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Nikhil Jain Sr. Product Line Manager Performance Running More info here |
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Hi InWyo, The Puma Faas Running Line is a minimal technical running line that includes neutral, light stability, racing and trail shoes. The degree of stability is engineered into the midsole instead of adding a medial post or plastic which allows for a lighter weight product with a smoother transition. A specific example would be the Faas 800 that launches within the next month. It's a lightweight training shoe with a minimally constructed upper, yet has engineered stability in the midsole for a supportive and stable ride. It's unique to the industry as it's a one piece midsole versus the Nike Lunar shoes and their Dynamic Support system. Hope this helps. |
| minimal |
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are faas shoes minimal? |
| Shoebacca |
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Hello and thanks for doing this Q&A! Prior to this big push of the Faas line, Puma had at least one traditional type of shoe in each category. Shoes like the Ryjin, Vectana, Velosis, Ventis, etc. all had pretty firm outsoles with some type of bridge connecting the forefoot rubber to the rearfoot horseshoe-shaped rubber. (The shoe that intrigued me the most was the Ryjin. It reminded me a lot of the Adidas Adizero Adios, which is a shoe that I own.) Cross country and track spikes, which put a premium on grip and sturdy footstrike, typically have a noticeably anatomic forefoot curvature, arch area, and tiny heel. The Faas line seems to consist of flat-bottomed shoes with a less-firm rubber outsole than both traditional training and racing shoes. I notice in some cases a hint of firmer materials on the medial side just below the arch, but it's barely there. The shoe is generally built to be more flexible, though it lacks obvious lateral-to-medial flex grooves common in many minimal shoes, which leads me to believe the outsole material itself must be fairly elastic to compensate. Abrasion resistant rubber is in all the traditional places, but the outsole is built to touch the ground throughout footstrike. Why does the Faas product line use this flat-bottomed design for its outsole? I can't see anything anatomical about the outsole, so is something happening in the midsole that I should know about? The Asics Hyper Speed, for example, is flat insole and outsole and simply lets the foot do whatever it wants for better or worse. Nike Frees have a fairly flat outsole, but pretty pronounced arch design on the insole and rear heel sink. The Nike LunarElite has a flat bottom that's hard as a rock and your arch either lines up perfectly with the arch support in the shoe or it's unwearable. It's hard to tell what a shoe is going to do in the midsole when it has a flat outsole. Why is the Faas using a relatively flat outsole? |
| Carabyrd |
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I gotten the hang of it but when I try to slip my shoe on, the back of the heel bends down so it makes it a bit hard to put on-Cara |
| scottie p |
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My question is, how can I meet Joanna? |
| brogan1 |
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I noticed many of the Faas shoes come in tacky colors. I know that runners love the crazy fluorescent colors but have you considered colors that are more casual? I am interested in trying out the Faas but whenever trying a new shoe I try to make sure the colors look decent just in case I don’t end up liking them. If I don’t like them for running I can at least wear them around the house or while running errands and won’t feel like I wasted money. Does the model number directly correlate with how much support the shoe gives? For example, higher numbered models such as 800 and 550 offer a bit more support while you go down and approach 350, 250 etc it is a much more minimal shoe? I am currently running in the Mizuno Wave Inspire. I’ve been running in these for years because a salesman at a Running Specialty store said they were good for my foot type. They have been good, I guess, but I am curious what else is out there. What model of Faas would you recommend for me? Thanks. |
| Gonzo |
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Which Puma model is most like the (forgive me) NIKE Air Pegasus, circa 1989? |
| Jeffster!!! |
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I recently purchased a new trainer. I was hoping to get a lightweight neutral trainer and was curious about the Faas line. I had not yet done a ton of research when I ended up at a Puma outlet. They had the 500 and 250 (or 300) there in my size or at least close enough for me to try them. The 250 was a better feel than the 500 but I needed more info. Lacking a smartphone and as there was no display info in the store on the products and their most appropriate use, I thought I might be able to get info on the product from an actual salesperson. Just then a worker walked by and said to me "Those are cute shoes where did you find them." At that point, I realized that I was doomed not to get much info but thought I would ask. Needless to say, I didn't risk ending up with a shoe which would not work for me. I purchased a shoe online from a competitor. I realize this isn't a question but thought this would be a decent spot to pass this along in hopes you could do a similar q and a for your store workers. Good luck with the product, it does look promising. |
| qwertqwertqwerty |
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I run my easy/long runs in Mizuno Wave Riders, and I use Adidas adiZERO flats for workouts and road races. If I wanted to get a pair of Puma lightweight trainers which ones would be the best for me? |
| Flatulus |
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Why is the entire lineup of FAAS shoes so inconsistent in forefoot width? Or am I just getting an odd pair? I've tried them all and found that the 400 was an awesome everyday trainer because of the lightweight and relatively good cushioning. Nice wide forefoot. The others are too narrow. 250, 300, 350 - all too narrow (with the 250 ridiculously so). 500 was pretty good in this regard but just too heavy. I love the neutral, lightweight racing bent you've taken with this lineup but maybe add just a little width? |
| HealingTheFoot |
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What's the heel/forefoot offset of the Faas line and where does Puma stand on minimal movement. Are any 4mm trainers (not racers) expected or even zero drop shoes? |
| rillbodgers |
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It seems like a lot running shoes on the market today are a compromise between what serious runners actually want and what will sell well to a wider audience. To what extent have you all had to compromise your vision for the shoe in order to make it profitable? |
| I like running Faas |
