Tag Archives: Panka

Feelmax is Back in Business!

Henri Henell | April 10, 2012 - 11:58 am

Finally is Feelmax back in business and I have got new generation shoes! I’m going to give a review of all of the models I have in the near future. You are going to hear more about Feelmax Panka Leather, Feelmax Osma2 and Feelmax Kuuva2.

I have just packed they up and tested just a little bit

 

 

As you can see in the picture: Osma2 is beautiful grey, Panka and Kuuva2 are black in color.

I tried all to my feet and first impression after couple of minutes of use was following:

Feelmax Osma2: Fits even better than previous model – and that promises good!

Feelmax Panka: Stich between leather and meshing felt little tight at first, but after a while I didn’t notice that at all – very good fit in my foot!

Feelmax Kuuva2: I like the new color better than previous brown – and this shoe also fits very good in my foot!

 

I’m going to use these shoes a while and give more detailed review in the near future. Keep on tuning!

 

 

 

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Minimalistic shoes part 3: Feelmax Osma

Henri Henell | January 6, 2011 - 10:23 am

Barefoot running has lately grown to be as cool just like any millenia-old activity can be. The best-selling new book “Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Super athletes, plus the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen” gave the action feet, featuring its representation with the Tarahumara Indians of Mexico striding easily all day not using shoes or in light-weight sandals.

Up until now, barefoot runners would discover shoes created for other functions and choose them for running, but there are now a couple of companies producing shoes specifically made barefoot runners. One of the shoe which I have tested during last year is Feelmax Osma.

Feelmax Osma with 2.1 mm outersole and 120 g weight is the minimal running shoe I like and  that still looks like shoe styling without extra weight or sacrificing performance.  The upper is really lightweight and breathable.  The shoe fits on the foot, and with lacing you can control the snugness.

I’m not any “running – maniac”, more like hobby-runner… Sometimes it might go weeks without runningtour – and an other week 3 – 4 small tour “on the road”. Comparing to Panka and running – I prefer absolutely Osma. Maybe my little miles with running – I like “thicker” sole (1.3 mm from Panka comparing 2.1 mm Osma). I read on runningandrambling Osma review that “…If you can feel the functional difference in 0.8mm, you’re way more tactically aware than I am.” I have to admire that I can feel the difference!

Most I have used Feelmax Osma on my floorball training indoors – It suits perfect the fast changing on directions, sprints and fast stops. I feel that I have a full control on my training.The foot has 26 bones. All these bones need to move individually while you move.  Feelmax Osma allows my feet  to move more naturally. It lets me moving like I were barefoot, even when you have my shoes on.

Conclusion:

++ light weight
++ breathable
++ fits on my feet
++ can use on running and indoors-sports

– colour is not the most fancy… good rumours on way – it might come on black in 2011

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Minimalistic Shoes part 2: Feelmax Panka

Henri Henell | January 3, 2011 - 7:20 am

I have used pair of Feelmax Panka over a year and half and it’s still funny. Panka is my first minimalistic shoe – and it has set my list quite high comparing the other minimalistic shoes I have tried during this year and a half.

How to describe the shoe, which don’t feel like a shoe? It feels like going barefoot all the time without any risk to injury. Shoes are light (about 100 g), flexible all directions, fits like a sock and sole protects you well from both sharp stones, pointy sticks and glass etc..

I have full contact to the ground all the time – I feel the differences at the ground (even small stones). I activate my small muscles under my feet all the time. I already feel better control on my toes with all directions.

I have done lot of bodyweight exercises with Feelmax on and it really works! Easier to train outside when I don’t have to consider all “grains” on the ground and Feelmax doesn’t inhibit any movement my ankles and toes.

I have used Panka in “citytour” with hard underground during whole day and I don’t feel my feet more tired than with other shoes – maybe even better? I feel all differences on the ground with my feet and adapt my weightbalance after that.

I have been running with Feelmax and it is wonderful. I think I ran “faster than ever”. It felt very light to run – like after taking away heavy backpack. I have tested Feelmax Panka at the mountains – My friends said I’m crazy because I should have  steady mountain shoes to go to the mountains. Trip was 8 hours going with relatively light backpack about 1500 m over sea level – lots of stones, wet, slippery, swamp etc. I felt me more secure to go with Feelmax than my mountain shoes which was hanging on my backpack. The lightness of shoes did going very easy and I found always good enough place to set my feet.

These shoes are made for activity/training and generally very good to secure healthy feet.

* ++  Durable: 1.1 mm sole is still working – No holes at all.
* ++  There are not many who can see that these shoes has been on my feet over one year – looks like new (despite one lace head which was loosen on the washing machine)
* — only negative after all: in the Summertime can feel to hot and sweat – specially if you don’t use socks, but I have washed my shoes numerous times on the washing machine (short 40 grades program)…if you do it be sure to let it air-dry properly and loosen up innersole (to let moisture go away between innersole and sole)

“Human foot is a work of art and a masterpiece of engineering.”
–Leonardo da Vinci “

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Minimalistic shoes part 1: Vibram FiveFingers – Classic

Henri Henell | December 20, 2010 - 12:04 pm

I have been keen on barefooting during last year and tested a few pairs different kind of barefootshoes. This is part 1 from my opinions. At first you can read my review, which I wrote after one week use during Summer 2010:

FiveFingers-classic

Now it has gone one week as an owner pair of VFF Classics and it’s time to summarize the first week.

First experiences after couple of hour use can read previous posts. As an enthusiast minimalistic I have been really keen to finally get VFF on my feet… previous posts partly negative experiences has not changed a lot. I still need some time to wear VFF, but it’s getting better and better every time I do it – practice makes master. And I still love the gimmick effect – peoples comments and looks are cool!

The thickness on sole is still bothering me – but slightly less (I’m used to it)… I usually is using Feelmax Panka or Kuusaa which has 1.1 mm sole, so anything more is easy to bother me. I think the people who starts to use minimalistic shoes don’t even notice this point at all after thick “normal shoes”.

I read it on the papers which came with the shoes that at the beginning don’t use shoes more than 1 – 2 hours daily during first couple of weeks… well, I thought: I’m not any rookie on this business and my feet are used to have minimalistic shoes over time already. On my third day with FVV I started to feel numb on my 4. and 5. toes – I had to take VFF off and rest my feet in my other minimalistic shoes (Feelmax Kuusaa). It took whole day to get feeling back on my toes – After one day rest without VFF I has used VFF all day long and that numb feeling has not come back.

On Saturday we were on the beach (sandbeach) and I used VFF there and in the water – it worked fine and only minor complain will be the sand in the shoes! It was not very funny to have “sandpaper” in the shoes. On the water and specially on the stones VFF were really slippery – positive was that these shoes worked pretty well on swimming – at least short distances – I might think that other models than Classic could be more suitable to “waterlife”.

After all – I’m still keen on these strange creatures on my feet and it’s going to be good Summer with VFF on my feet!

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