As a runner, I love daylight savings time. There’s something about leaving the office late in the evening on a spring night and still have the luxury to run before the sun sets. This year was particularly gratifying because the time change came so early. It’s well worth the loss of an hour of sleep.

This is when my annual New Year’s resolution to run daily kicks in. As much as I enjoy an early morning run, getting up at 5 a.m. everyday to run on a cold, dark morning gets old really fast.

So if you’re up for an evening run in El Paso, Texas or wherever I might be traveling, drop me a line on our Spira Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/spirafootwear.

Keep on springin’!

We always hold our breath every time we launch a new shoe. Given the time and effort we place into each new introduction, it is invariably a nervous time. Last month, we introduced the Stinger XLT, a lightweight Performance running and racing shoe. The first shipment of the shoe sold out in less than 2 weeks, and virtually everyone who has tried it is raving about it. It appears we can now exhale!

The Spira Stinger XLT was the first of several new introductions we have planned for our running line over the course of the next year. Our next introduction is the Genesis X, a stability shoe, which is scheduled for introduction in mid August. The arrival of the Genesis X has been highly anticipated. Initially, it will be made available in two widths, medium and wide.

Another shipment of the XLT is set to arrive next week. Here’s to hoping that we have enough shoes for everyone who would like a pair!

By Dr. Rich Cowin

I just had the pleasure of taking my first “test-run” of the new Stinger XLT running shoes.  In this case, the word “pleasure” was an understatement.

Upon opening the box, I was first impressed with the shoe’s very light weight and its attractive style. Being a pronated runner with fairly flat feet, I easily removed the high quality EVA foot beds and inserted my full length custom orthotic devices. For those runners who have normal or high arched feet, this step would probably not be necessary.  I then put on my Road ID and sunglasses and hit the road.

I was amazed that such a light weight shoe could be so supportive and have such wonderful shock absorption, yet be so light, comfortable, and responsive. It was a hot Florida day, yet the breathability was great.  I’m sure that open air mesh vamp helped with that.  Thanks to the excellelent level of cushioning with two of Spira’s WaveSprings in the forefoot and one in the heel, my feet, knees, and lower back felt great. Coming down to the home stretch at the end of my 5K run, I had plenty of energy left, so I decided to turn up the speed as I would in a race.  They responded beautifully.

I found the Stinger XLT’s to be the best of both worlds, a high performance trainer AND an ideal race day shoe for runners like me who need the support of a training shoe , with the lightweight responsive qualities of a racing flat.  Besides that, I loved the way they looked!!  What more can a guy ask for?

Introducing the Spira Stinger XLT Lightweight Performance Runner

You asked for it, we made it.  About three years ago, based on runners’ feedback, we began to develop a lightweight and durable running shoe that could be used both for training and racing. Oh yeah, and it had to be really cool looking!  I am pleased to announce the arrival of the new Stinger XLT.

This shoe is patterned after our original Stinger Racing Flat with its distinctive 2 pod design. The Stinger has been worn by Elite athletes in over 100 major race and marathon victories since 2006. Despite this success, the original Stinger did have some limitations. It was not very durable or supportive. It was a race day only shoe, lasting less than 100 miles. The Stinger garnered remarkable attention for Spira®, but we felt we could improve it.

• The first thing we did was redesign the springs to make them both lighter and more responsive. The new spring design is actually half the weight of previous version, yet still won’t breakdown over the life of the shoe.
• The second task was to make the shoe more supportive. We stiffened up the midsole shank and worked on the upper so that it cradled foot and provided more support.
• The third item we addressed was to make the shoe soft, yet responsive. We accomplished this by using a softer durometer foam or EVA in the midsole. This allows the WaveSprings to do more of the work.
• Finally, we made the outsole far more durable by using carbon rubber strike pads on both the heel and forefoot.

