Silence is golden. Imagine the impact a simple running shoe can make in the world by focusing on the environment. Think a little lateral for a minute. Some remember a time when leisure suits were hot stuff – not most of us though. Well Brooks Running reaches deep into the closet for these once treasured garments and is literally weaving them into some hot kicks. Honestly at first blush the Green Silence is laugh out loud strange looking, but the facts behind these eye-catching, visually loud shoes amplify a voice of sustainability for the environment.

The Green Silence by Brooks utilizes both recycled and earth-friendly materials while sporting a wild design constructed using roughly half the materials of comparable shoes in the market. When it comes to sustainability the Green Silence seemed like the perfect match for a run commuter. The ideologies behind both blend as a near perfect match giving your ability to make a light carbon foot print mighty magnification.

Here’s a couple factoids speaking behind the silence.

• 75% Post-consumer recycled shoe materials
• 100% Post-consumer recycled shoe laces
• 100% Recycled packaging (90% post-consumer recycled)
• Water-based adhesives used throughout
• All dyes and colorants are non-toxic
• 1/2 as many parts as comparable shoes (saving oil and energy)

All sustainability facts aside for a second. For a running shoe to be a real winner it has harness all the functionality and sustainability elements into performance. Since these shoes seem to weigh in at just about nothing they are prime for both competition or ideal for those interested in the “free running” movement. During testing I intentionally focused on turning some intensely long commute miles in the Silence. The first session was a short 3 miler on a treadmill which was a great proving ground for the general fit and feel. After the initial session I hit the roads pretty hard. The commute runs ranged in distance from 18 miles down to 8 miles. Along the way the shoes performed well and exactly as I imagined with a minor exception. Yes this is a great competition shoe and I’d likely take them through races from 5k to marathon. Now the training is another story for me personally. Since the shoe is so lightweight there is also less support. After two weeks and about 100 miles my feet and right IT band were starting to flair up (which speaks to my need for more support and increased strengthening more so than any deficiency in the shoes). My advice for a runner interested adopting the Green Silence is to slowly ease these shoes into your training schedule starting with the shorter distances and working your way up as much as your body can handle. I know now that the rest of my time in these shoes will be dual purpose – shorter commutes when I need to race the clock and various distances racing this summer season.

This whole review process was really cool. Not only was I turning my back on a traditional vehicle as a mode of transportation, but now my feet were sporting an authentically sustainable shoe. What a double win for the environment.