October 12, 2021 • 33 mins
Ever wonder what kind of research goes into your running shoes or cross-trainers? Jessie Benjamin, a UA footwear designer, talks to Meg and Mon about the science and art that goes into designing shoes, and why having specific shoes for each activity is more important than you’d think.
Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
For me why I really like my job and I
just want to design things that make people happy and
make them feel good about themselves. And at the end
of the day, that's like the biggest mark for success.
This is Sweat the Details, a collaboration with under Armour
and I Heart Radio, a sports and training podcast made
(00:21):
for women by women. I'm Meg Bogs. I'm a powerlifter, author,
body positivity advocate and mother. And I'm Monica Jones. I'm
a fitness coach, boxer, business owner and u a athlete.
Every episode, Meg and I will talk to athletes, trainers,
and experts and learn more about how the body and
mind work together in training and competition. And in today's episode,
we are feeding our deep love of athletic shoes with
(00:43):
our guests. Jesse Benjamin Jesse is a senior footwear designer
under Armour and has nearly two decades of experience designing
shoes for major apparel and footwear brands. Jesse has designed
some incredible stuff. She's responsible for the designs behind the
UA Breathlace, the Hover Rise to the are My All Day,
every Days, and the newly released you a Flow Breakthrough two,
which is already gaining some fans among the w NBA players. Honestly, Mon,
(01:08):
I've been browsing all of the shoes that Jesse has
created over the years, and not only is there a
ton of research that goes into her under armour shoes,
but all of her designs are legitimately something I would
want to wear. Like all of them, they generally look
very cool too. And you know what, I gotta be
honest because I know personally that there's a lot more
to consider to a shoe than how it looks. But
(01:29):
for me, I just feel like that's a really big
factor for me when I'm trying to decide on a
new pair of training shoes. That's just me, Mon, what
about you? How much does the look play and you know,
and choosing athletic shoes for you. I'm not gonna lie either.
It's still pretty much the first thing, right, I want
to say, first and only, But like you get a
(01:51):
bunion and then you're like, all right, well, I guess
I guess we should do some more research. But yeah,
I am. I'm a kick fanatic. I have over seventy
pairs and it's a problem. I feel you. I feel
it's like every time I'm trying to get a new
pair of shoes. My first thought is, Okay, what color
way do I want? What kind of what that's like
(02:11):
the first thing I think of, And then after that
I'm like, Okay, now I need to kind of weed
out the ones that are the most functional for what
I'm looking for in my shoes. But what do you
say we hear about shoes from the expert? Yes, ma'am.
Here's our interview with Senior U, a footwear designer, Jesse Benjamin.
What is up fit? Fam? We are so pumped over
(02:33):
here today because we have an incredible under o, our
footwear designer with us, Jesse Benjamin. Welcome, Jessey, thank you
for having me excited to be here. Yeah, so what
does it mean to be a footwear designer? Can you
just walk us through like a typical day in the life.
What are you up to every day? Sure? Um, it
is a fun job and it looks a little bit
(02:54):
different every day. It all starts with the consumers. Um.
The more we can connect with consumers and get out
into the world, you know, the more inspiration comes in.
And it's really important to have that connection and to
be able to spend time with people all over the
world and can get immersed in different cultures to be
able to design for them. So what I do is
I take some of that inspiration and then I just
(03:14):
started sketching, and then from there like we go through
like the series of events and working with people to
a final presentation, and then once it's presented, we start
with sampling. But there's this back and forth with your
teammates and factories and everybody in between to kind of
get it to a place where everybody feels really good
(03:35):
about it. And I think the most rewarding part of
it is getting to see it on people's feet. And
for me, why I really like my jobs. I just
want to design things that make people happy and make
them feel good about themselves. And at the end of
the day, that's like the biggest mark for success in
my opinion. That is so cool. Yeah, you know, now,
in total my career wise, I've been in forward for
(03:57):
at some capacity for over fifteen years, so you know,
feel really grateful. It's taking me all up and down
the West Coast. Um. I've worked on everything from like
wood clogs to basketball shoes at this point and everything
in between. So I'm I'm really grateful that I was
able to find it. Yeah, that's amazing. Let's get into
the process. Can you tell us about the process of
(04:17):
coming up with a new pair of shoes? So what
are the steps that you follow? So at the beginning
of the season, we usually all kind of collaborate around
this thing called the brief, which tells us what kind
of shoe we want to make, who we want to
make it for, UM, and it's really kind of like
our guide throughout the season. We want to make sure
that we are designing for this person for these types
of activities, you know, at this price point, and we
(04:39):
kind of referenced it throughout the whole entire process, just
really kind of holding us true to who we're signing for.
So after that, I kind of dive into like consumer
research around culture, biomechanics, and UM. I start sketching and
pulling to the other imagery of things that I think
are inspiring or things that I think will mean something
to this consumer. UM. For example, I guess for spring
(05:01):
summer twenty two, I've designed something that was really more
based off of like feel like how you want this
product to really feel on somebody's body, but also you know,
how do you just really make them feel generally, you know,
So keeping that in mind, like I I started sketching
and we kind of refined the design and then we
present it and then once everybody is happy with the design,
(05:23):
it feels good about it, we send it to start
getting sampled. So we go through a sampling process where
we usually work with the factory back and forth. And yeah,
so like once that process is kind of going and
solidify everything, we start getting samples back. And I work
with a really great team of color designers who will
take my design and apply beautiful colors to them as
(05:47):
well as, like I worked with some really great material developers,
So we work to make sure like materials are all
dialed and we're meeting all the points that we're made
in the brief all throughout the process. And then yeah,
we get we start getting more and more samples back
that are like fully dialed and all the colors and
all the final materials that were kind of envisioning in
And that happens at least twice in the season, so
(06:09):
everybody gets their eyes on the products and there's kind
of its final form until we kind of like sign
off on it and say Okay, this this fits well,
it looks great. Um, it's meeting all the points that
we wanted to make within the brief and uh, it's
good to go. And this process happens about twice a
year for multiple products at a time. That is a
lot of teamwork. That's great. Let's talk about you as
(06:32):
an athlete personally and your fitness journey. How has your
love with sports influenced or even inspired some of your
designs that you're sketching. Yeah, most of the sports that
I like played team wise. We're definitely in my youth
and I have always struggled to find shoes that fit me.
My feet like tend to run a little bit more narrow,
(06:54):
I think than most. And um, I think a lot
of the struggles that I had, like when I was
trying to find products that fit and look the way
that I want him to look. I think hopefully we're
kind of addressing some of those things, you know, and
some even more product in the future. Our biomechanics team
kind of gave us some information around like women's feet
and how they're different than men's feet, you know, shape wise,
(07:17):
just the morphology of our feet are just a little
bit different. I think and sometimes when it comes to
performance footwear, having shoes that fit properly means a lot.
You're sliding around in your foot, it's really taking your
head out of the activity that you're doing. You don't
want to be distracted by your footwear. And based off
of the morphology, like we created a last specifically for
(07:40):
women that had a narrow heel, a higher arch, a
lower instep in the forefoot, and narrower instep in the forefoot,
and and that was always just really a struggle for me.
I always had to put double socks on inserts in
my shoes. I was always tying my shoes super tight
so that you know, the ice days were almost touching
each other. Not a good look. And even the running
(08:02):
shoes that I would have to wear because of the
way that my feet were were never the hot shoes.