The result is a remarkably responsive performance shoe that should last at least a couple hundred miles, weighs only 9.2 ounces in a men’s size 9 and 7.6 oz in a women’s size 7, and is one of the more unique looking shoes on the market.  I ran a race in the Stinger XLT last weekend and I took off over two minutes from my time in the same race last year!  I expect others will have similar results.

The Stinger XLT will be available June 1.  Please use my discount code, “friendsofandy” to get 20% off your purchase from the Spira online store:  www.spirastore.com.  Thanks for your patience. If you end up with a pair, please let me know what you think!

Best regards,

Andy

The launch of the Spira women’s Valencia on QVC was a huge success.  We sold almost 500 pairs of shoes in 8 minutes, WOW!

We are excited to announce that next week we will be featured on QVC again.  Tune in on Tuesday, March 15 at 7 am to see the segment on the Sprira women’s WaveWalker and again at 12 noon the same day for the segment on the Spira Odyssey.

If you missed the launch of the women’s Valencia segment and want to see me in action here is the link: http://powerelpaso.com/spira/video4

Please tune in to see Spira^® as a featured shoe brand on QVC television!   Thanks again all of the kind words of support!

Will you be at the Disney’s Princess Half Marathon this Weekend?  Do you love Spira?  Fairy tales do come true and we’ve got a special promo just for you!

Win a FREE pair of Spira Shoes? Here’s how:

• Like Spira on Facebook – Facebook.com/SpiraFootwear OR Follow Spira on Twitter – Twitter.com/SpiraFootwear You must be a Fan or Follower to Qualify!
• Do you love Spira? Share the love! Make a post on Facebook/Twitter declaring your love for Spira and you are entered to win.
  • Twitter posts should include @SpiraFootwear and #princesshalf
  • Facebook posts should tag @The Official Spira Facebook Site or be posted directly to the Spira Facebook page
• Two (2) Winners will be selected from a random drawing.
  • One winner will be announced on Friday, Feb. 25 at 5:00pm EST
  • One winner will be announced on Saturday, Feb. 26 at 5:00pm EST
• Qualifying posts must be made by 5:00pm EST both Friday and Saturday
• We will announce the winners on Facebook and Twitter at 5:00pm EST on Friday & Saturday.
• Winners can go to the Spira booth (#211) between 6-7:00pm Friday and 5-6:00pm Saturday to claim their prize. Winners should ask for Andy Krafsur or Steve Davis.
• Promotion begins Friday, Feb. 25 (8:00am EST) and runs through Saturday, Feb. 26 (5:00pm EST). All posts should be made by 5:00pm EST on Saturday to be included in the drawing.
• Double your chances to win by posting on Facebook and Tweeting!

Anything is possible in life’s fairytale…Good Luck!

Please tune in to see Spira^® as a featured shoe brand on QVC television!  I will be appearing on the QVC Morning Show on the following dates:

“QVC Morning Show”
Wednesday, February 23, 7 – 9 a.m. (EST)
(5 – 7 a.m. MST)

*Featuring the women’s Valencia Athletic Walking Shoe in 2 widths

“QVC Shoe Show”
Friday, February 25, 2 – 3 p.m. (EST)
(12 – 1 p.m. MST)

*Featuring the women’s WaveWalker in 2 widths

I will be introducing the Spira^® Valencia Athletic Walking shoe on the Morning Show and the Spira^® WaveWalker on the QVC Shoe Show.  As about 85% of the audience is female, only the women’s model for each will be available.

QVC is remarkably disciplined in their approach. Product is selected by QVC merchandisers after a vigorous screening process. That process took us almost a year. Every claim we make had to be substantiated with third party verification. I can honestly say that if a product makes it through QVC’s quality assurance evaluation, it is really good.  Thereafter, I was required to attend QVC school at the QVC campus in West Chester, PA. It took several hours of online testing, classroom and rehearsal time at the QVC studios. It is a pretty remarkable experience. One my QVC school classmate was Thom Filicia, a well known designer who got his start on “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy” reality television show.   He was launching a new line of linens.

