery nonsense on the bottoms of other Reebok shoes. But unfortunately, these shoes are, in my opinion, overly stiff in the sole -- especially through the middle of the foot. While most other shoes flex right at the ball of the foot, the break-line in the Reeboks' sole appears to be situated closer to base of the toes. As a result, with the exception of the very front section of the forefoot, the sole feels like a flat board. There's not a lot of give here.



I can see the advantages a stiffer sole might bring to lifting -- you don't want so much flex in the shoe that people end up on their toes when they should be keeping their weight on their heels. But in my opinion, the soles of these CrossFit shoes could stand to be more yielding given the variety of non-lifting movements that we encounter. The padded insert that comes in the shoes doesn't help either. It sacrifices ground feel for cushiness -- something that most of us don't want or need. After a few workouts, I ended up removing the spongy inserts entirely.

For CrossFit, I prefer shoes that I don't even think about during my WODs. But whenever I ran or jumped in these shoes, I couldn't help but notice the stiffness of the midfoot sole from the balls of my feet to my heels.



The sole aside, the Reebok CrossFit shoes are still heads-and-shoulders above most other cross trainers on the market. The wide toe-box, easy-bake fit, head-turning looks and minimal heel-to-toe drop are features any CrossFitter would dig.

How do they stack up against my other CrossFit footwear? My New Balance Minimus MX20 Trainers still remain my favorite -- but competition for CrossFitters' hearts and minds (and feet) has begun to heat up. This next year is going to see a glut of CrossFit-specific shoes, with new offerings from Reebok, New Balance, Vibram, Altra, Inov-8, Merrell, and others. I can't wait to try 'em out.



Shoe whores: Rejoice!

CrossFit Games Recap: Part 2

[Previously: CrossFit Games: Recap Part 1]

The marine layer burned off soon after the finish of the WOD at Santa Monica Pier. By the time we arrived at the Home Depot Center for the rest of Day 1's events, it was starting to heat up. I lingered for a few seconds in front of the Big Ass Fan booth before moving on to check out the rest of the venue.

The Reebok CrossFit tent was situated smack-dab in the middle of "Sponsor Village," the cluster of makeshift stores set up next to the stadium. Early on the first day, Reebok still had plenty of CrossFit-specific gear for sale, though merchandise appeared to be flying off the shelves.

Of course, as an admitted shoe whore, I was drawn like a moth to the blindingly shiny yellow Reebok CrossFit shoes. I was so entranced by the pair in the display case that I failed to notice that REEBOK WAS SELLING THEM FIVE FEET AWAY. (Only a limited number were offered for sale. Reebok had brought a few hundred pairs with which to outfit the Games athletes; the "extras" were then sold to fans at the Games.)

Like a big dummy, I wandered off to check out the stadium. A rope-climbing rig was already set up, but the competitors were elsewhere at the moment.

So Tim, Joe and I strolled around Home Depot Center. We checked in on the Master's competition, where the male athletes were grinding through a grueling WOD:

• 21 overhead squats (95lbs)
• 21 hand-release push-ups 
• 150 yard shuttle run
• 15 overhead squats (95lbs)
• 15 hand-release push-ups 
• 100 yard shuttle run
• 9 overhead squats (95lbs)
• 9 hand-release push-ups 
• 50 yard shuttle run

Tim's buddy Ken Clark was competing in the Master's 45-50-year-old division -- in this particular workout, he placed 8th out of 19, with a time of 5:05. In other words, he kicked ass.

Next, we moseyed on over to the track to watch the individual competitors tackle Event 2 -- a three-part skills test consisting of:

• Max L-sit for time (1 attempt)
• Max distance softball throw (2 attempts)
• Max distance handstand walk (1 attempt with 1 mulligan if less than 5 yards)

After the excitement of the beach WOD, this one wasn't nearly as much fun to watch. A static L-sit for time is incredibly challenging, but as a spectator sport, it's less fun than watching pro bowling.

Jason Khalipa won the L-sit portion of the event with a 51-second hold -- but not too long thereafter, he completely muffed the softball throw. For all his athletic abilities, Khalipa obviously never learned to throw a ball; each of his throws were inaccurate, short, or both.




He wasn't alone. Plenty of the other guys (including Austin Malleolo)  were clearly uncomfortable throwing a softball.