They are never like the cool shoes that made me
feel good. I was more focused on how they felt
and how it's going to make me perform. But you know,
that mental aspect of feeling good was not there. And
that's something that I think we're striving to kind of
build into the shoes like and want that perfect combination
of good performance, looking good, um and feeling good whatever
(08:27):
your activity you're doing, and some swag. Yeah exactly. I
have the opposite problem, have very wide feet, so I'm
always struggling to find shoes that fit because they're always
so tight y. I understand the wrong shoes just not
good big toes like curving, so very special thing. There's
things happening in my shoes. Yeah, definitely. It's definitely not
(08:50):
a one size fits all, that's for sure when it
comes you know, when it comes to anything, but especially footwear,
if your feet are bothering, you know, it affects your
whole body, you know. I love that. Yeah, and we're
designing for all athletes. But what would you say are
the biggest differences between men and women's feet that you've learned?
So from our biomechanics team, I learned that women's feet
(09:11):
are actually more sensitive than men's feet, that we have
more sensory receptors in our feet. I did not know that,
but now hearing that, I think that a lot of
that makes sense. And the way that women articulate how
the shoe is feeling is very different than men. But
I think we're a lot more articulate when it comes
to those types of things, probably in part because we
(09:32):
feel a bit more down there. That's been one thing
that it was pretty surprising to me. I guess women's
feet are also typically a little bit more flexible than
men's feet and generally a different shape in some cases,
you know, even though it's mine or when it comes
to your foot, where millimeters make a difference, um within
your fit and how it's filling. You know, I always
knew that I had struggles with my youth with the fit,
(09:52):
but I never really knew exactly why that was. Now
I've got validation from scientists, which is great. It's so interesting.
So there have been some pretty major, you know, collaborations
with big stars and sports and entertainment. How do you
approach creating those designs and those collaborations and who or
what was your favorite design collaboration. So with the women's
(10:16):
basketball shoot that I'm working on like well and with
into the process of the design of the second Breakthrough,
and we had signed those three w NBA players to
the under Armour roster of athletes that are really amazing
and inspiring, and so we kind of tapped into them
a little bit more within like the Breakthrough three design,
which won't come out till Fault twenty two. We're starting
(10:38):
communications with them now and hoping to get more and
more input from our players as time goes by. With
the first break Through, like, we had a chance pre
COVID to spend a little time with the China women's
basketball team, the three on three teams, which was really
cool and they gave us some really good insights into
what they were looking for as far as a basketball
shoe goes, and things that we could do to make
(11:00):
a better product for them. That was also fun like that.
So you love the Breakthrough collection, and I'm sure that
there's some different technology that's gone into these shoes versus
you know, probably when you started in footwear over a
decade ago. So tell us about other technological advances that
you've seen in the evolution of footwear since you join
(11:23):
the industry. Yeah, I'd say since I join, Like the
use of three D applications, you know, has has definitely
kind of taken over, and I think that's definitely like
in the future, um, you know, being able to three
D print things or create things, and three D applications
where that are spinnable, you know, it's creates more realistic
(11:44):
imagery and design um than you ever could in the
flat drying. So that was a big difference, a big
jump at the time, and still it's like a big
part of our process now is like being able to
work with three D designers and create things where we
can have creen outs of three D objects like so,
sustainability is a big thing UM and being able to
(12:07):
you know, create knitted uppers um you know, where there's
been a very minimal waste and you can use recycle
materials things like that. Is is definitely kind of one
of my favorite evolutions within within the industry. It's just
that drive to make things more sustainable, I think is
really driving a lot of innovation at this point. That's
so cool. That's so neat that you're able to see
(12:27):
everything up close as it's evolved. Yeah, awesome. You've mentioned
like materials a couple of times, so I want to
ask what are some of your favorite materials for athletic
footwear and why? Yeah, I think I I had mentioned
knit um like knit innovation is. I think it's really interesting.
It's always kind of evolving. Things are getting UM better
(12:49):
and easier to make UM. The you know from the
threads and like the thread qualities and like what they're
made out of to the actual structures of the nit.
And you know, sustainability to me is really important. So
that's kind of why I really love working with that,
just because it really minimizes waste. Yeah, so I really
like that. I love I love working with films as well,
(13:11):
just because there's so many different beautiful finishes and effects
you can get with them. Um, it's it's it's just
a personal thing, but I really love that. And like
the trims, like the laces, the like small details like
webbings and textures of your webbings and the texture of
your lining, things like that, Like I kind of obsess
over because I think it's all about the details. Yeah. Absolutely,
(13:32):
I am obsessed with those flows and the velocity with
the knit. It's like it weighs nothing. Yea. If I'm
going to walk around with multiple pairs of shoes for
multiple reasons, I'm so happy to carry running shoes that
don't weigh much. And it's just it's really dope. So
how do you approach designing a running shoe versus a
(13:53):
basketball shoe versus a cross training shoe. Yeah, I've only
really got to work on one performance running shoe at
this point, and that was really eye opening to me
because there's people that are just so into it and
there's just so many layers and different types of runners
that I had never really um experienced before. So I
really loved diving into the consumer and getting to work
(14:14):
with the team who is really focused on that, you know,
from a biomechanics point of view to a manufacturing in
development point of view. UM that was really fun, very
eye opening to me, even though I'm not necessarily a runner.
I just really like the mindset of that consumer and
focusing on what they want and figuring out like their
motivation and how can we design a product that is
(14:37):
perfect for them. Where do you need stability, where do
you need flexibility? Where do you need your maximum cushing?
Like how they're moving their body and how we can
best support that is really kind of where it starts.
So you know, whether it's for training, if you're lifting
things like that, Like how the body is moving, how
can we best support it is kind of the building
(14:58):
blocks of bringing together the design and so interesting. So
how do you evaluate them the performance and comfort of
the footwear, so you have you have all this, you know, information,
this is how we're wanting the shoe. These are the
things we need from the shoe. How do you even
evaluate the performance of it and the comfort of it? Yeah,
So we work a lot with our developers are engineers,
and through that collaboration, we really make sure that it
(15:21):
flexes in the right places or it's stable in the
right places, and and we're designing it to move and
react the way that we wanted to so um like,
through the process, we work with them and then once
we start getting samples back, like, we wear a test them,
so get the shoes on people's feet and they do
multiple tests throughout the season so that we can get
(15:41):
kind of firsthand input from different athletes into consumers. Is
it comfortable, does it fit well? Um? Does it feel
you know, tight enough, breathable enough. We usually have kind
of a checklist per design as to what we expected
to do and what we wanted to do and how
we wanted to feel. So going through that process definitely
helps us kind of nail the construct action and the design. Um.