I learned a lot during the class. First, QVC is largest direct response retailer in the world. They expect to sell $9 billion in product this year alone. Second, QVC is all about trust. Guests are not allowed to in anyway exaggerate the benefits of the products.  Third, success on QVC means support for the brand. The exposure is often so great, that all of the retailers carrying the product benefit.

One of the more interesting aspects of the class was learning how to sell the shoe to QVC customers. QVC trainers pointed out that focusing on the intricate features of the product is of little to no consequence to the audience. They want to know the benefits of your product. Some examples:  Why do I need a Spira shoe and what problems will it solve? What does wearing the shoe feel like?

I am expecting another show on the Spira^® Odyssey Running shoe very soon.  I look forward to hearing from you after the show runs!

Are you at the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend? Do you love Spira? We’ve got a special promo just for you!

Win a FREE pair of Spira Shoes? Here’s how:

• Like Spira on Facebook – Facebook.com/SpiraFootwear OR Follow Spira on Twitter – Twitter.com/SpiraFootwear You must be a Fan or Follower to Qualify!
• Do you love Spira? Shout it out! Make a post on Facebook/Twitter declaring your love for Spira and you are entered to win.
  • Twitter posts should include @SpiraFootwear and #rundisney
  • Facebook posts should tag @The Official Spira Facebook Site or be posted directly to the Spira Facebook page
• Two (2) Winners will be selected from a random drawing. One winner selected from Facebook and one winner selected from Twitter.
• Qualifying posts must be made by 6:30pm EST Friday.
• At 7:00pm EST Friday, Jan. 7, we will announce the winners on Facebook and Twitter.
• Winners can go to the Spira booth (#137) between 7-8:00pm Friday to claim their prize. Winners should ask for Andy Krafsur or Steve Davis.
• Promotion begins NOW (4:00pmEST) and runs through 6:30pm EST. All posts should be made by 6:30pm EST to be included in the drawing.
• Double your chances to win by posting on Facebook and Tweeting!

Good Luck!

Doug Kurtis finishes 200th marathon

We’ve been keeping up with Doug Kurtis’ story as he went on a mission to run 200 marathons under 3 hours. On October 17, Doug and crossed the finish line of his 198th marathon under 3 hours at the Detroit Free Press Marathon.

This was Doug’s 200th marathon total and his fifth consecutive marathon to run in Spira. Doug took the title in the men 55-59 division with a time of 2:54:43!

Congratulations on this remarkable accomplishment, Doug!

James Kirwa crossing the finish line in first place.

I spent the weekend in Dallas participating in the activities at the Dallas White Rock Marathon. As always, the event was fantastic. Race Director Marcus Grunwald and his staff did a first-rate job hosting the event and making all of the participants and vendors feel welcome.

For me, the highlight of the race was riding in the press truck and watching the men’s marathon race unfold in real-time. Early on, it appeared that the race would be stolen by Keith Pierce, who at one point had built up a 2-minute lead. Pierce, coincidentally, was the first runner to win a major marathon in Spira shoes – the Fort Worth Cowtown Marathon in 2007.  By 17 miles, however, a pack of runners led by and Spira’s James Kirwa, overtook him. I learned later that the rest of the pack did not realize that Pierce was running the marathon and thought he was a half marathoner.

James Kirwa, celebrating after crossing the finish line in first place.

At 20 miles, the lead pack was down to two runners. Kirwa and Edward Tabut. The two ran together until the last mile, when Kirwa, running very comfortably, broke way for the victory in 2:18:40. In October, Kirwa had his marathon debut and won the Des Moines marathon in 2:14:20, once again in Spira.

Ironically, Edward Tabut, who was the 2009 White Rock marathon champion while competing for Spira, elected to compete in Adidas this year. This is the fourth consecutive year that a runner competing in Spira footwear has won at least one major division of the White Rock Marathon. We have lost count of the many race and marathon victories in Spira both in the US and around the world!

As they say, “it’s gotta be the shoes!”

Check out the video below of James crossing the finish line from Dallas’ WFAA Channel 8 News.