Spencer Hendel, a former baseball pitcher, won the softball-throwing contest with a screamer that traveled almost 260 feet. But of the male competitors, 13 failed to record a single successful throw.

The women didn't fare much better with the softball throw, though a few -- including Michelle Kinney,

Jessica Pamanian and Angie Pye -- bested many of the men.

After watching a bunch of people try to throw a ball (some apparently for the first time), we got antsy, so Tim, Joe and I wandered back to the Sponsor Village to check out what the vendors were selling.

At the Steve's Original tent (where I loaded up on PaleoKrunch bars -- they're made of crack, I tell you), I had the pleasure of meeting Liz Wolfe of CaveGirlEats. I've been reading her blog for a while now, so it was great to finally meet her in person. (Plus, we're having dinner with Liz and a bunch of other Paleo luminaries in L.A. next weekend, so I definitely wanted to stop and say hello.)



Liz was just the first of many Paleo and/or CrossFit weblebrities I met at the Games. Next door to her tent was Patton Gleason, the founder of Natural Running Store, who was working at the Altra booth.

Patton's a great guy, and his online store offers lots of great options for runners and CrossFitters alike. (Natural Running Store also happens be the sponsor of Tim's wife, ultrarunner and fellow CrossFitter Kristen Dymmel.)

Next, we dropped in on the SICFIT crew. For all of our online interactions, this was the first time I'd met the gang face-to-face. Over the course of the weekend, I got to spend time with fellow shoe-geek Ben  Flores...

...Aaron Arehart, Diego Centeno...

...the mighty Ruben Rojas...

...CrossFit Central owner (and former Games competitor) Jeremy Thiel...

...and, of course, the brains and hustle behind SICFIT (and husband of Lindsey Smith), Web Smith.

It was a little overwhelming to finally put all these faces to names (and Twitter handles), but in many ways, it was like meeting up with old friends. Maybe it was the atmosphere of the Games, or perhaps it's because almost everyone I met turned out to be a friendly, warm and enthusiastic conversationalist, but we all got along famously. The closeness of the CrossFit community clearly reaches across state borders.

Okay -- I'm rambling, it's late, and I still have a crapload of stuff to cover. I'm not even done recapping DAY ONE yet, but I guess it'll have to wait 'til tomorrow...

Wednesday's Workout

For the first time in two years, I didn't exercise for a full week. My only physical activity -- if you could even call it that -- was to scramble around the Home Depot Center to take photos of the athletes competing in the CrossFit Games. (Also, on Thursday afternoon, I speed-walked to the Reebok tent hoping to buy some bright yellow shoes.) But other than that, I pretty much remained sedentary. If I hadn't headed back to CrossFit Palo Alto for our 5 a.m. class this morning, I would've gone stir crazy.

Strength Skill:

• Weighted Pistols (Each leg: 2 sets of 3, 3 sets of 1)

The same old story: Once again, I worked my way up to doing one-legged squats while clutching a 53-pound kettlebell, but my left leg remains significantly weaker and less stable than my right. Damn you, left leg.

Metcon:

2 rounds for time:

• 22 see-saw presses (45lbs / 30lbs)
• 400-meter run
• 22 box jumps (20")
• 400-meter run

See-saw presses look like something my septuagenarian dad would do as part of his morning calisthenics (albeit using 5-pound dumbbells). But after trying 'em with a pair of 45-pound dumbbells, I quickly learned not to scoff at see-saw presses. The name may be whimsical and fun, but the actual movement didn't exactly leave me squealing with delight. I decided to go with 35-pound weights instead.

In retrospect, I should have gone heavier. I got through the first round of see-saw presses without any trouble, and while I took a couple of brief pauses during the second round of presses, they didn't punch me in the face or anything.

As for the running and box jumps, they were fine. I was excited about employing a new box jump approach that I saw a bunch of the Games competitors use this weekend: Jump up on the box, pause to stand up on top, jump backwards off the box, and immediately leap back up onto the box. It worked fine, though I had to fight the urge to rocket off the top of the box instead of steadying myself to stand and ensure full extension.

Result: 11:14.

Incidentally, I wore my new yellow kicks to the gym today (as did Tim), and they felt mighty fine. A detailed review is forthcoming -- I promise. Patience.