Issue 70 - Are We Too Soft?
Why foam stacks and recovery shoes like Kane, Oofos, Sanuk are destroying our feet and what I'm doing about it and why you should too!
👋 Good morning and happy Friday. I’m Scott and feel free to reach me here.
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Are We Going Soft?
Let me be clear: I’m not talking politics. I’m not talking identity. I’m not talking how much you can bench, bro.
I don’t care who you are or how you show up in the world. You be you.
What I’m talking about is simple, literal, and undeniable: As athletes, we’ve gone soft — on our feet. And yes, I’m part of the problem. Hand up! But I decided to do something about it not many people do. Research.
Think about it and close your eyes. Envision your white-washed history book in elementary school. Standing there on page 41 is a Caveman who hunted, killed, and walked barefoot over hot rocks and sharp sticks.
And if you’ve ever read the book, Born to Run, the Tarahumara tribe is known for speed and primitive shoes.
And let’s not forget those Vibram five finger toe shoes from 20 years ago — you know the ones. Super ugly. People were running marathons practically barefoot, swearing by foot strength and “natural gait.” And honestly, they were on to something.
But then, something flipped.
In the last few years, we started prioritizing softness and words like Cushion! Cloud! Stack height! Comfort!
As athletes, why are we priming our bodies every single day but then completely ignoring our feet. Would you crush a 10 mile run to only go eat trash and sit on the couch? So why do we do that to the two things that get us through this world the most.
Side note: I’ve been obsessed with this space ever since I started getting foot cramps after long swim and bike sessions. Most noteably 2,000 yards into IRONMAN Lake Placid last year. At 43 years old, my feet are the only things seemingly breaking down and I’m not the only one. It’s annoying and I hate the BS that these companies are selling people like me.
“Recovery” is now a nothing word and has become synonymous with foam layers so thick they’ve now had to be regulated by IRONMAN, World Triathlon, and the World Marathon governing body. And we called it progress.
But here's the truth: Our feet have been engineered out of the equation for design and speed.
And our bodies are feeling it.
Even this morning while coaching an open water swim session, athlete after athlete told me about random foot pain and plantar fasciitis. It’s not just age or miles. It’s atrophy. It’s disconnect. We’re relying on softness and hoping it will fix what only activation can solve.
The funny thing. These athletes are telling me all of this while they’re wearing Hoka and New Balance foam trainers.
But it’s not just them, its the slide and recovery industry too. Kane is especially part of the problem, Oofos, Sanuk, Oka, Vivo, and a hundred others claim “recovery” and relief too. But that isn’t what people need.
Because rest isn’t always the answer. Sometimes, what your body needs is strength — smart, low-grade, intentional work.
So I started digging and reading.
Is There a Solution?
And that led me to pushpül (pronounced push-pool) — a new brand I’d never heard of.
Founded by Rich Rhodes, a former ESPN producer and lifelong athlete, and his brother Dr. Doug Childs, a foot and ankle surgeon in Florida.
With my BS meter up, always, what I read felt different and interested me. They didn’t have the same language as everyone else. They felt unique?
They’ve seen the trend. They’ve seen what weak feet look like because they have them. They’ve seen everyday athletes and pro ones come into ESPN hobbling and injured. And they’re on a mission to flip the script.
So I emailed pushpul and asked for 10 minutes. Rich responded within 30 minutes and was super gracious and we talked last week. He was genuine and I have to say: they are fired up, passionate, and dedicated to fixing this huge problem.
Rich told me something I can’t stop thinking about:
“We’ve designed recovery products that treat our feet like they’re fragile. But our feet aren’t fragile — they’re underused. They need to be trained like everything else.”
What they created is called the Flex 3 Fitness Slide. They’re $119 and it's not just another recovery sandal.
Rich told me he HATES the word ”recovery” because the word has been hijacked.
He told me, the Flex 3 is a foot fitness tül (yeah, they spell it like that).
The Flex 3 is designed to wake up your feet — not pamper them. It stimulates blood flow. It breaks up tissue. It actually strengthens your foot muscles while you walk. And it's comfortable, sure — but it’s not just about comfort. It’s not foam for foam’s sake.
This isn’t to knock other brands — but it is to question them. KANE, OOFOS, even Sanuk and all the celeb-endorsed sliders? They’ve made things softer, not stronger. And while they feel nice, they’re reinforcing the idea that our feet need to be coddled.
The pushpül approach? No coddling. No fluff. Just a daily-use tool that make you stronger. We want to Get Your Feet Fit.
So… are we going soft? Yes.
Will we continue to go soft? That is up to you and I but I hope you at least think about it.
For me, I’ll never ditch my cush trainers and carbon plated race shoes.
But that’s where it ends. I’ve been wearing my Flex 3 slides and truly love them.
I tell people they’re like a Snickers bar. If you have one, you want one the next day.
Your body starts to crave it.
And for me, when I’m home at the house, I’m always wearing mine.
With socks, sure. But without socks and going raw dog. EVEN BETTER!
Our feet are the first and last point of contact in everything we do. And if we want to keep training, keep moving, keep charging forward — we’ve got to get them fit again.
So let’s stop giving our feet a break they didn’t ask for.
Keep moving. ✌️
SB