Making running fun…by making fun of it
There’s nothing more exciting in life for runners than a great update to an already great running shoe. Unfortunately, one unnamed running brand is here today to present a terrible update to a great shoe. With this edition, the pair went from awesome to atrocious. But it’s still a new shoe, after all! And nothing beats new shoes! Right? Ready to discover your new least favorite shoe?
There’s no more important decision in life than buying running shoes. We’ve all purchased running shoes we wish we hadn’t. To help runners avoid shoe buyer’s remorse, I’ve so graciously outlined the most common decision traps for you to avoid. As usual, enjoy the tv and movie references sprinkled throughout.
What side of the shoe debate are you on? Despite satisfactorily justifying my running shoe addiction to friends, family, and colleagues, I still get judged each time I purchase a new pair to add to my arsenal. It’s my God-given right to bear armfuls of running shoes and they’ll have to physically pry them from my feet if they want to take ‘em from my running shoe rotation. Here’s why.
Working in the running industry can be brutal. It’s tough to compete with big running brands like HOKA, ASICS, Adidas, and Saucony, to name a few. Fed up with not receiving nearly as much booth traffic at The Running Event as any running shoe company, one nutrition company held a brainstorming meeting on how they can attract more people to their booth next year.
Each year, running brands travel to Austin, TX to showcase their new running shoes to retailers at The Running Event. Oh, and they also display their new running apparel, but no one cares about clothing when there’s new shoes. The truth is, I’d be perfectly fine running in the same outfit for the rest of my life so long as I can continue buying a baker’s dozen or so new running shoes each year. Sure, my shorts will rip, my tops will tatter, my socks will get holes, and my skin will be exposed to the elements in the cruel winter months, but at least my feet will be comfy, right? But I digress. Here are the most exciting new running shoes I saw at The Running Event 2023.
As a running shoe geek, I’ve always wanted to be a fly on the wall in meetings of running shoe companies. Fortunately, I was able to sneak in a recorder underneath the conference room table at the headquarters of a running shoe company. You’re in for a treat! The following is the conversation of company executives discussing running shoe names for their newest pair. Ready to listen to how the sausage is made?