(16:01):
You know, it's a give and take. Sometimes you have
a design that you really like, but it might not
necessarily function the way that it should be. So nobody
wants to shoe that they can't wear. Even if it
looks beautiful, it's pointless. So just making sure that it
does what it needs to do is kind of the
most important aspect. I'm so thankful you guys are so
performance driven, because I would be so emotionally attached to,
(16:25):
like a good looking shoe if something didn't work, I'd
be like, but when can we just make the exception
and thank goodness for the integrity there. I mean, I've
definitely had those moments or yeah, you know, like but
like there's just no way to make it work that
you know, and I likely I work with a lot
of people who are very willing to collaborate and you know,
meet me halfway. So I love that. I would like
(16:47):
have the wall of like the shoes that just didn't
make it. I'd be like, I still love y'all. Yeah,
I definitely have a closet full of samples that that like,
there are aspects of that I still of and and
want to integrate at a design at some point, but
you know, only when it's right. So yeah, you'll be like,
(17:07):
I knew that was gonna work exactly back. I love
that we did talk about the difference between a man
and a woman's foot briefly. Why do you think it's
important to create shoes by testing them on women first?
And you know, are there any other physiological characteristics in
men and women's feet that make it necessary for the
different shoes? I know, like women first, but but why Yeah?
(17:32):
I mean I think that women have kind of been
overlooked for a long time when it comes to performance
and athletic gear and footwear. And you know, I think
now more than ever that is a super important thing
to pay attention to because we're over half of the
population and um, there's more and more brands out there
(17:54):
that are women building for women and it's really exciting
to watch. So I know we're talking about men's feet
and women's feet, but what are some ways that shoe
design is trying to be more inclusive actually going beyond
that gender binary? I think it all starts with the
team that you're working with too. You know, if you're
(18:15):
working with a team that is really diverse, like you're
going to get products that work for a larger group
of people. I think, you know, that's really important to
think about while you're designing. You know, at the end
of the day, like that brief is so important because
it really kind of identifies who it is, and those
briefs are created by a diverse group of people. It's
important that you get like people with authentic voices in
(18:37):
the room. So I think it really kind of starts there.
The love that. Al Right, we have loved your insights
going into how to design actually happens, how you collaborate
with your team and where all that comes from. And
we know that you have so much more insight to
give to our listeners as far as how to actually
pick the right pair of shoes, you know, other things
(19:00):
that can help them. So we gotta want to talk
about a little bit more of those insights. Do you
feel like a pair of shoes can make or break
someone's athletic performance? I do. Yeah, I think we're wearing
the right pair of shoes. UM definitely will allow you
to move your body the way you want. UM, keep
your head in the game, uh, you know, make you
(19:20):
feel good, keep you in the game mentally and physically.
So yeah, I think that fit and feel is is
incredibly important. You heard it here first, guys. It is
a fact. I love that. So one of the most
important characteristics to you, just that people should be looking
for in a new pair of athletic shoes. A lot
of it is really subjective. It could be like a
really great color way that somebody is really drawn to.
(19:43):
I know that happens to myself. Uh, you know all
the time, Like if something looks just looks great and
it's a beautiful color, like I gotta have it. So.
Um it could be the color, it could be the construction,
It could be just the concept behind it that you
are really drawn to. And I think people are more
kind of tuned into that creation now than ever, Like
(20:05):
there's more information and more transparency and a lot of that,
which is which is great. Like I definitely have had
products where I've fallen in love with the story or
the way that they've been manufactured or the way that
they look. You know, it could be a multiple of
different things that draws you to it. Yeah, if it's
got pink on it, I mean you're gonna have to
hold me back. Yeah. So when you're walking into you know,
(20:28):
a footwear store, everything is kind of separated. You have
your running shoes over here, basketball over here, dance over here. Um,
so could you tell us a little bit about the
differences between these type of athletic footwear. Yeah, you know,
it all kind of starts with the last um, which
is created kind of based off of the movements that
you are doing within the sport at the athletic field.
(20:50):
So you know, if it's training and lifting, like you
might have a lower offset, which means like your shoe
is not quite angled as much as like something like
a running shoe or it's a basketball shoe, it might
be like a little bit wider in the fore foot. UM.
So all these lasts are kind of created with these
movements in mind. So it starts there, and then like
(21:12):
the builds of the shoes are all different. You know,
if you're wearing a running shoes, you wanted to be
a really lightweight, really breathable UM, but that might not
necessarily translate to something like a cleat where you need
to be really confined and um have control over your
movements on a field. So they're all really just designed
very specifically to help an athlete do those moves that
(21:32):
they are meant to do. I love that that's that
makes so much sense because you're going to be doing
a lot of lateral motion, right if you're playing basketball
a distance runners moving forward, yes, not doing much breaking right,
and they got that constant movement pattern going for them.
So yes. Is there any other reason why you want
(21:55):
to choose specific footwear to your sport other than the
movement patterns? Yeah, I mean that that's definitely part of it.
But you know, if you have a shoe that is, um,
not supportive when you need it to be supportive, that
you can, you know, cause injuries to yourself, which you
know obviously it's not a good thing. Um. You know,
(22:17):
you have your your joints to think about as well.
So just really making sure that you choose choose footwear
that is appropriate to the movement you're doing, like you know,
can affect your entire body. I see people in the
gym all the time with running shoes and it always
makes me cringe a little bit, especially if you're doing
like lunges and lifts and things like that. So like,
(22:37):
oh gosh, this don't hurt yourself, um, but you know,
I think your performance could would be better. You know,
if you're wearing a shoe that was designed specifically to
help you make the movements that you're trying to do. Yeah,
I jumped on the treadmill one time with my just
regular under armour flat lifters, and it was just not
(22:58):
the greatest experience. They are not meant for that. They're
flat shoes, their shoes. How do we know that we
shouldn't be wearing a pair of running shoes anymore? I've
been like dying to ask you this because I get
a lot of those questions as a trainer, and you know,
I would love your insight on when it's time to
say goodbye to our trusty runners. Yeah. No, I think
(23:22):
any shoe after a certain amount of time kind of
changes over time, you know, when it comes to wear
and so like if the midsoles maybe like packing out
and it's getting a little bit firmer than it used
to be. You know, if the traction is not what
it used to be, that wears out over time, and um,
if it becomes too slick for what you needed to
use it for, then it's definitely time to to switch
(23:44):
it out. Well, those are great insights because it's like, hey,
rather than wait till you feel paid, Maybe if your
shoe doesn't give you any more grip, or if your
foot is completely sliding around it now, then it it
might be done. Yes, yes, I've all been there, I think. Yes,
I've had heels flopping off of my two girls, like
can't let it go? These are these are lucky people
(24:07):
Like yeah, definitely, Jesse, I'm so inspired listening to the
process of getting into this career and designing shoes for
our listeners out there who are also feeling inspired. How
do you recommend they get started in pursue a career
in footwear design like you Yeah, um so, I mean,
I think there's definitely different avenues. I think the most
(24:30):
common one is to study industrial design or product design
footwear design, And there's so many platforms that you can
reach out to people through, um, you know, whether it's
linked in or social media. It's like that also just
really powerful ways to kind of connect with people and
to show your your work. Um, making connections with people
(24:52):
is really important, and getting some insights from people who
actually are part of the process right now is is
kind of key. So whichever way you choose to kind
of reach out to somebody or to kind of study
work of different people, UM, you know, I would, I
would really kind of start there. You know. I found
a lot of people coming in already have great experience,
(25:14):
um actually designing some really interesting footwear. So seeing all
kinds of different interesting shapes and constructions now that people
are coming up with is really inspiring. Come as you are,
but work on your education and don't be afraid to
reach out under armours. Sweat the Details will be back
after a short break. Welcome back to Sweat the Details. Well, y'all,
(25:44):
I think it's time for a little game one we
like to call perfect pair. I really thought I'm gonna
roll my are better than that anyways, So this is
just a fun thing that we like to do with
our guests where we just ask you as a question.
