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Here is a brief on the biggest surprises of the year for me. Most of the time, new companies squeeze into a niche by doing the same thing as the big guys while specializing in one area. Sometimes things can be a lot different. Who would have thought, a company could come out with wool athletic gear? I forgot where I got the photo of the woman wearing the Icebreaker shirt but the poster credited it to Treehugger.com
Icebreaker wear is my winner of the year for performance clothing. I wear the run ace running shirt just about anytime an opportunity presents itself. I love the way it feels. The material and design make the shirt very nice to wear. It is so nice to wear the shirt was promoted (demoted?) to an everyday shirt. The running shorts are nice but they have an oddly shaped pocket that is not convenient for my work access badge so I do no wear them for my lunch time runs. I inadvertently wound up with the shorts for a yoga session one day and they were immediately converted to yoga shorts. Running shorts and gym shorts are pretty much designed for forward motion and do not work very well with the stretching activities. The wool stretches with my activities and does not stick to my legs. Icebreaker is a bit hard to find and a bit expensive but they make some nice stuff. I think you can get it at Fleet feet, out in the valley and REI. If you find it in a store, try it on.
Greenlight Apparel came into view in 2011 by being the official clothing at both the Oakland Marathon and the California International Marathon. They announced their consumer product line to us at the Oakland Marathon expo back in March. Their products are comfortable, affordable and produced responsibly. Because of Greenlight Apparels responsible manufacturing process, I will buy from green light if all things are close.
Injinji toesocks were a pleasant surprise for me this year. I did not expect the socks to be so comfortable. It did feel a bit odd having my toes separated by the cloth but I liked it. It was great running up and down big hills without worrying about getting blisters. The nice fit around the foot keeps the sock from moving around when you run. No motion and no bunching mean no blisters. My favorite socks did wear out rather quickly but that was expected with the way they fit.
Jockey wins the durability contest. I was surprised to realize how much Jockey wear I own. They make good stuff without a lot of fanfare and it lasts a long time. They also know how to make stuff fit.
