Connecting these days is rather easy. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and so many other Internet established solutions help each and everyone to connect with each and everybody.

But beside the virtual connection there is still the proper connection. So switch off the computer and link properly. Connecting can be so easy, not only via mouse and keyboard. Get your feed to the earth and practice the simplest and most natural way. Connect your feet with the ground and run.

Barefoot Running thereof would be the very natural way to do that. And with all the hype around plainness running Brooks announced the pureproject line.

The pureproject battleship is the ultra-lightweight pureconnect (Weight 204 g). I was fortunate to get my hands on a set just after they got launched. So after weeks of racing and training what can I say? As a runner who solely trains and races with lightweight shoes this is precisely what my feet require. A shoe with smallest cushion exactly where cushion needs to be. No decorative foam chunks on the feet – pure connection with the environment.

I had a big smile on my face as I first put on the shoes and stride down the road. It actually felt unusual and miraculous. The lightweight feel and inviting fit satisfied me from the initial second my feet got a touch of the shoe. Brooks fitted a slight elastic band at the middle of the forefoot. The modest installment seem to work. Without being to squashed the shoe feels great and the pressure is just about right.

Every brand states that their shoes breathe and provide fresh air to your feet. At the end of the day it sincerely never works. This is the other difference with the pureconnect. As the upper mesh is really wide these shoes REALLY inhale. It is a great fresh feeling. But the plus can also be the minus. As I ran this shoe in the recent Amsterdam Half-Marathon I strode on a water-soaked sponge and had the straight impact of the water to the feet. I had a similar situation while I was striding out on a wet football pitch early in the morning. But being aware of the fact that this happens I do not see it as a major problem.

Another massive benefit to other shoes I have worn is the toe box. As I’m a midfoot runner the toe box is just perfect. It provides my feet exactly the little bit of extra space they need. The great thing is that they do not feel too widespread at the same time.

There are so many thought out little elements in that shoe. Just to look at it is exciting. No swanky gimmicks, every tiny thing seems to make sense. One of my favorite features would be the lace. It is hard to explain but the variance is that the laces get bumpy at the end. Once you lace the shoe it stays the way you want it to be.

So generally I became a addict of this shoe. Looking at the dust on all the other shoes in my shelf Brooks did something right here. And to speak in Facebook terms I have to click one button: „Like“ – Thumbs up! What a great piece of equipment.

Watch this space for a comparison with the Nike LunarRacer and a test of the Brooks PureGrit!