So I'm gonna ask you about which pair of shoes
is a perfect pair for every occasion and then why
(26:05):
you love them. So every question is just going to
start with what's your favorite pair of shoes for? And
then you're going to answer the first pair of shoes
that comes to mind and why? Okay, are you ready? Yes? Okay?
What's your favorite pair of shoes for walking the dog? Cheese? Um,
honestly I wear slides for that. Yeah, so you know,
(26:27):
my my dog is small, he only goes on small walks,
so slides is usually my go to. What are your
favorite pair of shoes for training at the gym? The
Hover Rise I think works really well for me. You know,
it's just enough stability, um, and enough flexibility and the
foot to you know, get a little bit of running in,
but also did in some of that weightlifting and um,
more dynamic workouts in as well. Cool. What's your favorite
(26:52):
pair of shoes for Pride Parade? Pride Parade? Um, I
really loved the Pride phantoms. Um. I think there's been
a couple of seasons where there's some really beautiful phantoms
that were my favorite from the Pride collection. Yes, I'm
excited for this one. What's your favorite pair of shoes
for a casual night with friends? Casual night with friends? Um? Yeah,
I live in Portland and rains here a lot. Um,
(27:13):
A good pair of leather waterproof boots are kind of
key staple to your wardrobe, so UM, I would say,
you know, I guess going with the extremes with a
strappy sandal to a big waterproof leather boot. Next, what's
your favorite pair of shoes for a morning run? Oh?
(27:34):
I really like the Velocities UM, the Velocity wins UM.
You know they're really lightweight. Um. I think the design
is really interesting. Um, they feel good on foot. Um,
so that's kind of my go too. Awesome, Okay, perfect pair.
We love it. Jesse, You've been so incredible. We really
love hearing about your dedication in over a decade to
(27:57):
footwear design, and we've really loved hearing you talk about
how we can become better at choosing our shoes and
how we can best take care of them. We want
to thank you so much for coming on the show
and we really appreciate you. Please let us know where
we can find you. Yeah, you can find me on
LinkedIn if anyone is interested in footwear design and it
has any questions. Um, my website is just Jesse Benjamin
(28:19):
dot com. Um. It is a link to a little
bit of my work, um, not all of it, but
a little snapshot of it. Um. And you can get
a hold of me through that as well. But yeah,
thank you so much for having me. It's been really
fun to talk to you. Yes, ma'am, it was fantastic
getting to talk to Jesse Benjamin. She was such a
(28:40):
fantastic resource and I think, honestly, the thing that I'll
take from that conversation the most was that feeling good
and mentally and emotionally feeling inspired by the footwear that
you see and not just that you wear, is such
a huge induicator still of athlete letic performance when we
(29:01):
are wearing shoes. So it was really great to have that.
I felt less guilty about picking up shoes that I
think are real sexy and swagged out what about you,
meg right, same, um, same. I told you about my
pink obsession. I'll wear a pink shoe and it's not
the best and most comfortable, but yet I still wear it.
I don't know what it is. Still motivates you, I know,
(29:23):
and motivates it makes you feel good, So it's important
hearing like everything that goes into the creation of a shoe.
I just have like this whole new appreciation. And then
whenever she said that women's feet are more sensitive, I
was like, hold up, I cannot wait to tell my
husband this because I have told him. I was like,
I'm pretty sure my feet are more sensitive. I know
they're more sensitive. I can tell they're more sensitive, and
(29:44):
he's never believed me. So now I'm like, I have
it for effect that this is true. She said, what
do she say they were more sensitive, they're more flexible,
and there are slightly different shape I think. I mean,
I've never seen feet that look the same and any
two humans. Yeah, it's so wild that like one pair
of shoe could be made for so many different people.
(30:07):
They just the way that they crafted, it's just incredible. Yes,
there's so much excellence that goes into that big mission
that footwear designers have. And I'm so appreciative of Jesse
for being so dedicated in the team anyway, for being
so dedicated into creating the best and most supportive product
for all of us athletes. And with that, I think
it's great for us to talk about how we can
(30:28):
best support each other in our gold check in Chicken.
Tell us, what are you working on this week? Well,
I am currently in like a recovery period because I
have about a week left until my injections start for
my fertility medication. So I had my last training session
(30:49):
a few days ago. Now it's just kind of tapering off,
So I'm just focused on moving each day, getting my
body up and going. That's my goal for the next
seven eight days. Just get up and out, even if
it's outside. I'm either going to go for a walk
or I'm going to hop on my tempo machine here
at home. I also have some weights in the garage.
I might just do some light stretching and some very
(31:11):
very simple strength training. I never used my five pound weights,
but you know what, I'm using them this week, and
that's okay. That's all part of the fitness journey. And
sometimes in life things happen and you have to make adjustments.
I'm on my fertility journey now, and that's okay. I'm
still proud of this progress I'm gonna make in the
next week because it's going to help me, I know,
overall prepare my body for all these hormones and injections
(31:34):
that are about to happen. So that's kind of where
I am on right now in our resting period. I
love that we are all proud of you, and we're
also thankful that you're sharing now with this. I feel
very similar in that goal. I want to be recovering
and be appropriate my activity, and you know, at the
later end of my luteal phase, and for me, that's
(31:55):
about starting to find more gentle exercise. And it's very
hard for someone who constantly does high intense exercise to
see validity in the less intense stuff and to slow down.
So I know that I could always use the support
from our community, and I also could use this time
(32:19):
to just make sure that I'm planning what's upcoming in
the next couple of weeks. So I love to interact
with everybody in our community. Just continue to share with
us what you guys are up to and how we
can also support you all. You know, you can find
us on Instagram, both of us, and then Meg, You're
on Twitter right, Oh yeah, I'm on Twitter, out there tweeting.
I love it. I'm out there tweeting perfect Well, thanks
(32:41):
again for joining us fit fam. If you liked what
you heard on the show, you can subscribe for free
or follow the show on the I heart radio app,
Apple podcasts, or wherever you listen, and don't forget to
leave a five star rating and review. Until next time,
Stay inspired, stay motivated, and remember to always sweat the details.
H If you liked what you heard on the show,
(33:11):
subscribe for free or follow the show on the I
Heart radio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you listen, and
don't forget to leave a five star rating and review.
Sweat the Details is a collaboration with under Armour and
I Heart Radio. Our show was hosted by me Monica
Jones and me Meg Bogs. Our executive producers are just
strip Stein, Just Sell, Louis Archbald, Molly Sosha and Maya Cole.
(33:33):
Our producers are Kelly an Tole, Layla Cadrein, Emma Osborne
and Alejandra Arivalo. And our sound editor and engineer is
Sarah give Alaska. Keep up the latest news in women's
fitness by following under Armour at under Armour Women and
at under Armour
For me why I really like my job and I
just want to design things that make people happy and
make them feel good about themselves. And at the end
of the day, that's like the biggest mark for success.
This is Sweat the Details, a collaboration with under Armour
and I Heart Radio, a sports and training podcast made
(00:21):
for women by women. I'm Meg Bogs. I'm a powerlifter, author,
body positivity advocate and mother. And I'm Monica Jones. I'm
a fitness coach, boxer, business owner and u a athlete.
