WHATS YOUR FAVOURITE PAIR of running shoes? Let me guess, you didn’t need a lot of time to think about that one did you? You knew right away. It’s all about the shoes, isn’t it? It’s usually one of the first topics when you speak to someone about running the brand of shoes the type of shoes and well how they just fit perfectly Whether it’s during a run workshop or I meet another runner perhaps before COVID-19 the situation would be as follows… you get on a airplane, take your seat and the person next to you has a pair of running shoes, maybe a brand you don’t own…..and I ask… you a runner or just like the shoes? Hey do you run or do you just like the shoes and usually you are she would not tell me about his or her running but about the actual shoes… isn’t interesting? The comment would be either that the he or she is satisfied with those pair of shoes and or that the previous model was better and of course I would be able to respond with my own experiences because believe it or not my closet has a pretty impressive range of running shoes as well. And I to have a wide range of stories and experience with different brands. In the few running forums that I participate in, there is constantly a runner who posts a photo of a certain type of running shoe and at least 138 comments ranging from highly recommended to danger of avoid and the two or three advocates for barefoot running. Now tell me why don’t we talk like that about running clothes, caps, sunglasses or other paraphernalia? I can tell you why… it is because the shoes have the lure the possibility of increasing your speed. Ha, making you a faster runner… but as good as a instant soup. Instant success… instant result.. and isn’t that great? Isn’t that what we want? A instant improvement? Now if you are shaking your head and saying to yourself… not me… come on be honest… you never heard of the Nike There is a very famous article: Nike’s Fastest Shoes May Give Runners an Even Bigger Advantage Than We thought. Dec. 2019 it is one of the most widely read articles, why? Well listen to this : It refers to the Sub 2 world record that stunning performance by Eliud Kipchoge… what a powerful display of really crushing a goal. OK, different topic… the shoes. Now remember this is perhaps the holds best long distance runner title… we can debate about it… there are others that run further, and do serious multi day challenges… but looking at the level he performs over so many years, and the records he achieved, that is a power display. Means he is a pro runner and the studies and test showed that the shoe does offer a speed advantage. And this is of course crafted into a powerful marketing story, and made available to us, the everyday runner.
January 19, 2023