Matt Mitchell (5’9, 150 lb / 175 cm, 68 kg):
Naked Sports Innovations’ product line has evolved quite a bit from their original Running Band, a sophisticated yet straightforward piece of gear whose wild popularity in recent years caught even Naked’s Co-founder, Lindsay Dakota, off guard (you can hear more about the company’s story from Lindsay’s appearance on our Off The Couch podcast). With a proven design identity in their Band, the brand applied the same concepts of minimalism and functionality to other pieces of apparel, including running vests and sports bras (or, “Spras”). Not content to sit idle — “innovation” is in their name, after all — Naked’s eventual move into the trail shoe space didn’t come as much of a surprise.
Their debut, the Naked T/r, is nothing but novel. Following a similar strategy as Speedland’s first model, the SL:PDX, Naked took a blank-check approach to design and developed the T/r in a financial vacuum, with no expense spared. The result is an ambitiously styled trail racer with all of the hallmarks of a boutique project, including the price tag ($290). The shoe features a complete no-sew TPU upper, knit bootie, carbon fiber performance plate, a Vibram Megagrip outsole, and, what will probably create the most buzz, Naked’s “Laceless Technology.” Like with the Running Band, the driving force behind the T/r is “simplexity,” or the notion that simple design aspects can often improve the utility of complex products. I’ve long been of the opinion that the best pieces of gear are the ones you forget you’re using, a stance very much in line with Naked’s thinking.
After a spell on the injury reserve, I’ve cautiously started up running again, perhaps a bit prematurely. Naked sent me a pair of the T/r a while ago, and after weeks of taunting me from my shoe rack as I did my dumb PT exercises, I finally grew frustrated enough to slip them on and go for a run. Since my body decided to start cooperating again, I’ve put about 20ish miles in the Naked T/r and have been intrigued enough by the shoe to commit to a full review of it this fall. In the interim, I’ll provide a few of my initial thoughts and outline what about this unique shoe’s design makes it stand out in the market.
Coming to terms with the T/r’s limits might be the best way to understand it, laceless technology and carbon plate aside. Its slim silhouette shares lines with sleek racing models like the Salomon S/LAB Sense series, making for a narrow, “Euro-style” fit. Combined with a minimal EVA midsole (26 mm / 21 mm) made even more rigid by the shoe’s carbon plate, the T/r has a high degree of specificity for shorter, faster efforts that will likely disqualify it as an everyday option for most folks. Despite wanting to flaunt my pair on local trails, I’ve yet to really adapt my feet to its lack of cushioning and inflexibility, so most of my outings in the shoe have been hemmed in by some discomfort. I’m hoping that some combination of my feet toughening up and/or the midsole breaking in will allow me to run in the T/r with a longer leash in the coming weeks.
As far as Naked’s Laceless Technology goes, I’m definitely becoming more of a skeptic the longer I spend with the T/r on foot. I’ll try and keep my thoughts relatively brief here, realizing that these takes are still pretty half-baked, but I think the shoe’s lack of laces is more of an unneeded stylistic flourish than it is a solution to a “problem” I didn’t know existed. Personally, I’ve had no issue with traditional lacing systems, assuming they’re done well; tying shoes stopped being an inconvenience when I turned 4. Call me oldfangled, but I like the precision and flexibility having two separate laces affords. Those in want of a simpler approach have quicklace and BOA systems at their disposal now, too; bases covered. Unfortunately for me, I think the pair of T/r I received are a tad long, a problem I’ve ironically been able to lace my way around in previously ill-fitting shoes. By removing the laces entirely, Naked is wagering on their shoe to fit exactly out of the box, a dicey bet for most.
That’s not to say they aren’t onto something though. Sized correctly, the T/r’s “LINERLOC” stitched insole, knit bootie, internal “Agility Cage,” and padded heel collar do feel like they would provide excellent lockdown for medium-width to narrow feet. It would follow that, in the absence of laces, the T/r’s fit would also stay pretty consistent throughout the shoe’s lifespan, which is critical for a model asked to move fast over technical terrain. I think a lot of this potential can be chalked up to the quality of materials Naked privileges at the $290 price point. The T/r’s 1-piece TPU bonded ripstop nylon upper, while not the most breathable, manages what I found to be a good level of protection for its weight, and the shoe’s Vibram Megagrip outsole has worked as advertised, even on the slickest of trails.
While it will take quite a bit of convincing to sell me on the merits of laceless technology, I’ll grant the Naked T/r an opportunity to try. As the brand’s first essay in the shoe game, the T/r is a bold rethinking of performance footwear that experiments with some novel concepts / materials I could see catching on as industry trends. It’s also not without its initial flaws. As my testing period progresses, I’ll be keeping an eye toward whether or not these kinks related to fit work themselves out as the shoe breaks in. Stay tuned for a full review later this month.