Every episode, Meg and I will talk to athletes, trainers,
and experts and learn more about how the body and
mind work together in training and competition. And in today's episode,
we are feeding our deep love of athletic shoes with
(00:43):
our guests. Jesse Benjamin Jesse is a senior footwear designer
under Armour and has nearly two decades of experience designing
shoes for major apparel and footwear brands. Jesse has designed
some incredible stuff. She's responsible for the designs behind the
UA Breathlace, the Hover Rise to the are My All Day,
every Days, and the newly released you a Flow Breakthrough two,
which is already gaining some fans among the w NBA players. Honestly, Mon,
(01:08):
I've been browsing all of the shoes that Jesse has
created over the years, and not only is there a
ton of research that goes into her under armour shoes,
but all of her designs are legitimately something I would
want to wear. Like all of them, they generally look
very cool too. And you know what, I gotta be
honest because I know personally that there's a lot more
to consider to a shoe than how it looks. But
(01:29):
for me, I just feel like that's a really big
factor for me when I'm trying to decide on a
new pair of training shoes. That's just me, Mon, what
about you? How much does the look play and you know,
and choosing athletic shoes for you. I'm not gonna lie either.
It's still pretty much the first thing, right, I want
to say, first and only, But like you get a
(01:51):
bunion and then you're like, all right, well, I guess
I guess we should do some more research. But yeah,
I am. I'm a kick fanatic. I have over seventy
pairs and it's a problem. I feel you. I feel
it's like every time I'm trying to get a new
pair of shoes. My first thought is, Okay, what color
way do I want? What kind of what that's like
(02:11):
the first thing I think of, And then after that
I'm like, Okay, now I need to kind of weed
out the ones that are the most functional for what
I'm looking for in my shoes. But what do you
say we hear about shoes from the expert? Yes, ma'am.
Here's our interview with Senior U, a footwear designer, Jesse Benjamin.
What is up fit? Fam? We are so pumped over
(02:33):
here today because we have an incredible under o, our
footwear designer with us, Jesse Benjamin. Welcome, Jessey, thank you
for having me excited to be here. Yeah, so what
does it mean to be a footwear designer? Can you
just walk us through like a typical day in the life.
What are you up to every day? Sure? Um, it
is a fun job and it looks a little bit
(02:54):
different every day. It all starts with the consumers. Um.
The more we can connect with consumers and get out
into the world, you know, the more inspiration comes in.
And it's really important to have that connection and to
be able to spend time with people all over the
world and can get immersed in different cultures to be
able to design for them. So what I do is
I take some of that inspiration and then I just
(03:14):
started sketching, and then from there like we go through
like the series of events and working with people to
a final presentation, and then once it's presented, we start
with sampling. But there's this back and forth with your
teammates and factories and everybody in between to kind of
get it to a place where everybody feels really good
(03:35):
about it. And I think the most rewarding part of
it is getting to see it on people's feet. And
for me, why I really like my jobs. I just
want to design things that make people happy and make
them feel good about themselves. And at the end of
the day, that's like the biggest mark for success in
my opinion. That is so cool. Yeah, you know, now,
in total my career wise, I've been in forward for
(03:57):
at some capacity for over fifteen years, so you know,
feel really grateful. It's taking me all up and down
the West Coast. Um. I've worked on everything from like
wood clogs to basketball shoes at this point and everything
in between. So I'm I'm really grateful that I was
able to find it. Yeah, that's amazing. Let's get into
the process. Can you tell us about the process of
(04:17):
coming up with a new pair of shoes? So what
are the steps that you follow? So at the beginning
of the season, we usually all kind of collaborate around
this thing called the brief, which tells us what kind
of shoe we want to make, who we want to
make it for, UM, and it's really kind of like
our guide throughout the season. We want to make sure
that we are designing for this person for these types
of activities, you know, at this price point, and we
(04:39):
kind of referenced it throughout the whole entire process, just
really kind of holding us true to who we're signing for.
So after that, I kind of dive into like consumer
research around culture, biomechanics, and UM. I start sketching and
pulling to the other imagery of things that I think
are inspiring or things that I think will mean something
to this consumer. UM. For example, I guess for spring
(05:01):
summer twenty two, I've designed something that was really more
based off of like feel like how you want this
product to really feel on somebody's body, but also you know,
how do you just really make them feel generally, you know,
So keeping that in mind, like I I started sketching
and we kind of refined the design and then we
present it and then once everybody is happy with the design,
(05:23):
it feels good about it, we send it to start
getting sampled. So we go through a sampling process where
we usually work with the factory back and forth. And yeah,
so like once that process is kind of going and
solidify everything, we start getting samples back. And I work
with a really great team of color designers who will
take my design and apply beautiful colors to them as
(05:47):
well as, like I worked with some really great material developers,
So we work to make sure like materials are all
dialed and we're meeting all the points that we're made
in the brief all throughout the process. And then yeah,
we get we start getting more and more samples back
that are like fully dialed and all the colors and
all the final materials that were kind of envisioning in
And that happens at least twice in the season, so
(06:09):
everybody gets their eyes on the products and there's kind
of its final form until we kind of like sign
off on it and say Okay, this this fits well,
it looks great. Um, it's meeting all the points that
we wanted to make within the brief and uh, it's
good to go. And this process happens about twice a
year for multiple products at a time. That is a
lot of teamwork. That's great. Let's talk about you as
(06:32):
an athlete personally and your fitness journey. How has your
love with sports influenced or even inspired some of your
designs that you're sketching. Yeah, most of the sports that
I like played team wise. We're definitely in my youth
and I have always struggled to find shoes that fit me.
My feet like tend to run a little bit more narrow,
(06:54):
I think than most. And um, I think a lot
of the struggles that I had, like when I was
trying to find products that fit and look the way
that I want him to look. I think hopefully we're
kind of addressing some of those things, you know, and
some even more product in the future. Our biomechanics team
kind of gave us some information around like women's feet
and how they're different than men's feet, you know, shape wise,
(07:17):
just the morphology of our feet are just a little
bit different. I think and sometimes when it comes to
performance footwear, having shoes that fit properly means a lot.
You're sliding around in your foot, it's really taking your
head out of the activity that you're doing. You don't
want to be distracted by your footwear. And based off
of the morphology, like we created a last specifically for
(07:40):
women that had a narrow heel, a higher arch, a
lower instep in the forefoot, and narrower instep in the forefoot,
and and that was always just really a struggle for me.
I always had to put double socks on inserts in
my shoes. I was always tying my shoes super tight
so that you know, the ice days were almost touching
each other. Not a good look. And even the running
(08:02):
shoes that I would have to wear because of the
way that my feet were were never the hot shoes.
They are never like the cool shoes that made me
feel good. I was more focused on how they felt
and how it's going to make me perform. But you know,
that mental aspect of feeling good was not there. And
that's something that I think we're striving to kind of
build into the shoes like and want that perfect combination
of good performance, looking good, um and feeling good whatever
(08:27):
your activity you're doing, and some swag. Yeah exactly. I
have the opposite problem, have very wide feet, so I'm
always struggling to find shoes that fit because they're always
so tight y. I understand the wrong shoes just not
good big toes like curving, so very special thing. There's
things happening in my shoes. Yeah, definitely. It's definitely not
(08:50):
a one size fits all, that's for sure when it
comes you know, when it comes to anything, but especially footwear,
if your feet are bothering, you know, it affects your
whole body, you know. I love that. Yeah, and we're
designing for all athletes. But what would you say are
the biggest differences between men and women's feet that you've learned?
