Zems
- Thread starter jschwab
- Start date
Sorry Jimmy I didn't mean to
Sorry Jimmy I didn't mean to offend :lol:. Just good natured fun poking. Like I said my feet went numb at 58 the other day so I'm terrible. And I still can't run in temps over 90. Thats what I get for living in an area with a "perfect" climate. It made me weak.
Exciting news about the zems. I like the beach one so much I hope that the running one is just as awesome. Of course it will probably be ridiculously priced like every other minimal shoe :-(. Which I really don't get considering there isn't much to them.
Sorry Jimmy I didn't mean to offend :lol:. Just good natured fun poking. Like I said my feet went numb at 58 the other day so I'm terrible. And I still can't run in temps over 90. Thats what I get for living in an area with a "perfect" climate. It made me weak.
Exciting news about the zems. I like the beach one so much I hope that the running one is just as awesome. Of course it will probably be ridiculously priced like every other minimal shoe :-(. Which I really don't get considering there isn't much to them.
ajb422 wrote:Exciting news
I share your concern about the price of "running" Zems. It seems like anyone who decides to make a minimalist running shoe, feels the need to price it like a running shoe. I think that's why my favorite minimalist shoes will always be shoes that weren't designed for running.ajb422 said:
The problem is usually the
The problem is usually the size of the company. All of these minimal shoe companies are small and have to price higher than you would expect or like. Most of them that I have talked to and dealt with have a small profit margin, even with the "high" prices. One of the things I have always pointed to is that the average minimal shoe will long outlast a conventional shoe. I have vffs with over a thousand miles on them and they still look as good as my newer ones. I paid $85 for those vffs over four and half years ago...well worth the price tag when you think about it.
What will be frustrating to you all is when all the big guns drop their "minimal" shoes and they are still around a $100 like any other shoe out there. With that said ZEM is doing all they can to keep the cost down on the running shoe but I can tell you that the design and development process is expensive and then when you factor in manufacturing and distribution costs the total to make the shoes just goes up and up. That is why you rarely see a new shoe company pop up out of nowhere these days. You have to have some serious capital to break in and have staying power.
The problem is usually the size of the company. All of these minimal shoe companies are small and have to price higher than you would expect or like. Most of them that I have talked to and dealt with have a small profit margin, even with the "high" prices. One of the things I have always pointed to is that the average minimal shoe will long outlast a conventional shoe. I have vffs with over a thousand miles on them and they still look as good as my newer ones. I paid $85 for those vffs over four and half years ago...well worth the price tag when you think about it.
What will be frustrating to you all is when all the big guns drop their "minimal" shoes and they are still around a $100 like any other shoe out there. With that said ZEM is doing all they can to keep the cost down on the running shoe but I can tell you that the design and development process is expensive and then when you factor in manufacturing and distribution costs the total to make the shoes just goes up and up. That is why you rarely see a new shoe company pop up out of nowhere these days. You have to have some serious capital to break in and have staying power.
Awww, Jimmy; I always love
Awww, Jimmy; I always love your comments! I didn't mean to pick on you...it was more just southerners in general! And truth be told, if I could have short, dark and cloudy days where the temps only dipped into the 40's it would be perfect. I'm super excited for the time change, but running in bitter cold temps (and don't even mention wind chills) is not my idea of a picnic. Neither is 90 degrees and humid! It's the beauty of Michigan...when you get sick of a season, another one is right around the corner!
Awww, Jimmy; I always love your comments! I didn't mean to pick on you...it was more just southerners in general! And truth be told, if I could have short, dark and cloudy days where the temps only dipped into the 40's it would be perfect. I'm super excited for the time change, but running in bitter cold temps (and don't even mention wind chills) is not my idea of a picnic. Neither is 90 degrees and humid! It's the beauty of Michigan...when you get sick of a season, another one is right around the corner!
The Zems (round toe
The Zems (round toe black-on-black low small) that I ordered for myself were much too tight for me, so I let my wife try them.
Too long for her though. Only thirty seconds of carpeted wear, but before shipping them back, if anyone in the Detroit area thinks they might be interested in seeing what the fit/style is like just let me know. Since I will have to pay to ship them back if you end up wanting them I will gladly knock off that same amount resulting in a decent discount for you.
Heck, if you want 'em $20 will cover it.
I still have'nt figured out what to do this winter, 40 degrees and sunny was perfect for barefoot today, but by next week or so.....
