Sponsored by OOFOS
Introducing OOcandoo. Travel-ready, OOfoam™ technology and the patented OOFOS footbed take on a new versatile, lightweight and flexible design. The addition of a simple-strap closure means you can easily slide these on while maintaining a secure fit for everything from creek crossings to global traveling. From post-hike campsite to urban adventures, the OOcandoo brings Active Recovery and ultimate OOfeel to any excursion. Feel the OO!
When it comes to performance, ultrarunners depend on reliable running shoes that can sustain hundreds of miles while providing a comfortable ride. But where post-race recovery is concerned, or that period between back-to-back long runs, there’s a need for footwear that can allow maximum healing for the feet and the body.
Juan Dias, Lou Panaccione, Paul Brown and Steve Liggett have over a century of combined experience in developing and manufacturing footwear for some of the world’s biggest brands, such as Nike and Reebok. Just over a decade ago, they discovered a new foam technology that did the exact opposite of the shoe materials they’d spent their careers trying to advance – helping people run faster and jump higher. This foam technology didn’t rebound quickly like most running shoes. Instead, the material absorbed impact and deadened impact forces when placed between the foot and hard surfaces.
The four performance footwear veterans – and friends – came to the conclusion that recovery between performance efforts was underserved in the footwear world, and identified this new foam as a way to address the human foundation, decrease pressure on the body and reduce load forces for those moments between athletic efforts. They called this new technology: OOfoam™.
“Let’s be honest, as humans, we’re not meant to walk around bound up in shoes,” said Darren Brown, the head of marketing at OOFOS. “Our feet are meant to move freely; however, we’re also not meant to walk on the hard, unnatural surfaces like those the world is built out of these days: concrete, asphalt, tile and hardwoods.”
Kettle Moraine 100 runners traverse a wet landscape. Photo: Rick Mayo Mile 90
The team challenged themselves to develop a recovery footwear line featuring the proprietary foam that reduced impact, moved with the foot, was self-stabilizing and didn’t give the user a rebounding “push-back” feel. Part of that design was a patented footbed that optimized the features of the foam and helped enhance gait motion and mechanics.
Essentially, Brown said, “OOfoam™ acts just like the natural surfaces you would want to walk barefoot on – like soft grass or firm, compacted sand. By combining a material tech that acts like a natural, soft surface with the mobility and freedom of being barefoot, we could actually create something that would be incredibly beneficial for the body, and can be used in the recovery phase between runs and workouts, or simply during long days on your feet.”
The team at OOFOS hit it out of the park on the first try; the very first prototype they made ended up being the OOriginal, which is still their number one seller today. “They got it right the first time and that’s incredibly rare.” Brown emphasized, “It just speaks to the volume of experience they (the founders) have in the industry and the level of functional expertise they bring to the design and development space.”
“We use the exact same OOfoam™ technology, footbed design and geometry in every style, so the consumer gets the same fit, feel and function no matter which pair of OOFOS they choose. They just have to pick the best one for their lifestyle,” Brown said.
That’s where the newest product, the OOcandoo, comes into play. At the request of outdoor enthusiasts looking for a secure sandal-shoe hybrid that’s perfect for recovery after time on the trail, they built the OOcandoo. It’s a one-piece model that’s lightweight, packable and has an OOfoam™ upper that rounds out the construction, taking the shape of closed-toe footwear, but in a sandal form.
“Think about ultrarunners coming off the trail, at the end of the race. Their legs are a little jelly, and fatigue brings on tension and tightening.” Brown said. “They want something open and breathable, because their feet are swollen, but they still want something that is secure and stable so they don’t have to worry about keeping it on.” It brings the benefits of OOfoam™ and the patented footbed to another functional design.
“It’s light, airy and so flexible that, to date, anybody who has put it on has said it’s the most comfortable pair of OOFOS they’ve ever worn.”
In terms of market segments, Brown sees the ultrarunning community and OOFOS as a near exemplary match, with the OOcandoo further cementing that relationship and their desire to meet customer’s needs. “This arena is such a perfect fit for the brand and the product we offer. It’s a great community for us to show up in.”
And not just for the runners themselves, but for crews and volunteers – people who could use recovery just as much as the athletes themselves – who are standing, supporting runners and moving from aid station to aid station. “That’s one of the things that we love about the ultra space – there is immediate applicability outside just the participant. The support team, volunteers and others, who are so important to a runner’s overall race experience, also need recovery due to the long duration of the events.”
Brown and OOFOS are heading full force back into the experiential space. They’re planning to be at a wide range of ultra events from coast to coast this year, sliding as many new feet into their OOfoam™ technology as they can. They’ll also be educating runners on the importance of taking care of their bodies in the time between runs and listening to the wants and needs of ultrarunners for future products.
“We’ll never close the door on innovation, that’s a big piece of what’s made us successful in this space and it’s something we’re always looking to do and push the limits of, and the importance of listening to our customers can’t be understated,” said Brown.