So from our biomechanics team, I learned that women's feet
(09:11):
are actually more sensitive than men's feet, that we have
more sensory receptors in our feet. I did not know that,
but now hearing that, I think that a lot of
that makes sense. And the way that women articulate how
the shoe is feeling is very different than men. But
I think we're a lot more articulate when it comes
to those types of things, probably in part because we
(09:32):
feel a bit more down there. That's been one thing
that it was pretty surprising to me. I guess women's
feet are also typically a little bit more flexible than
men's feet and generally a different shape in some cases,
you know, even though it's mine or when it comes
to your foot, where millimeters make a difference, um within
your fit and how it's filling. You know, I always
knew that I had struggles with my youth with the fit,
(09:52):
but I never really knew exactly why that was. Now
I've got validation from scientists, which is great. It's so interesting.
So there have been some pretty major, you know, collaborations
with big stars and sports and entertainment. How do you
approach creating those designs and those collaborations and who or
what was your favorite design collaboration. So with the women's
(10:16):
basketball shoot that I'm working on like well and with
into the process of the design of the second Breakthrough,
and we had signed those three w NBA players to
the under Armour roster of athletes that are really amazing
and inspiring, and so we kind of tapped into them
a little bit more within like the Breakthrough three design,
which won't come out till Fault twenty two. We're starting
(10:38):
communications with them now and hoping to get more and
more input from our players as time goes by. With
the first break Through, like, we had a chance pre
COVID to spend a little time with the China women's
basketball team, the three on three teams, which was really
cool and they gave us some really good insights into
what they were looking for as far as a basketball
shoe goes, and things that we could do to make
(11:00):
a better product for them. That was also fun like that.
So you love the Breakthrough collection, and I'm sure that
there's some different technology that's gone into these shoes versus
you know, probably when you started in footwear over a
decade ago. So tell us about other technological advances that
you've seen in the evolution of footwear since you join
(11:23):
the industry. Yeah, I'd say since I join, Like the
use of three D applications, you know, has has definitely
kind of taken over, and I think that's definitely like
in the future, um, you know, being able to three
D print things or create things, and three D applications
where that are spinnable, you know, it's creates more realistic
(11:44):
imagery and design um than you ever could in the
flat drying. So that was a big difference, a big
jump at the time, and still it's like a big
part of our process now is like being able to
work with three D designers and create things where we
can have creen outs of three D objects like so,
sustainability is a big thing UM and being able to
(12:07):
you know, create knitted uppers um you know, where there's
been a very minimal waste and you can use recycle
materials things like that. Is is definitely kind of one
of my favorite evolutions within within the industry. It's just
that drive to make things more sustainable, I think is
really driving a lot of innovation at this point. That's
so cool. That's so neat that you're able to see
(12:27):
everything up close as it's evolved. Yeah, awesome. You've mentioned
like materials a couple of times, so I want to
ask what are some of your favorite materials for athletic
footwear and why? Yeah, I think I I had mentioned
knit um like knit innovation is. I think it's really interesting.
It's always kind of evolving. Things are getting UM better
(12:49):
and easier to make UM. The you know from the
threads and like the thread qualities and like what they're
made out of to the actual structures of the nit.
And you know, sustainability to me is really important. So
that's kind of why I really love working with that,
just because it really minimizes waste. Yeah, so I really
like that. I love I love working with films as well,
(13:11):
just because there's so many different beautiful finishes and effects
you can get with them. Um, it's it's it's just
a personal thing, but I really love that. And like
the trims, like the laces, the like small details like
webbings and textures of your webbings and the texture of
your lining, things like that, Like I kind of obsess
over because I think it's all about the details. Yeah. Absolutely,
(13:32):
I am obsessed with those flows and the velocity with
the knit. It's like it weighs nothing. Yea. If I'm
going to walk around with multiple pairs of shoes for
multiple reasons, I'm so happy to carry running shoes that
don't weigh much. And it's just it's really dope. So
how do you approach designing a running shoe versus a
(13:53):
basketball shoe versus a cross training shoe. Yeah, I've only
really got to work on one performance running shoe at
this point, and that was really eye opening to me
because there's people that are just so into it and
there's just so many layers and different types of runners
that I had never really um experienced before. So I
really loved diving into the consumer and getting to work
(14:14):
with the team who is really focused on that, you know,
from a biomechanics point of view to a manufacturing in
development point of view. UM that was really fun, very
eye opening to me, even though I'm not necessarily a runner.
I just really like the mindset of that consumer and
focusing on what they want and figuring out like their
motivation and how can we design a product that is
(14:37):
perfect for them. Where do you need stability, where do
you need flexibility? Where do you need your maximum cushing?
Like how they're moving their body and how we can
best support that is really kind of where it starts.
So you know, whether it's for training, if you're lifting
things like that, Like how the body is moving, how
can we best support it is kind of the building
(14:58):
blocks of bringing together the design and so interesting. So
how do you evaluate them the performance and comfort of
the footwear, so you have you have all this, you know, information,
this is how we're wanting the shoe. These are the
things we need from the shoe. How do you even
evaluate the performance of it and the comfort of it? Yeah,
So we work a lot with our developers are engineers,
and through that collaboration, we really make sure that it
(15:21):
flexes in the right places or it's stable in the
right places, and and we're designing it to move and
react the way that we wanted to so um like,
through the process, we work with them and then once
we start getting samples back, like, we wear a test them,
so get the shoes on people's feet and they do
multiple tests throughout the season so that we can get
(15:41):
kind of firsthand input from different athletes into consumers. Is
it comfortable, does it fit well? Um? Does it feel
you know, tight enough, breathable enough. We usually have kind
of a checklist per design as to what we expected
to do and what we wanted to do and how
we wanted to feel. So going through that process definitely
helps us kind of nail the construct action and the design. Um.
(16:01):
You know, it's a give and take. Sometimes you have
a design that you really like, but it might not
necessarily function the way that it should be. So nobody
wants to shoe that they can't wear. Even if it
looks beautiful, it's pointless. So just making sure that it
does what it needs to do is kind of the
most important aspect. I'm so thankful you guys are so
performance driven, because I would be so emotionally attached to,
(16:25):
like a good looking shoe if something didn't work, I'd
be like, but when can we just make the exception
and thank goodness for the integrity there. I mean, I've
definitely had those moments or yeah, you know, like but
like there's just no way to make it work that
you know, and I likely I work with a lot
of people who are very willing to collaborate and you know,
meet me halfway. So I love that. I would like
(16:47):
have the wall of like the shoes that just didn't
make it. I'd be like, I still love y'all. Yeah,
I definitely have a closet full of samples that that like,
there are aspects of that I still of and and
want to integrate at a design at some point, but
you know, only when it's right. So yeah, you'll be like,
(17:07):
I knew that was gonna work exactly back. I love
that we did talk about the difference between a man
and a woman's foot briefly. Why do you think it's
important to create shoes by testing them on women first?
