Set out below is a letter sent to Flopeeze from Shigematsu-san, a Japanese competitor in the Saitama International Marathon, run on November 18th, 2015:
I ran the Saitama International Marathon race with FLOPEEZE ‘Originals’, the toe strap version of FLOPEEZE funwear products!
Saitama International Marathon was the last race of 5 races (4 weeks in a row) that I participated in. Previous races were the Osaka Marathon, Shimonoseki Kaikyo Marathon, THE RISE ‘256’, and bare-foot 100 km International Challenge race. The cut-off time for Saitama International was 4 hours!
My time for the Osaka and Shimonoseki Kaikyo Marathons were both around 5 hours and I was worried that I would not be able to finish the Saitama race within the cut-off time as it’s not fun to participate wearing normal running shoes!
I found a new product called FLOPEEZE ‘Originals’ footwear. This is a new type of running shoes using cutting-edge technology for bare-foot runners…actually a new type of beach sandals that I found at Merrell Festival and purchased at JPY500 a pair.
This new product turned out to be an amazing pair of running shoes for bare-foot runners. They are really almost like being bare-foot as the experience proved it.
The biggest difference between running bare-foot and running with bare-foot runners’ shoes is whether you can feel the ground with the sole of your feet. When you are wearing bare-foot running shoes, it is difficult to feel the unevenness of the pavement.
But with FLOPEEZE ‘Originals’, you can feel the unevenness of the payment and even feel the small stones that you step on. It is almost like actually being bare-foot as you seem to forget you have protective footwear on because of their fit and comfort. You can feel the condition of the pavement when you are running and it is so much fun!
I had some questions on whether the pair will hold till the end of the race as the price that I paid was only JPY500 (USD4.50) as the standard retail price is around JPY2000 (USD16.50).
I considered the conditions of the race surface so that it was similar to running bare-foot and kept my route planted on the white painted lines at the side of the road as much as possible. The surface area is relatively smooth compared to the pavement. I sometimes had to run on the pavement when I wanted to pass the runners in front of me but was mildly surprised that I was able to feel the bumps of the pavement. When running bare-foot, my feet starts to feel numb after a while, but with FLOPEEZE ‘Originals’, the sole of my feet were protected and I was able to feel the conditions of the pavement till the end of the race without encountering extended lengths of numbness at any given time throughout the race.
The conditions of the race surface varied. It was different depending on the kind of asphalt or concrete used on the road and some paved surfaces were really uneven. In this particular case, the pavement conditions of the Saitama International Marathon was pretty rough. And the conditions proved tougher for most bare-foot runners.
With FLOPEEZE ‘Originals’, I was able to feel the pavement while my feet were protected. The damage to my feet was minimal and I was able to run the first half of the race at my 4-hour pace. My feet started to hurt during the latter half of the race though but I was able to keep my pace when keeping with my strategy of running on the white painted areas as much a possible.
Toward the end of the race, my pace slowed down and my feet started to feel pain when I stepped on small stones. However, I was able to keep my bare-foot running form and this kept my energy from wearing out.
I was able to finish the race before the 4 hour cut-off time at 3 hours 58 minutes 14 seconds!
I was going to blame my FLOPEEZE ‘Originals’ if I had to retire, but on the contrary. I was able to successfully finish the race thanks to the FLOPEEZE ‘Originals’. It was so much fun running with the FLOPEEZE product.
This is the condition of the FLOPEEZE after running 42 kms (26.2 miles). The sole is completely worn out. No wonder! But if I were to repair them by putting a new layer strong fabric on the sole, I might gladly be able to wear them again.
This is proof that you can run a full marathon with FLOPEEZE ‘Originals’. You do not need a pair of running shoes that costs more than JPY10,000 (USD85.00). A pair of FLOPEEZE that I only paid JPY500 (USD4.50) helped me run a FULL marathon race within 4 hours. However, I must say although there were no signs the FLOPEEZE were about to come off my feet do to the stresses placed on them over 42kms (26.2 miles), the soles were practically worn out. I’d say the product and I achieved what we set out to do with success.
Because of the overwhelming experience I gained in the Saitama International Marathon, I might run the Tokyo Marathon with FLOPEEZE ‘Originals’ again if the temperature is relatively warm. I might participate in the Ultra Marathon with two pairs of FLOPEEZE. As a bare-foot runner, I may just have found the ultimate footwear that FLOPEEZE International claims: ‘the most versatile and true bare-foot experience’.
Mr. Shigematsu-san
November 18, 2015
With thanks and congratulations, Shigematsu-san, from all of us here at Flopeeze!