EricByers.com

As many of you know I'm a big fan of the Nike + iPod sport kit that is available for the iPod nano's. The one thing I am not a fan is Nike/Apple wanting you to buy special Nike+ shoes that have a cutout in the heel for the transmitter. Thankfully a few companies quickly brought to market to allow you to use any brand of shoe.

While there are many of these products available, I have personally only used two, the ShoeWallet and the SwitchEasy RunAway. The ShoeWallet started life, as exactly what it's name implied. A place for you to carry id in case of emergency. It also would fit the Nike+ sensor, unfortunately there were a few drawbacks. The wallet itself was too big, which allow the sensor to move around, not always giving accurate results. It also was easily portable between shoes.

Enter in the SwitchEasy RunAway. Basically it's a plastic clip that the sensor fits in perfectly. When not in use the receivor (normally is plugged in to your ipod) neatly tucks into it. It also has a button on the back of the case to allow you to turn the sensor on/off, which normally can only be done with a pen. Last night it had just rained, so I decided to wear my trail shoes running. Instead of having to unlace and rearrange a bunch of things, I simply unclipped the RunAway from my normal shoes, and clipped it right on to the shoes I was going to wear. Basically it's a very simple product that ehances the use of the Nike+ sport kit to beyond even what Nike+ gear would offer you. Best of all, it's only $7.99 (Although it may take a week or two to reach you since it is shipped from Hong Kong), buy it direct.

My black RunAway on the left, and Rebekah's pink one on the right.

Update: Even though I offered a glowing review above of this product, I've stopped using it. Either due to my laces getting loose and the plastic not being able to "grip", or the hinge wearing out (so it flops around), it stopped recording accurate distances, in fact was almost always off, by up to 10-15%. I have switched to the Marware Sensor+, which has performed a lot better so far.