And you know, are there any other physiological characteristics in
men and women's feet that make it necessary for the
different shoes? I know, like women first, but but why Yeah?
(17:32):
I mean I think that women have kind of been
overlooked for a long time when it comes to performance
and athletic gear and footwear. And you know, I think
now more than ever that is a super important thing
to pay attention to because we're over half of the
population and um, there's more and more brands out there
(17:54):
that are women building for women and it's really exciting
to watch. So I know we're talking about men's feet
and women's feet, but what are some ways that shoe
design is trying to be more inclusive actually going beyond
that gender binary? I think it all starts with the
team that you're working with too. You know, if you're
(18:15):
working with a team that is really diverse, like you're
going to get products that work for a larger group
of people. I think, you know, that's really important to
think about while you're designing. You know, at the end
of the day, like that brief is so important because
it really kind of identifies who it is, and those
briefs are created by a diverse group of people. It's
important that you get like people with authentic voices in
(18:37):
the room. So I think it really kind of starts there.
The love that. Al Right, we have loved your insights
going into how to design actually happens, how you collaborate
with your team and where all that comes from. And
we know that you have so much more insight to
give to our listeners as far as how to actually
pick the right pair of shoes, you know, other things
(19:00):
that can help them. So we gotta want to talk
about a little bit more of those insights. Do you
feel like a pair of shoes can make or break
someone's athletic performance? I do. Yeah, I think we're wearing
the right pair of shoes. UM definitely will allow you
to move your body the way you want. UM, keep
your head in the game, uh, you know, make you
(19:20):
feel good, keep you in the game mentally and physically.
So yeah, I think that fit and feel is is
incredibly important. You heard it here first, guys. It is
a fact. I love that. So one of the most
important characteristics to you, just that people should be looking
for in a new pair of athletic shoes. A lot
of it is really subjective. It could be like a
really great color way that somebody is really drawn to.
(19:43):
I know that happens to myself. Uh, you know all
the time, Like if something looks just looks great and
it's a beautiful color, like I gotta have it. So.
Um it could be the color, it could be the construction,
It could be just the concept behind it that you
are really drawn to. And I think people are more
kind of tuned into that creation now than ever, Like
(20:05):
there's more information and more transparency and a lot of that,
which is which is great. Like I definitely have had
products where I've fallen in love with the story or
the way that they've been manufactured or the way that
they look. You know, it could be a multiple of
different things that draws you to it. Yeah, if it's
got pink on it, I mean you're gonna have to
hold me back. Yeah. So when you're walking into you know,
(20:28):
a footwear store, everything is kind of separated. You have
your running shoes over here, basketball over here, dance over here. Um,
so could you tell us a little bit about the
differences between these type of athletic footwear. Yeah, you know,
it all kind of starts with the last um, which
is created kind of based off of the movements that
you are doing within the sport at the athletic field.
(20:50):
So you know, if it's training and lifting, like you
might have a lower offset, which means like your shoe
is not quite angled as much as like something like
a running shoe or it's a basketball shoe, it might
be like a little bit wider in the fore foot. UM.
So all these lasts are kind of created with these
movements in mind. So it starts there, and then like
(21:12):
the builds of the shoes are all different. You know,
if you're wearing a running shoes, you wanted to be
a really lightweight, really breathable UM, but that might not
necessarily translate to something like a cleat where you need
to be really confined and um have control over your
movements on a field. So they're all really just designed
very specifically to help an athlete do those moves that
(21:32):
they are meant to do. I love that that's that
makes so much sense because you're going to be doing
a lot of lateral motion, right if you're playing basketball
a distance runners moving forward, yes, not doing much breaking right,
and they got that constant movement pattern going for them.
So yes. Is there any other reason why you want
(21:55):
to choose specific footwear to your sport other than the
movement patterns? Yeah, I mean that that's definitely part of it.
But you know, if you have a shoe that is, um,
not supportive when you need it to be supportive, that
you can, you know, cause injuries to yourself, which you
know obviously it's not a good thing. Um. You know,
(22:17):
you have your your joints to think about as well.
So just really making sure that you choose choose footwear
that is appropriate to the movement you're doing, like you know,
can affect your entire body. I see people in the
gym all the time with running shoes and it always
makes me cringe a little bit, especially if you're doing
like lunges and lifts and things like that. So like,
(22:37):
oh gosh, this don't hurt yourself, um, but you know,
I think your performance could would be better. You know,
if you're wearing a shoe that was designed specifically to
help you make the movements that you're trying to do. Yeah,
I jumped on the treadmill one time with my just
regular under armour flat lifters, and it was just not
(22:58):
the greatest experience. They are not meant for that. They're
flat shoes, their shoes. How do we know that we
shouldn't be wearing a pair of running shoes anymore? I've
been like dying to ask you this because I get
a lot of those questions as a trainer, and you know,
I would love your insight on when it's time to
say goodbye to our trusty runners. Yeah. No, I think
(23:22):
any shoe after a certain amount of time kind of
changes over time, you know, when it comes to wear
and so like if the midsoles maybe like packing out
and it's getting a little bit firmer than it used
to be. You know, if the traction is not what
it used to be, that wears out over time, and um,
if it becomes too slick for what you needed to
use it for, then it's definitely time to to switch
(23:44):
it out. Well, those are great insights because it's like, hey,
rather than wait till you feel paid, Maybe if your
shoe doesn't give you any more grip, or if your
foot is completely sliding around it now, then it it
might be done. Yes, yes, I've all been there, I think. Yes,
I've had heels flopping off of my two girls, like
can't let it go? These are these are lucky people
(24:07):
Like yeah, definitely, Jesse, I'm so inspired listening to the
process of getting into this career and designing shoes for
our listeners out there who are also feeling inspired. How
do you recommend they get started in pursue a career
in footwear design like you Yeah, um so, I mean,
I think there's definitely different avenues. I think the most
(24:30):
common one is to study industrial design or product design
footwear design, And there's so many platforms that you can
reach out to people through, um, you know, whether it's
linked in or social media. It's like that also just
really powerful ways to kind of connect with people and
to show your your work. Um, making connections with people
(24:52):
is really important, and getting some insights from people who
actually are part of the process right now is is
kind of key. So whichever way you choose to kind
of reach out to somebody or to kind of study
work of different people, UM, you know, I would, I
would really kind of start there. You know. I found
a lot of people coming in already have great experience,
(25:14):
um actually designing some really interesting footwear. So seeing all
kinds of different interesting shapes and constructions now that people
are coming up with is really inspiring. Come as you are,
but work on your education and don't be afraid to
reach out under armours. Sweat the Details will be back
after a short break. Welcome back to Sweat the Details. Well, y'all,
(25:44):
I think it's time for a little game one we
like to call perfect pair. I really thought I'm gonna
roll my are better than that anyways, So this is
just a fun thing that we like to do with
our guests where we just ask you as a question.
So I'm gonna ask you about which pair of shoes
is a perfect pair for every occasion and then why
(26:05):
you love them. So every question is just going to
start with what's your favorite pair of shoes for? And
then you're going to answer the first pair of shoes
that comes to mind and why? Okay, are you ready? Yes? Okay?
