The minimalist running-shoe market has exploded over the past year or two, with almost every footwear manufacturer rushing out a line of barefoot-inspired running shoes to feed the public’s interest.

Brooks Running, by contrast, has taken its sweet time. The company has only recently introduced a line of minimalist shoes for runners.

Actually, minimalist is a bit of a misnomer here. The shoes in Brooks’ PureProject line provide a noticeable amount of cushioning when compared to other more bare-bones examples on the...

1942: Nearly a year after the Japanese raid on Pearl Harbor that brought the United States fully into World War II, the Americans get around to imposing nationwide gasoline rationing.

A fuel shortage was not the problem. America had plenty of that. What it lacked was rubber. Both the Army and Navy were in desperate need of rubber for the war effort.

Imports had fallen off to a trickle, because many of the traditional sources were now in Japanese hands. The construction of synthetic-rubber factories was just beginning.

Mandatory gasoline rationing had been in effect in the eastern United States...