Nothing ruins your running momentum like having to stop to put your earphones or earbuds of your iPod back in. Well.. some things may be worse like running into an angry mutt, or an ex on your run. But those things make me run faster unlike having to put my "sound" back in. Another common problem with the run-of-the-mill earbuds/phones is the achey sensation in your ears after wearing them for a good period of time. I guess I could always wear my headphones from the 80's that make me look like a disc jockey.. although I'd need a converter because I'm pretty sure those aren't iPod compatible. What a dilemma!

 

Enter Seth Burgett, President and CEO of yurtopia™ (listed in Forbes magazine as one of America's Most Promising Companies 2009). Burgett like some of us, but to the n'th degree as he was training for an Iron Man 70.3 triathlon, suffered from uncomfortable earphones. Having a background in minimally invasive surgical devices Burgett came up with an award winning idea for custom size earbuds. Burgett and his team invented a unique-imaging technology to digitally scan an individual's ears and produce a soft custom-size ear-tip that attaches to iPod and mobile phone earbuds. yurtopia's patent pending ear "brannock" (measuring device) measures your ear and shape to find the right custom-size yurbuds™ for your ears specific. And guess where I got mine? That's right. New Balance Saint Louis. All of our New Balance store locations are now carrying yurbuds™ and yurphones™. Our fitting specialists at all locations already do a great job on fitting your feet, now they are trained to fit your ears as well! Once your size is determined the yurbuds simply slip over the high quality yurphones™ or your existing earbuds from your iPod, iPhone, or Bluetooth to provide exceptional comfort, unmatched fit that stays-in-place and superb sound quality. The concentration of sound that is so efficient that many wearer's are able to reduce volume by up to 50%. That's just for those who don't like to "rock out" to "Billy Jean" on their run like me.

So... to sum it up... Athletes. Music Lovers. Business Travelers. Gamers. BlueTooth® Wireless Headset Users. All listening to their favorite top 40 tune, favorite Sonata, favorite D&D character, or learning to ask where the men's room is in Swahili by CD, in comfort and convenience of their custom-fit yurbuds. Due to the fitting process these are only sold at our store locations not through our catalog or on our website. To find our locaton nearest you click here.

 Olympian and American record holder Jenny Barringer, who just graduated from the University of Colorado in December, owns the American record in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at 9:12.50. She has proven that she is one of the best athletes in the world, earning a spot on the U.S. Olympic Team, two world teams, and is a seven-time All-American and 12-time All-Big 12 honoree. Jenny also won four NCAA titles and two national steeplechase titles.

“I’m thrilled to join the New Balance family and am eager to represent a brand that I find both inspiring and authentic,” said Barringer. “Given their quality products, support of charitable programs, and commitment to domestic manufacturing, I feel that New Balance and I are a great fit. I’m particularly excited to work with the Girls on the Run® organization, encouraging young girls to respect themselves and develop a healthy lifestyle through running.”

Find out more. Here.

*Watch the video below to witness the dangers of wearing improper or ill-fitted footwear.*
Think about your run, not your feet.
 

Okay so we're not the greatest photograpers. We know shoes, not cameras. But she was here! Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Sports Illustrated voted greatest female athlete of the 20th century, pictured above with fitting specialist Stephanie Hoth at New Balance Saint Louis II Creve Coeur location. Jackie Joyner-Kersee (born March 3, 1962 in East St. Louis, Illinois) is a retired American athlete, ranked among the all-time greates athletes in the women's heptathlon as wess as in the women's long jump. Jackie won three gold, one silver and two bronze Olympic medals in those two different events. Achievements best compared to "Babe" Didrikson Zaharias, rumored to be Jackie's original inspiration. In 1988, Joyner-Kersee established the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Foundation, which provides youth, adults, and families with the resources to improve their quality of life with special attention directed to East Saint Louis, IL. That's an amazing way to give back to the community. But that's not all! In 2007, Jackie along with Andre Agassi, Muhammad Ali, Lance Armstron, Jeff Gordon, Tony Hawk, Warrick Dunn, Andrea Jaeger, Mario Lemieux, Mia Hamm, Alonzo Mourning, and Cal Ripken, Jr. founded the "Athletes for Hope", a charitable organization. This particular organization helps professional athletes get involved in other charitable causes and inspires millions of non-athletes to volunteer and support the community. So I'm sure I don't have to tell you how amazingly privileged we feel to have met and assisted such an amazing role-model.
Thanks Jackie! And thanks to STLII for sharing the experience!  

Every year someone breaks out the candles, puts them on a cake and tells you, "Too many more of these and we'll have to order a bigger cake." While we appreciate the humor every year, we still can't help but think of how that person would look with icing up their nose. *Far off look with sheepish grin...ahem...back to the point. In the Middle Ages the English would conceal symbolic items such as gold coins, rings and thimbles inside their cakes. Each item was associated with a prediction. For example, a person finding a gold coin in a birthday cake would supposedly become wealthy; a person discovering a thimble would never marry. Thank goodness I didn't get a "seamstress" cake! Don't get me wrong. Cake is good, especially when it's birthday cake because as we all know, those calories DO NOT count. However, we still look for a few more ways to celebrate another year's worth of livin'! This year I choose SHOES, but there is too much to choose from! I need your help. I have listed below 28 models for 28 years. Let me know what your favorite is. After all a girl can never have too many shoes, except maybe Imelda Marcos, who said, "I did not have 3,000 pairs of shoes; I had 1,060." 
Sandals
Petra (red)   Petra (bronze)   Salina
                
Mia             Margot     Phoebe     Monica          Iris         Agave      Pianosa    Freeport   Newport H2
                     
Ormond     Venice H2         Venice
            
Casual/Dress
Maddie     LaJolla     Portofino  Siren Ginger   Un.Chart
                
Un.Poem (Brown        Black         Olive) 
                            
Athletic
WT909OR      WR1063WB      WR1224ST      WW966BR      WX1210TR
                            

"You cannot put the same shoe on every foot."  ~Pubilius Syrus