by Kyle Larson, Owner, Endurance House Madison
What do you do when you are out running? Besides run? I look at feet and shoes. I know – I’m living a dream.
I admit it is a little “unscientific” – yet I’d like to think directionally correct. This weekend I was out running and then out walking around watching feet. I remember a time when I started running that everyone wore Nike brand shoes. The “Swoosh” was everywhere and if you were a jogger (what we were called back then) chances are you wore Nike. Up until the early 70’s (pre-dates my start to running) not many people ran, and chances are if you did run you wore Adidas. They were big in track and field and had some training shoes on the market – although not many people just went out for a run. That all changed with Phil Knight and Nike. Every high school kid had a pair, as did the secret joggers that now started showing up everywhere.
A funny thing occurred to me – where have all the Nike brand shoes gone? This weekend I saw about 1 in every 10 runners in Nike. What were the others wearing? Here is my line up from most common to least common:
- Brooks
- Saucony
- Asics
- New Balance
- Newton
- Mizuno
- Nike
- Altra
But why? Here is my theory.
Nike is everywhere and into everything. When they started, they made running shoes. Now in addition to running they have football, basketball, and baseball. I believe running is their “Cash Cow” and the focus has shifted to eye appeal versus function when it comes to running. Asics, an early competitor (then known as Tiger), stays on feet while other brands move up the list. But why is New Balance so high? New Balance is making noise again with a re-work of their brand – it is now a true running shoe versus the heavy stiff mini-boot it once was. And Brooks – they just keep on keeping on. They make good shoes that fit many feet and the introduction of the Pure Project Line was a well thought out addition.
At the end of the day – get a shoe that is right for your personal needs. Don’t buy what your friend is wearing. Get fit and feel great.
What do you wear and why?
