Our story
t-rockets are developed on the toughest trails in Africa. They are tested, used and crafted by a dedicated team of minimalist runners.
Even so t-rockets are unmatched for leisure-use allowing natural movement, building original strength and encouraging a primal connection with earth.
t-rockets are handmade in South Africa. They have been available on a limited basis to enthusiasts around the world since 2013 and are now available to all.
All t-rockets are made with great care and are only presented for use knowing that each pair encompasses the best we can offer.
Get yours, wear them, live them and tell your story.
Out there!
Barefoot perspectives: What does Mike wear under his kilt?
Back at the end of 2012 (when ASA race numbers arrived before the new year) I called Mike and suggested we run the Varsity Kudus 15km barefoot.
Mike, an early doyen of barefooting in SA had taken minimalism to the next level with his sandals and trademark kilt. But we had both been dabbling with pure barefoot running for a while, including for Mike, some desperate quarry running which required the carrying of a brick for who knows how many miles (Bert’s Bricks race of old).
I remember that Kudus run very well as does Mike, I am sure. There was a certain magic in those moments that paused for a long time as we ran connecting earth and sun. Mike’s network of friends and acquaintances prevents the mere running of a race. It becomes a banter-fest of lung-busting exertion. The reason for wearing a kilt, he said, was that no-one noticed he was running barefoot. As a vision-stopper, the kilt kept the gaze of the multitudes from drifting downwards. “What’s under that kilt?” was the standard question. And now hidden in plain sight we see it’s merely a black … err … something.
In spite of the kilt, barefooting in those days attracted much astonishment and some admonition. Yes, it was not uncommon for a race referee or official to administer a dose of reprimand (and on rare occasions mild hostility). “Hoekom draf jy so?” and “Wat makeer jou, waar is jou tekkies?”.
But Varsity Kudus was a Wits run and cares about equality, poverty, Varsity fees and other “wicked” problems left little room for worry about two barefooters.
In those stronger days we ticked off the kays fairly briskly and afterwards spent a while lounging in the summer sun and probably drinking a craft beer. Those miles led to more and longer barefoot runs for myself as well as Mike. In reflection we were fortunate to be at the forefront of the changing mindset that still dictated shoes as integral to the running experience.
Today though, “barefoot” as a descriptor, is appropriated by a wide range of branded goods that hope to draw on the essence and spirit of unshod bipedalism. But the true benefits, both physical and spiritual, remain strongest for those with feet truly open for the world to see.
Andrew - Oct 2022