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First off, I would like to thank you and the Puma crew (plus LetsRun) for allowing this type of discussion. Seriously, how many of you had the chance to speak/give "in put" on a shoe brand??? Let's show some respect here... Joanna, thank you very much for your input and suggestions. Sometimes, I just need to "hear" if I am doing the right thing or not. The reason I was contemplating whether to wear the Puma Faas 300s versus the Nike Frees, every time I would wear the Pumas, it felt so natural. Can't explain it. Maybe b/c of the overlays? I find with new the Nike Free Run+2, parts of the overlay bug the crap out of me, otherwise I think they feel very similar except the Pumas do feel lower and lighter to the ground then the Frees. Also, I agree with the poster who asked about "why so much variation of the different Faas line", especially the width of the forefoot. I have fairly small to normal high arch foot (female here, if I didn't mention before..) and part of reason I can't wear the other Faas line i.e." 400 and higher Btw, thanks for clarifying that Faas 400 is an everyday trainer b/c the guy @my local Puma store told me it was a "cross trainer shoe???" Again, THANK YOU all for this discussion. I will book mark this... |
| Nicholas L. |
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What are the heel to toe drop on the shoes in the Faas line? Having a low drop is one of the most important things I look for in a shoe, and on the Puma website I couldn't find that information. I wanted to try out one of the more light weight models, but I couldn't find out if the drop was to my liking. I am sure many other serious runners are wondering the same thing and it would help a lot if you could share this information. Thanks! |
| MM in RIC |
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Beyond marketing, is there any reason that shoe companies constantly tinker with an existing (established) model that seems to work? Why not leave a shoe alone if it works for existing customer? Inevitably, once changed, a population of runners are alienated b/c the fit is not what they expected, causing resentment. |
Joanna Murphy Product Line Manager Performance Running More info here |
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Hi 'minimal', Yes and No. The idea behind the Faas shoes was to build a line of shoes that provided just what you need in a shoe and nothing more. It started by someone asking, "What do you really need in a shoe?" and continued through us constantly asking each other, "do we really need that?" Many commonly called "minimal" shoes are differentiated through low heel-to-toe ratios or zero drops.The Faas shoes were designed to be as simple as possible while still providing some support underfoot. By providing multiple variations of heel-to-toe ratios and different levels of cushioning we could offer a line that provided racing flats as well as training shoes. I personally would call the shoes "simple" (rather than minimal), but either way, there's not a lot to them...except what you need in a shoe. |
| Sponsorship |
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While you seem to be doing a good job at marketing the FAAS line and are trying to getting people excited about it. With that being said do you plan on trying to have a bigger presence by sponsoring more American distance runners or college teams? I notice you sponsor a few college teams (Columbia, La Salle, Adams State) and only 2 American distance runners (Delilah and Sean Quigley) |
| Joanna Murphy Product Line Manager Performance Running More info here |
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This is a great question. There are a lot of compromises made just to make a shoe - turning a design into a functional construction can be challenging - for example, you may realize during the process that the material you originally wanted doesn't bond the way you want it to, so you either pick a different material or stitch it on (neither are exactly what you want). The whole process of creating the shoe, getting it approved internally and actually getting it to market requires endless adjustments and compromises. I don't know how it is for you, but this sure as hell parallels my own running career - endless adjustments and compromises in an attempt to pursue a bigger vision for myself. Creating a line of shoes has to support corporate strategy as well as our own ideals. If the shoes don’t sell then nobody wins. And at the end of the day there’s always room to evolve. You can always make a shoe better (let’s be real – it’d be boring if it were otherwise). But the way I see it, you have to embrace the process. In my perfect world I’d be able to run full time and get paid. Unfortunately, I’m not fast enough. But I’m lucky that I can have a job that allows me to work in the same field that I’m so passionate about. Running is a process – you have to embrace the journey. |
| Joanna Murphy Product Line Manager Performance Running More info here |
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Hi qwertqwertqwerty, I would recommend the Faas 500s - they are a lightweight neutral trainer and would be a good place to start for some easy runs. The Faas 300 and 250 are racing flats ideal for faster workouts and races. They are on the same tooling, but the 250 has a more minimal upper where the 300 has a little bit more around the forefoot. I personally like the 300 better (I feel like it wraps your foot a bit more) but I know lots of runners who prefer the 250 for faster stuff. Try both on and see which you like best. Hope this helps! |
| Nikhil Jain Sr. Product Line Manager Performance Running More info here |
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Hi brogan1, When it comes to the Faas line we definitely push the envelope with some of the colors. However we do also offer some core colors as well that you can wear whether while running or otherwise. We try our best to follow a portfolio color approach within a style so we can meet the needs of various consumers and channels of distribution. It's definitely challenging keeping everyone (globally) happy when you only can offer 2-4 colors in a style, but we are constantly working on it. The Faas cushioning scale from 0 to 1000 speaks to more cushioning the higher you go and more speed and a more natural ride the lower you go. The degree of support/stability depends more on the engineering of that specific style versus the scale. We have a new shoe launching shortly - the Faas 800 - which is a lightweight stability running shoe. It could be a good option to try out. It has a traditional heel to toe drop of 12mm. In the fall we have a new lightweight lower profile option called the Faas 350 that will launch. It has a 4mm heel to toe drop and is definitely an option for someone who has already transitioned to the lower drop or is looking to start making that transition. Both shoes have engineered stability versus a medial post and/or TPU pieces. Thanks for the questions |