The Zems (round toe black-on-black low small) that I ordered for myself were much too tight for me, so I let my wife try them.
Too long for her though. Only thirty seconds of carpeted wear, but before shipping them back, if anyone in the Detroit area thinks they might be interested in seeing what the fit/style is like just let me know. Since I will have to pay to ship them back if you end up wanting them I will gladly knock off that same amount resulting in a decent discount for you.
Heck, if you want 'em $20 will cover it.
I still have'nt figured out what to do this winter, 40 degrees and sunny was perfect for barefoot today, but by next week or so.....
I bought the Zems just in
I bought the Zems just in time for the cold weekend, and used them in a 5k race today. Love 'em!
I ran 4.5 miles to the race in the Zems. It was around 25 degrees and dry; feet stayed nice and warm. I had hoped to run the race barefoot, but at race time the temp was still in the 20's so I kept the Zems on for the race. Besides, my feet had cooled off a bit while I was standing around waiting for the race to start. Then, after getting my ribbon for finishing 3rd in my age group (I'm not that fast; it's a small town race), I ran back home in the Zems.
When I got home my 8 year old said, "Hey, Dad, I want to run a mile. Will you run with me?" So I ran another mile with him - glad to do anything to encourage my boys to run!
The Zems are very flexible and allowed my feet to flex, stretch and splay in any direction. They're minimal enought to give some feel of the ground. Although I couldn't really feel the textures of the roads/sidewalks, I could feel cracks and pebbles, etc. The sole seems to be made of a durable hard plastic. It's not a soft plastic, so even though I'm nearly silent barefoot, the Zem made a bit of a slapping sound on foot strikes. They allowed good air-flow, but protected my feet from the cold air enought to keep my feet warm, as long as I was moving. They are NOT water proof, at all. There was some frost/snow on a board walk, which was part of the race, and the Zems got wet quickly from that, but it wasn't enough to make my feet cold. However, I'm doubting that I'll enjoy wearing them in cold wet conditions. All-in-all I'm really happy with them, and glad to have something to wear in cold, albeit dry weather.
I bought the Zems just in time for the cold weekend, and used them in a 5k race today. Love 'em!
I ran 4.5 miles to the race in the Zems. It was around 25 degrees and dry; feet stayed nice and warm. I had hoped to run the race barefoot, but at race time the temp was still in the 20's so I kept the Zems on for the race. Besides, my feet had cooled off a bit while I was standing around waiting for the race to start. Then, after getting my ribbon for finishing 3rd in my age group (I'm not that fast; it's a small town race), I ran back home in the Zems.
When I got home my 8 year old said, "Hey, Dad, I want to run a mile. Will you run with me?" So I ran another mile with him - glad to do anything to encourage my boys to run!
The Zems are very flexible and allowed my feet to flex, stretch and splay in any direction. They're minimal enought to give some feel of the ground. Although I couldn't really feel the textures of the roads/sidewalks, I could feel cracks and pebbles, etc. The sole seems to be made of a durable hard plastic. It's not a soft plastic, so even though I'm nearly silent barefoot, the Zem made a bit of a slapping sound on foot strikes. They allowed good air-flow, but protected my feet from the cold air enought to keep my feet warm, as long as I was moving. They are NOT water proof, at all. There was some frost/snow on a board walk, which was part of the race, and the Zems got wet quickly from that, but it wasn't enough to make my feet cold. However, I'm doubting that I'll enjoy wearing them in cold wet conditions. All-in-all I'm really happy with them, and glad to have something to wear in cold, albeit dry weather.
I hadn't thought about the
I hadn't thought about the fact that most minimal shoes will last alot longer. That makes the price not quite as tough to take.
I realize you might not be allowed to tell us this, but I was wondering are the running zems going to be lace up style? I love being able to slip them on and off without bothering with laces mid-run and knowing I could still do this with the running version would make me quite excited to see them.
I hadn't thought about the fact that most minimal shoes will last alot longer. That makes the price not quite as tough to take.
I realize you might not be allowed to tell us this, but I was wondering are the running zems going to be lace up style? I love being able to slip them on and off without bothering with laces mid-run and knowing I could still do this with the running version would make me quite excited to see them.
I can tell you they wont have
I can tell you they wont have laces. The goal was to stay as true to the original as possible and the tech bands are a trademark so those will still be securing the shoes to the feet when the running shoe is released.
