With Olympics fever still raging, here at LadyM Towers are on the look out for things that might encourage us to get a little more active. While Rachel has been working hard with a personal trainer, I attended a seminar on the new launch from Mizuno: a training shoe called, simply, the ‘Be’.
Mizuno Launch the ‘Be’
We’ve featured Mizuno before on the site, talking about the Seiei Collection, but this time around, the company have come up with an intriguing new concept in the world of sports footwear. Essentially, while the ‘Be’ trains the muscles in the legs and feet for improved strength, it is categorically not a running shoe. Instead, it’s purely a training shoe; a minimalist trainer. Stepping off the bustle of Tottenham Court Road and into the Mizuno Performance Centre at the Centre Point building, I was greeted by some exceptionally cheery staff. While I waited for the seminar on the ‘Be’ to begin, I was encouraged to explore the Performance Centre, and I chose to watch a group of people playing football to test out the shoes, while I kept an eye on the screens showing the Olympics. It’s a great atmosphere, and I’d encourage you to pay the Centre a visit, purely because it’s very fun!
The seminar was lead by Bjorn Gustafsson, a sports scientist and former world class triathlete, who has worked in conjunction to create the shoes. Bjorn believes that ‘all athletes should be injury free’, something he feels strongly about after his own career was cut short at 23 due to injury. The ‘Be’ is what Mizuno call an ‘activation shoe’. That means that it activates your feet just by walking, and is ideal for training runners, but is to be worn for daily wear.The unique thing about the ‘Be’ is that it’s based on the Waraji sandals worn by the Samurai class and foot soldiers during the feudal era of Japan, so Mizuno are staying true to their Japanese heritage with the design. The Waraji sandals were shorter than the feet of the wearer, with toes overlapping the edge of the sandal. Mizuno conducted biomechanical tests on this shape, and discovered that the design helped to stabilise the feet and strengthen muscles in the foot and calf.
Mizuno adapted this idea for the ‘Be’ by developing an activation sockliner within the shoe, which features a dip in the front to create the overlapping effect for toes. Cushioning in the shoes is minimal, meaning your body develops its own cushioning strategies. We were encouraged to try the ‘Be’ on, and I was amazed at how comfortable it was. It felt like standing on a beach and sinking your toes into wet sand – sounds a little strange, but it felt very right. I think it would be the perfect shoe for those serious about injury prevention and training your muscles to become a better athlete. You can stay informed of when the ‘Be’ will be released by visiting the Mizuno website.
If you’re more interested in a running shoe, I’d like to strongly recommend the Mizuno Wave Rider 15. Mizuno kindly gave us a pair in our goodie bags, and I was intrigued to try them. Shall I confess something awful? I haven’t bought new trainers since Year 10 at school. The minute I put the Wave Rider’s on, I realised quite how ridiculous it was that I’d been wearing the old rubbish trainers for so long. The Wave Rider shoes are SO COMFY. They’re really supportive around the ankle and foot, they have the ideal amount of cushioning, and they’ve got a breathable upper part, so that when you run, your feet stay cool. I love them. I don’t want to take them off. In fact, I’m wearing them right now. Visit Mizuno.eu or follow the brand on Facebook.
