MOZO Shoes in the San Fran 5K Race

By Court Fleming
Video recorded by Wes Fleming

I entered the San Francisco 5k race on Sunday July, 26, during the Marathon weekend, to document the comfort technology that we provide for our customers on a daily basis. I was already in San Francisco visiting my family because my mom, dad, sister, aunt, and uncle were running. I also enlisted the help of my brother to run with me and film the 5k run in a pair of MOZO Notte shoes.

The weather was perfect for any racing event: overcast with a cool air temperature. Prior to the race, I wasn’t too concerned with how the shoes would perform over the 3.1 miles, but I was a little worried about finishing with a respectable time. I hadn’t really been running religiously in Colorado, and our brand president (Stuart Jenkins) had a career best 2 hour 19 minute Boston Marathon time, qualifying him for the Olympic Trials in 1983. He’s a die-hard runner, and I knew that anything over an 8 minute pace would be laughable.

When the horn went off for the beginning of the race, I had to zigzag between the multitude of walkers and joggers. These sharp cuts took me back to my soccer playing days, and I was impressed with the lateral support of my MOZO shoes. Despite my best weaving efforts, I could only cross the 1^st mile mark in a time of 9:13. I knew that I had some catching up to do.

As I gradually picked up the pace, the comments and cheers that I received along the course were both encouraging and entertaining. Many of my fellow runners couldn’t believe that I was racing in black work socks and black work shoes, but the Drymax socks and the Notte shoes worked together extremely well as a system. I didn’t feel any hot spots or blisters developing as I continued to run each mile, and my feet didn’t hurt after completing the race, either.

My calves felt more tired than usual at the end of the 5k because my MOZO shoes were a little heavier than my regular running shoes. However, I finished the 5k in a time of 24:24, which equated to a 7:52 pace. I have now officially set the world record for a MOZO 5k! Click here for race results-- First name: Court. Last name: Fleming under the 5k race).

Would I run in my MOZO shoes every day? Probably not. But, knowing that I can run at least 3 miles in them gives me a lot of confidence in the comfort and support when I have to stand in them for 12 hours at any future trade shows. I also hope that it gives you the confidence to tackle your workday in comfort at the restaurant, hospital, airport, hair salon, grocery store, or anywhere else…

Do you have a story to tell about your MOZO shoes? If you do, we would love to hear about it! Email us at: mymozo@mozoshoes.com

Self-Cleaning Outsole

If you've ever baked a cake before, you probably know that the combination of water and flour on the floor can be deadly. Ok, well maybe not "deadly," per se, but definitely dangerous and slippery. Well, what if your job is in a bake house? You don't want to be "walking on eggshells" all day at work just to avoid slipping.

As you probably already know, slip-resistance is a key element in choosing a shoe for the food service industry. There are plenty of options out there, and they all claim to be the best slip-resistant outsole for any surface.

However, we have realized two things:

1. Not all surfaces are alike.
   
2. Not all work environments are alike.

That's why we have created two different outsoles. Our Executive line (Biz Lo, Guru, Four Gore) features a self-cleaning outsole. The wide lugs flex and remove larger particulate matter from the shoe. Workers in bakeries and meat departments have found this design extremely helpful.


Whether you're working with flour, dough, pieces of meat, or fat, the self-cleaning outsole will still provide you with the traction you need at work. Not only does our outsole design provide excellent traction in these kinds of environments, but you are also going to receive premium comfort from MOZO shoes.

Check out some of our video testimonials from Whole Foods bakehouse workers for proof.

Adam (the PBS of the Whole Foods Rocky Mt. bake house) shares why he recommends Mozo over his other shoe vendors.

Marisela tells us (Spanish with subtitles) why after six months, she still loves her Mozos.

Biz Lo lasted over 9 months

MOZO President, Stuart Jenkins, wanted to test the longevity of a pair of MOZO shoes prior to the company re-launch last June. Eric Hellriegel, the managing partner of Skeeter Barnes, was the chosen candidate at Stuart’s favorite restaurant in his home state of Nebraska. The agreement was that Eric would send the shoes back for inspection after he had worn them for a few months.

Well, Eric started wearing his MOZO shoes in June of 2008, and we just recently got them back at our office here in Denver. That’s a little over 9 months of testing the comfort, durability, and slip-resistance in the restaurant environment.

How many hours did Eric log on his pair of Biz Lo shoes? Well, Eric estimates that he wore them for 10 - 12 hours a day, 60+ hours a week, for 9 straight months. Conservatively, that’s a whopping 2,160 hours walking and standing in his MOZO shoes! Eric also estimates that he walks somewhere between 3/4 to 1 mile every hour when he’s working at the restaurant. That’s about 60 miles every week. Eric plans on using his pedometer for his next MOZO trial to get a more accurate reading of his mileage.

Eric mentioned that he struggled with with leg fatigue before he tried out the Biz Lo shoes. “My feet and calves would throb at the end of the day”. Well, after wearing his Biz Lo shoes for a short amount of time, Eric noticed a significant decrease in his leg fatigue and he felt much better at the end of his work-day. Crashing on the couch to rest his feet wasn’t a necessity when he got home anymore, although it was still a nice reward after a long day.

Just imagine, one pair of shoes providing both safety and comfort. Now, it should be noted that Eric has worn just about every kind of work shoe under the sun including more recently Skechers, Doc Martins, and Shoes for Crews. The pair of MOZO shoes “were far superior and they held up much better from the upper to the outsole”.

“I am never going back to a pair of Skechers or Shoes for Crews for work”.

The next time you’re driving across Nebraska on I-80, stop by for some great BBQ and say “hi” to Eric for us.

Profile view of Biz Lo size 10

Biz Lo after 9 months of wear


Slip-resistant Executive Line Outsole

Food Shows

Yesterday was a busy day for us at MOZO. We were spread around the country attending three different food shows in Grand Rapids, Detroit, and Seattle.

These shows were a great opportunity to inform new customers about our shoes that provide safety and comfort. It is amazing to see how puzzled some people were when we told them that our slip-resistant shoes are comfortable. We realize that is comfortable work shoes are not the norm in this industry, but we want you to be able to perform in your work environment without worrying about your knees, back, and feet hurting.

- your friends at MOZO

Central PA Tourism Show

We love daylight savings!


Brett recently attended the Central PA Tourism show and I finally got my hands on the pictures. Brett was there informing many of the Chefs, restaurant owners, and other members of the culinary community about our products. You can see from the picture that he had a booth showing our YouTube video and our shoes. Although he did not find any feet to fill a size 16 this time, he did get to witness the Iron Chef Challenge that they held.

At the Sysco Central PA Tourism Show

Iron Chef Competition

Focused during the Iron Chef Competition

MOZO donated a free pairs of shoes to the each member of the winning team in the Iron Chef competition, and although we are fans of upsets in sports, we were proud to present our shoes to Team #1 - champions for the 3rd consecutive year!

Iron Chef Challenge at the Central PA Show

Mark Pawlowski, Executive Chef/Director of Food & Beverage at the Yorktowne Hotel said this after he received his MOZO shoes: “These shoes are great! The moment I slipped them on and felt the way they gripped the floor, I knew I would be a happy camper… I really appreciate your generous donation of these high quality clogs! Thanks again!”

Well, Mark, we’re glad that you like our shoes so much! We engineered our products especially for Executive Chefs like you!

Again, congrats to the winning team!

- your friends at MOZO