Mark that is an awesome story and good job on your race!
Fetish, I knew you guys were just picking on us warm weather southerners and I was just playing in return
I've lived in just about all climates the planet has to offer so I try to believe I'm capable of it all.
I can tell you they wont have laces. The goal was to stay as true to the original as possible and the tech bands are a trademark so those will still be securing the shoes to the feet when the running shoe is released.
Mark that is an awesome story and good job on your race!
Fetish, I knew you guys were just picking on us warm weather southerners and I was just playing in return
I've lived in just about all climates the planet has to offer so I try to believe I'm capable of it all.My Speedo aquasocks have
My Speedo aquasocks have gotten me through 2 our of the past 3 winters, and they show virtually no sign of wear. I would be shocked if they don't last a very long time.
I'm not a shoe designer, so I don't know how this works, but the current Zems are $30. These might be the closest thing I've seen to an ideal running shoe. With a little tweaking, I could see this being the best running shoe out there. So suddenly the price is going to be $100?
My impression about VFF's has been that the more they tried to create a "running" shoe, the more they've gotten away from what made VFF's good in the first place.
I think if all else fails, the best route might be to take a good pair of socks and dip them in some plasti dip or some similar substance and create my own minimalist running shoes. I duct taped a pair of socks once, and those actually did pretty well. Really good ground feel on those. And well under $100.
My Speedo aquasocks have gotten me through 2 our of the past 3 winters, and they show virtually no sign of wear. I would be shocked if they don't last a very long time.
I'm not a shoe designer, so I don't know how this works, but the current Zems are $30. These might be the closest thing I've seen to an ideal running shoe. With a little tweaking, I could see this being the best running shoe out there. So suddenly the price is going to be $100?
My impression about VFF's has been that the more they tried to create a "running" shoe, the more they've gotten away from what made VFF's good in the first place.
I think if all else fails, the best route might be to take a good pair of socks and dip them in some plasti dip or some similar substance and create my own minimalist running shoes. I duct taped a pair of socks once, and those actually did pretty well. Really good ground feel on those. And well under $100.
at the present we do not have
at the present we do not have a split toe version in the works for the running model. as most people have pointed out at times the split toe doesn't seem to offer all that much benefit when running.
I honestly have no idea what the price range for the runner is going to be but i never said $100 i was just saying that when a small company like ZEM and some of the others attempt to put a shoe out there it can be difficult to keep the cost down.
at the present we do not have a split toe version in the works for the running model. as most people have pointed out at times the split toe doesn't seem to offer all that much benefit when running.
I honestly have no idea what the price range for the runner is going to be but i never said $100
i was just saying that when a small company like ZEM and some of the others attempt to put a shoe out there it can be difficult to keep the cost down.
This is a comment from
This is a comment from C.Beth. I deleted it trying to troubleshoot why the cache was not resetting. Argh! Now it shows Sara's as not being read when it has been! Anyone else having this problem on this thread? Where you go in to read it, go back out, and it still shows unread?
Sara--When I was using my Zems I got sweaty feet too. The shoes felt fantastic with socks though, and that took care of the sweat issue (and would probably also prevent blisters.)--C.Beth
This is a comment from C.Beth. I deleted it trying to troubleshoot why the cache was not resetting. Argh! Now it shows Sara's as not being read when it has been! Anyone else having this problem on this thread? Where you go in to read it, go back out, and it still shows unread?
Sara--When I was using my Zems I got sweaty feet too. The shoes felt fantastic with socks though, and that took care of the sweat issue (and would probably also prevent blisters.)--C.Beth
I haven't noticed any
I haven't noticed any problems with that, but I'm sure now that I said it, that will change!
And you should have just pretended my comment was your own. You know you want to lay claim to these awesome sweaty feet!
I haven't noticed any problems with that, but I'm sure now that I said it, that will change!
And you should have just pretended my comment was your own. You know you want to lay claim to these awesome sweaty feet!
ok so....i will be in Austin
ok so....i will be in Austin next week at the Running Event. If you're there or in the area you can come by the ZEM booth at the expo and see me. oh and you just might also see my new ZEM running shoe....i'm just saying.
ok so....i will be in Austin next week at the Running Event. If you're there or in the area you can come by the ZEM booth at the expo and see me. oh and you just might also see my new ZEM running shoe....i'm just saying.