What's your favorite pair of shoes for walking the dog? Cheese? Um,
honestly I wear slides for that. Yeah, so you know,
(26:27):
my my dog is small, he only goes on small walks,
so slides is usually my go to. What are your
favorite pair of shoes for training at the gym? The
Hover Rise I think works really well for me. You know,
it's just enough stability, um, and enough flexibility and the
foot to you know, get a little bit of running in,
but also did in some of that weightlifting and um,
more dynamic workouts in as well. Cool. What's your favorite
(26:52):
pair of shoes for Pride Parade? Pride Parade? Um, I
really loved the Pride phantoms. Um. I think there's been
a couple of seasons where there's some really beautiful phantoms
that were my favorite from the Pride collection. Yes, I'm
excited for this one. What's your favorite pair of shoes
for a casual night with friends? Casual night with friends? Um? Yeah,
I live in Portland and rains here a lot. Um,
(27:13):
A good pair of leather waterproof boots are kind of
key staple to your wardrobe, so UM, I would say,
you know, I guess going with the extremes with a
strappy sandal to a big waterproof leather boot. Next, what's
your favorite pair of shoes for a morning run? Oh?
(27:34):
I really like the Velocities UM, the Velocity wins UM.
You know they're really lightweight. Um. I think the design
is really interesting. Um, they feel good on foot. Um,
so that's kind of my go too. Awesome, Okay, perfect pair.
We love it. Jesse, You've been so incredible. We really
love hearing about your dedication in over a decade to
(27:57):
footwear design, and we've really loved hearing you talk about
how we can become better at choosing our shoes and
how we can best take care of them. We want
to thank you so much for coming on the show
and we really appreciate you. Please let us know where
we can find you. Yeah, you can find me on
LinkedIn if anyone is interested in footwear design and it
has any questions. Um, my website is just Jesse Benjamin
(28:19):
dot com. Um. It is a link to a little
bit of my work, um, not all of it, but
a little snapshot of it. Um. And you can get
a hold of me through that as well. But yeah,
thank you so much for having me. It's been really
fun to talk to you. Yes, ma'am, it was fantastic
getting to talk to Jesse Benjamin. She was such a
(28:40):
fantastic resource and I think, honestly, the thing that I'll
take from that conversation the most was that feeling good
and mentally and emotionally feeling inspired by the footwear that
you see and not just that you wear, is such
a huge induicator still of athlete letic performance when we
(29:01):
are wearing shoes. So it was really great to have that.
I felt less guilty about picking up shoes that I
think are real sexy and swagged out what about you,
meg right, same, um, same. I told you about my
pink obsession. I'll wear a pink shoe and it's not
the best and most comfortable, but yet I still wear it.
I don't know what it is. Still motivates you, I know,
(29:23):
and motivates it makes you feel good, So it's important
hearing like everything that goes into the creation of a shoe.
I just have like this whole new appreciation. And then
whenever she said that women's feet are more sensitive, I
was like, hold up, I cannot wait to tell my
husband this because I have told him. I was like,
I'm pretty sure my feet are more sensitive. I know
they're more sensitive. I can tell they're more sensitive, and
(29:44):
he's never believed me. So now I'm like, I have
it for effect that this is true. She said, what
do she say they were more sensitive, they're more flexible,
and there are slightly different shape I think. I mean,
I've never seen feet that look the same and any
two humans. Yeah, it's so wild that like one pair
of shoe could be made for so many different people.
(30:07):
They just the way that they crafted, it's just incredible. Yes,
there's so much excellence that goes into that big mission
that footwear designers have. And I'm so appreciative of Jesse
for being so dedicated in the team anyway, for being
so dedicated into creating the best and most supportive product
for all of us athletes. And with that, I think
it's great for us to talk about how we can
(30:28):
best support each other in our gold check in Chicken.
Tell us, what are you working on this week? Well,
I am currently in like a recovery period because I
have about a week left until my injections start for
my fertility medication. So I had my last training session
(30:49):
a few days ago. Now it's just kind of tapering off,
So I'm just focused on moving each day, getting my
body up and going. That's my goal for the next
seven eight days. Just get up and out, even if
it's outside. I'm either going to go for a walk
or I'm going to hop on my tempo machine here
at home. I also have some weights in the garage.
I might just do some light stretching and some very
(31:11):
very simple strength training. I never used my five pound weights,
but you know what, I'm using them this week, and
that's okay. That's all part of the fitness journey. And
sometimes in life things happen and you have to make adjustments.
I'm on my fertility journey now, and that's okay. I'm
still proud of this progress I'm gonna make in the
next week because it's going to help me, I know,
overall prepare my body for all these hormones and injections
(31:34):
that are about to happen. So that's kind of where
I am on right now in our resting period. I
love that we are all proud of you, and we're
also thankful that you're sharing now with this. I feel
very similar in that goal. I want to be recovering
and be appropriate my activity, and you know, at the
later end of my luteal phase, and for me, that's
(31:55):
about starting to find more gentle exercise. And it's very
hard for someone who constantly does high intense exercise to
see validity in the less intense stuff and to slow down.
So I know that I could always use the support
from our community, and I also could use this time
(32:19):
to just make sure that I'm planning what's upcoming in
the next couple of weeks. So I love to interact
with everybody in our community. Just continue to share with
us what you guys are up to and how we
can also support you all. You know, you can find
us on Instagram, both of us, and then Meg, You're
on Twitter right, Oh yeah, I'm on Twitter, out there tweeting.
I love it. I'm out there tweeting perfect Well, thanks
(32:41):
again for joining us fit fam. If you liked what
you heard on the show, you can subscribe for free
or follow the show on the I heart radio app,
Apple podcasts, or wherever you listen, and don't forget to
leave a five star rating and review. Until next time,
Stay inspired, stay motivated, and remember to always sweat the details.
H If you liked what you heard on the show,
(33:11):
subscribe for free or follow the show on the I
Heart radio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you listen, and
don't forget to leave a five star rating and review.
Sweat the Details is a collaboration with under Armour and
I Heart Radio. Our show was hosted by me Monica
Jones and me Meg Bogs. Our executive producers are just
strip Stein, Just Sell, Louis Archbald, Molly Sosha and Maya Cole.
(33:33):
Our producers are Kelly an Tole, Layla Cadrein, Emma Osborne
and Alejandra Arivalo. And our sound editor and engineer is
Sarah give Alaska. Keep up the latest news in women's
fitness by following under Armour at under Armour Women and
at under Armour
Hosts And Creators
Monica Jones
Meg Boggs
Popular Podcasts
The Breakfast Club
The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy And Charlamagne Tha God!
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Decisions, Decisions
Welcome to "Decisions, Decisions," the podcast where boundaries are pushed, and conversations get candid! Join your favorite hosts, Mandii B and WeezyWTF, as they dive deep into the world of non-traditional relationships and explore the often-taboo topics surrounding dating, sex, and love. Every Monday, Mandii and Weezy invite you to unlearn the outdated narratives dictated by traditional patriarchal norms. With a blend of humor, vulnerability, and authenticity, they share their personal journeys navigating their 30s, tackling the complexities of modern relationships, and engaging in thought-provoking discussions that challenge societal expectations. From groundbreaking interviews with diverse guests to relatable stories that resonate with your experiences, "Decisions, Decisions" is your go-to source for open dialogue about what it truly means to love and connect in today's world. Get ready to reshape your understanding of relationships and embrace the freedom of authentic connections—tune in and join the conversation!