host posted on January 28, 2010 18:13
Earth® Launches Innovative Collection of Athletic Recovery Footwear
Better Recovery = Better Performance. Realign. Revive. Rejuvenate.
Waltham, MA, January 2010 - Earth® Footwear, long known for designing wellness-oriented shoes that feature a slight 3.7° incline, today announces the launch of a collection that will complement the expanse of its FW’10 range – the new Athletic Recovery Collection by Earth.
Designed for serious athletes and weekend warriors alike, the collection takes a decidedly new twist on Earth’s proprietary 3.7° incline. Included are several work/weekend crossover styles that are specifically designed to be worn by athletes, and/or those who engage in an active lifestyle, while they’re off-the-field or away from their given activity or pursuit.
Behind the design and development of the Athletic Recovery Collection is outdoor industry innovator, Martin Keen. The collection marks his first to incorporate Earth’s 3.7° incline into its design.
Keen, Outdoor/Performance Product Manager at Earth® comments, “This new collection blends the benefits of an inclined sole with the mainstream appeal of an athletic-inspired silhouette. By re-setting the foot into its’ naturally intended position, the footwear offers recovery from the less natural stance of many thick-heeled athletic shoes. A weight-forward position may be great for agility-based activities, but continuing to wear that same footwear post-workout really doesn’t allow the body to align properly. This collection of footwear lets the wearer do exactly that -- recover the alignment that nature intended.”
To many, the concept of pre-and post-performance footwear is new, and yet the concept of optimizing performance through an equal investment to the given activity, strength training and recovery is not. The role that footwear can play in that equation has not been fully developed, and yet is much of the opportunity that exists behind Earth’s line of Athletic Recovery footwear.
Katy Bowman, M.S. and Director of the Restorative Exercise Institute, speaks to this opportunity, and comments on the virtues of Earth’s Athletic Recovery Collection. “Many athletes tend to have strength in one type of movement. This can actually leave them with one set of dominant muscles that do most of the work. The under-used muscles take a back seat, decreasing the overall efficiency of the human machine.”
Bowman continues, “With the 3.7° incline of footwear in Earth’s Athletic Recovery Collection, the fibers in many key – but often under-used – muscle groups are gently worked pre- and post-activity, allowing performance muscles that typically fatigue during a workout to rest until the next event or bout of training. Ultimately, wearing footwear from Earth® can be considered the most simple form of cross-training – your body’s in motion, but you’re simply not using your ‘performing muscles’ all the time. So even something like walking the dog can have a positive effect on your overall training regimen.”
Dave Aznavorian, Vice President of Marketing, summarizes the launch, “Anecdotally, we’ve often heard from people who are active who love wearing Earth® as a way to realign, revive, or rejuvenate after their given activity. With Martin Keen’s vision for what a dedicated collection of footwear could look like, and with world-class athletes like Tim Seaman getting behind the concept, we’re looking to take it to an entirely new level. We want to broaden the application of our technology into a meaningful and relevant area for individuals with an active lifestyle. We’re optimistic that they’ll benefit from our 3.7° incline in a way that will make a marked difference in their lives, and ideally contribute to a heightened level of activity-based performance.”
The Athletic Recovery Collection will include five styles - the REcharge, the RElieve, the REspond, the REtrain, and the REbound – and will be available at manufacturer’s suggested retail prices ranging from $109 - $129. The Collection will be available in August 2010 and will be sold at a wide variety of participating retailers, including many leading sport specialty retail locations.
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About Earth® Footwear. *Earth® Footwear is a brand of Earth, Inc. and is based in Waltham, Massachusetts. For more information, or for complete clinical study results that attest to Earth Footwear’s health and wellness benefits, please visit earthfootwear.com, or contact Emily Sennesh at Tracy Paul & Company, Inc. at (212) 741-5459 or esennesh@tracypaul.com.