Recovery is about more than comfort, and it’s about more than rest. To truly recuperate from active pursuits—trail or road running, cycling, hiking, climbing—you need a recovery period that’s active as well. Athletes who move wisely in the hours or days between efforts return to their sports feeling fresher than those who take “rest” a little too seriously.
Engaging in gentle activity while you’re trying to recover promotes blood flow and helps decrease toxins like lactic acid and metabolic waste. Active recovery has been proven to reduce muscle and joint soreness, and even mitigate muscle strains and tears, when done correctly.
Meet the OOmy Stride from OOFOS, a new men’s and women’s recovery shoe intended to lighten the load on your joints and muscles. By decreasing compressive stresses and aiding both mobility and natural gait patterns, these innovative shoes can help outdoor athletes bounce back better and more refreshed.
The Active Recovery Foam
OOFOS emerged as the pioneer of recovery footwear after the 2011 launch of its OOriginal Slides, which utilized two key components to enhance recovery: OOfoam™ technology and a patented footbed design. OOfoam is the brand’s secret sauce—a proprietary material that’s noticeably different underfoot than other foams. Instead of a midsole foam like you’d find in a performance running shoe—one that’s meant to harness energy, rebound quickly, and propel runners—OOfoam does the opposite, says Dan Hobson, head of product design at OOFOS, by prioritizing energy absorption to create a dampening effect.
“We’ve engineered a technology that is specific to the purpose of recovery,” adds Hobson, “and truly differentiates us from companies using traditional performance foams like EVA, PEBA, and TPU.” Testing studies back up those claims, showing that OOfoam absorbs as much as 37 percent more impact than regular foams and can reduce load rates up to 88 percent upon impact—acting as a natural decelerator for the body.
Ashley Caldwell and Justin Schoenefeld know a thing or two about minimizing impact. The U.S. freestyle skiing teammates (Beijing 2022 gold medallists in mixed team aerials) regularly spend training days launching 60-plus feet into the air. To cope with all those landings, both Caldwell and Schoenefeld swear by OOFOS as soon as their ski boots come off. “My feet, my ankles, my knees feel so much better,” Caldwell says.
Other outdoor athletes who put heavy stress on their feet agree. Climbing legend Lynn Hill recovers in OOFOS to give her feet rest and mobility after long days jammed into climbing shoes. Right out of the box, the pillowy-soft OOfoam makes its case with a noticeably slow rebound and pressure distribution. In short, this foam cradles feet and mitigates the impact forces from every single walking step, plus it relieves body-weight pressure on feet, knees, and back when standing.
The Active Recovery Shoe
Those intentional steps are indeed crucial, especially if your daily life doesn’t let you slow down. Because a recovery period that’s active helps outdoor athletes feel better faster—maximizing improvements from workouts, exercise, or exploration—the OOmy Stride is built on a new platform that improves on fit, feel, and ride, “from heel strike to toe-off” when compared to prior models.
The Stride features the brand’s proven OOfoam technology and signature design features that feel instantly supportive under the arch while distributing peak-pressure zones. The introduction of an advanced footbed geometry with rounded heel and deeper flex grooves on the outsole enhance flexibility to provide the Stride’s smooth, natural walking motion that rolls you through your gait, step by step. “It’s intended to feel like walking on a natural surface, like grass,” says Hobson.
That footbed is paired with an upper featuring an engineered knit collar and four-way-stretch mesh to let feet breathe and splay more naturally. An antimicrobial lining adds freshness, quarter panels secure feet for long strides, and a padded heel collar cushions the Achilles, all of added benefit to the recovery process.
Step in and Start Recovering
As the world becomes more covered in hard, unnatural surfaces—from streets to home floors to workspaces—OOfoam is an advanced technology that can act as a soft-surface simulator, letting you bring the feel of the outdoors with you into every aspect of life.
Put on a pair. Go for a walk. Feel the pressure relief of OOfoam and the supportive footbed that lets this lightweight, flexible shoe do its thing—that is, help you return ready for your next outdoor active adventure.
OOFOS is the global leader in recovery footwear, founded by a team of industry veterans looking to help runners and fitness enthusiasts recover better from their workouts. Made with revolutionary OOfoam technology, OOFOS are designed to absorb 37 percent more impact than traditional footwear. They reduce stress on joints to keep anyone, of any activity level, feeling their best. From professional athletes to casual walkers, OOFOS footwear will make your hardworking feet and body feel better—all you have to do is feel the OO. For more information, go to oofos.com.
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