“
There are few topics that will fire up a group of long distance runners more than shoes.
Take a look at any online shoe review over the past several years and you will invariably see dozens of comments for or against just about any shoe brand or model. At the same time, long distance runners, and particularly trail runners, are incredibly loyal to their favorite brands and tend to evangelize their favorite shoes to anyone who cares to listen. It’s a fantastic phenomenon and one which doesn’t seem to be waning anytime soon.
As I wrote in this space last month, I recently accepted the position of store manager at Sole Sports Running Zone in Tempe, Arizona, a run specialty store that has been around since 2007. In this new position I have seen firsthand the power of the relationship runners have with their shoes. And, in my completely unscientific analysis, I have come to realize that there are three distinct running shoe consumer types, and these types determine their relationships with shoes.
First, is the brand loyalist. Last week I had a customer who came into the store looking for new running shoes. After a quick analysis of their gait and foot shape, I brought out four models I thought would work for them. They looked disdainfully at the stack of boxes I was carrying and quickly said, “Oh, I forgot to tell you, Brooks are the only shoes that work for me.”
iRunFar’s Alli Miles testing the Brooks Cascadia 18. Brooks is one of the many trail shoe brands to have a loyal following. Photo: iRunFar/Eszter Horanyi
“Well, have you ever tried Asics, New Balance, or Hoka? These are all great shoes.” I responded. “Yeah, I’ve tried them all and I just know Brooks are the only ones that work for me.” After regrouping quickly, I fitted them in a nice, new pair of Brooks Ghost 16 and they were on their way.
The second type is the color/style obsessive. In contrast to the brand loyalist, the color/style obsessive has specific preferences in terms of aesthetics.
“Can you please just bring out all of your grey, maximum-cushioned shoes?” another young runner asked me the other day. “I certainly can. However, have you heard about the new shoes from Mount to Coast? They are responsive and springy, but they only come in black or white currently.” I offered.
“No, I really only wear grey shoes so just bring me what you have in that color.” Like the Brooks loyalist, this runner left with a nice pair of grey Hoka Bondi, in spite of my best attempt to have them try the new Mount to Coasts.
The third type is the tech geek. This is the person who knows every material a shoe is made out of, all of their stack heights, offsets, and tread patterns. The tech geek has an encyclopedic knowledge of the shoe industry and comes into the store already knowing exactly what they want and why before they even try it on.
iRunFar’s Bryon Powell testing out a variety of trail running shoes. Photo: iRunFar/Meghan Hicks
One can’t help but wonder, what type am I? Certainly, there can be some crossover between the three types, but in general most shoe customers fall somewhere in these three categories, and this has a tremendous impact on their relationship with their shoes. There is no doubt that shoes are a long distance runner’s most important piece of equipment, and that because of this the level of passion we have for shoes is off the charts. That said, in an industry that seems to be changing constantly, I urge us all to be a little more open and flexible with our relationship with shoes. It just might make us, and the entire industry, a little bit happier.
Bottoms up!
AJW’s Beer of the Week
This week’s beer of the week comes from Clown Shoes Beer in Boston, Massachusetts. Rainbows are Real is a delicious, New England Style IPA brewed in the heart of New England. A somewhat sweet and malty hazy IPA Rainbows are Real is an original take on what has become a classic variety.
Call for Comments
Which category of running shoe consumer do you fall into? Or can you think of a fourth category?
“