Sportsguide Magazine: A Spring In Your Step

Sportsguide Magazine: "For several weeks, a daily newspaper ad featuring a running shoe with a huge coil spring under the heel caught my attention. At first I dismissed it as just another gimmick to suck in shoe-fetish runners. However, after reading the claims that the “U.S. Department of Energy tests show Z-Coils reduce skeletal shock by 50 percent,” and wanting to run forever, I decided to check out the shoe for myself.

I purchased a pair of Z-Coil running shoes at the Provo store (276 N. University Ave, another store is located at 6235 S. Highland Drive in Salt Lake City). The salesperson was knowledgeable about the shoe and its benefits and did a credible job fitting my feet to the proper size and spring. After a test run, I felt like the spring was too light and she fitted the shoe with a stronger spring. My initial impression while running back and forth on the sidewalk outside the store was that it felt similar to other top of the line, cushioned running shoes. Although pricey at $150, the shoe can be returned for a full refund after a week if you are dissatisfied. I left with the shoes and a handful of promotional material.

The slick, professional-looking brochure touts the shoes as “pain-relief footwear”, designed to reduce or eliminate foot pain, leg pain, and/or back pain. Although I have neither foot nor leg pain, as with most runners my age, running for some 40 years has left me with nagging lower back pain at times. The shoe is advertised as having “four times more cushioning than any regular shoe” with “over an inch of heel cushioning “ and “over ? inch of forefoot cushioning.” I found the shoe to have a comfortable fit, to feel stable (much to my surprise), and to, indeed, feel well-cushioned while testing it at the store. Plus, wearing them, I was inch taller than normal." (Click Title to Read More)

Dr. Tom’s doctorate is in exercise and sports science and he teaches at the Utah campuses of the University of Phoenix. He can be contacted at (801) 685-6007 or tommiller@softcom.net.