I met Alan Parvis at 0530 on a Sunday morning in Nisbet Park. Actually, that’s not true. I rolled in around 0535, which, by Alan’s internal Marine Corps clock, made me 20 minutes late.
My internal USMC clock was unplugged years ago, but some of the jargon and the cadence still marches around in my grape (that’s my head for you civilians). So, listen up! This is the debrief of one Leatherneck’s training with another.
Parvis issued me a pair of GoFasters, the shoe he created to change the athletic industry (yes, change). The reflective laces allowed me to easily tie them in the dark. No sooner did I finish the last knot and we shoved off.
He doesn’t remember when he wanted to become a Marine. The moment might have happened in the womb.
“I’ve got pictures when I was a young kid of a private in dress blues at my birthday party. I wanted a Marine to be there.”
What he didn’t know then was that his parents had called the local recruiter and asked if any Marines might be interested in some free chow, a little cake and ice cream.
A week after his 17th birthday, Parvis enlisted. Leaving the day he graduated high school. Off he went to boot camp.
And off we went up East Broadway Street. Thank God for the narrow sidewalks. I was able to run behind him and hide the snot pouring out my nose and the dazed expression on my face. I tried to ask difficult questions to keep him talking, slow him down. But getting out the word “Afghanistan” was worse for me than John Travolta’s pronunciation of Idina Menzel.
It was at the Helmand Province base camp in Afghanistan where Parvis first realized the running shoe industry lacked adaptability. A trait necessary for high-speed military operators.
“I was running with my team in the mornings,” Parvis remembers. “I was beating the heck out of my road shoes [running shoes designed for pavement] on those gravel roads.”
My performance up East Broadway was unsat. My chest hurt. My calves hurt. My thighs burned. But my feet felt amazing. The shoe’s mesh material hugged them and provided incredible flexibility. The cushion around my ankles and heels eliminated any uncomfortable rubbing, which has never happened to me with a running shoe’s first-time wear. The front design provided me with a soothing toe box on steep terrain.
Parvis has the perfect pedigree for a shoe developer. He has brains. He earned a bachelor’s degree in physics from Salisbury University, a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Maryland, College Park, and a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Cincinnati.
He also has brawn. He trains for and competes in ultramarathons, triathlons, and other endurance races. He knows that nothing in the shoe market can properly support a single run over multiple surfaces. There are road shoes and there are trail shoes. And never the twain had met.
Parvis’ GoFasters crack the code. We turned left just past St. Columban and ran into the tree line. I could hear the crackles of the gravel under my feet, and as we ran deeper into the wooded area, I could hear the snaps of the twigs … but I couldn’t feel a thing.
Marine, you better explain yourself!
“We gave the shoe more coverage on the bottom from an outsole perspective, but we kept the tread pretty minimal,” Parvis sounded off. “Then we positioned a plate between the outsole and midsole.”
Outstanding, Marine! At ease.
That plate on the bottom of my GoFasters not only protected against the rocks, but it provided a little bit of propulsion. The rigidity of the plate delivered spring action in my step and the positioning of the plate gave me the comfort of the full midsole foam underneath my feet.
My run back down the hill was pleasant. Sure, in part because I was no longer gasping for air, but also because my feet weren’t sliding in the shoe and my toes felt ...
Let me explain. My toes are a colossal SNAFU. Some are twisted and bent. When I run, I have to use the foam toe separators provided by nail salons. I did not wear them on the morning Parvis took me through his combat conditioning course, or as he called it, his 3-mile warmup. And I didn’t need to. My feet were the only part of my body that didn’t hurt.
Parvis and his small crew are creating the final prototype, which means they’re close to the manufacturing phase. But customers can go to their website now and sign up for offers and updates and for an invitation to order. Pro tip: you should. Give those socials a follow while you’re at it.
I think Alan drove off for another workout. I went back home and hit the rack.
Parvis has the perfect pedigree for a shoe developer. He has brains. He has brawn ... he knows that nothing in the shoe market can properly support a single run over multiple surfaces.