The Puma Faas Team Answers Your Questions
By: LetsRun.com
January 8, 2012
(Editor's addition on 1/13/2012: The chat has already taken place: See it here: The Puma Team Answers Your Running Shoe Questions (Sponsored))
Puma is committed to showing that its line of Faas running shoes is made for the passionate LetsRun.com runner. Hopefully by now you've heard of the LetsRun.com Puma Faas Challenge, were Puma is giving 100 pairs of Puma Faas shoes to LRCers to put to the test.
Now for 3 days, January 10-12, Puma wants to make the designers and product line managers of the Faas line available for a chat with the LetsRun.com audience.
(Editor's addition on 1/13/2012: The chat has already taken place: See it here: The Puma Team Answers Your Running Shoe Questions (Sponsored))
The designers want to not only educate the LestRun.com audience about the Faas line but they also want to answer your questions. What questions do you have about the Faas line? What sort of things are you looking for in a running shoe? Are you interested in the Faas line but not sure what shoe is for you? Are you still skeptical Puma actually can make a great running shoe? Maybe you just have an idea you've always wanted to tell a designer on what is missing in running shoes.
Whatever the question/comment is, Puma wants to hear it. For the last week plus, we've let people ask questions with the Puma design team in advance. That way, they can get a better idea of what most of you are interested in and it's much easier than doing everything live.
Below, the Puma design team takes a crack at some of the best pre-submitted questions. From Tuesday - Thursday, the Puma design team will be actively answering many additional questions on the message board. But it's not too late to ask a question ahead of time. You can do that at the end of this document.
Enjoy.
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Question #1 From 60-Year-Old Runner Still Banging Out 55-65 Miles Per Week And Is Looking For Shoe That Has A Narrow Heel, Wide Forefoot, Good Cushioning And Is Affordable
"tooslow" asks: I am 60 year old runner that is much slower than I was 30 years ago. Still
run 55/65 miles a week about half flat paved and the other very hill fire
roads. I have a very narrow foot and look for a narrow heel with good support.
What do you recommend that has a narrow heel, good support but with good
cushion, wide forefoot for off road and added might as well make it cheap
because I buy 5 or 6 pairs a year. I also with some models get a forefoot
slap. Last pair of Pumas I had was in 1980.
Puma answers: Hi tooslow, the FAAS 300 is a perfect
shoe for someone with a narrow heal and wide forefoot. We based the last
(internal shape of the shoe) on one that we built for the Japan market
for these exact specifications. They're one of our less expensive FAAS
shoes so they're perfect if you want to buy 5 or 6 pairs. Thanks for the
question and enjoy.
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Question #2 From A Long-Time Wearer Of Asics & Brooks Who Is Looking For A Shoe With Some Stability But One That Isn't Too Rigid
"agreen" asks: I am a long time wearer of Asics and Brooks shoes; however, the Puma Faas
line sounds unique and has caught me interest. I would like to give the
shoes a try, but am unsure of the appropriate shoe for me. I have a flat
arch and need a good support shoe; however, most stability shoes are too
rigid and make my feet and ankles sore. Additionally, any shoe with a high
arch tends to irritate my feet. I am looking for a lightweight training/racing
shoe that provides a decent amount of support, but still has a fair amount
of flexibility. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Puma answers: Hi agreen, we're glad you asked about
a stable FAAS shoe. The FAAS 500 and FAAS 550 are inherently stable due
to the lateral release groove and the stable geometries of the medial side.
We're also launching a FAAS stability shoe that is super flexible yet stable.
Keep an eye out on our website for the FAAS 800. Thanks for the question
and happy running.
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Question #3 From A Guy Who Loves The Faas 500 & Wonders How It Works Without Any Plastic Support
"Justin" asks: I do most of my mileage in the Faas 500, which I really like. I was curious
why Puma decided not use plastic support around the ankle. I was skeptical
at first, but now prefer it to stiffer shoes that I run in. Are there any
drawbacks to this kind of construction? Also, is there a reason that the
500 doesn't have more mesh? It can get a little hot in the summer. Finally,
have you thought about securing the tongue to the body of the shoe? Mine
usually shifts to the outside of the shoe when I run. Thanks!
Puma answers: Hi Justin, FAAS is all about allowing
the foot to move naturally. A lot of shoes in the industry over-correct
the natural motions of the foot during your gate cycle due to being overbuilt.
We designed FAAS with the less-is-more philosophy, thus removing everything
you don't need in a shoe and keeping only the things you need for a long
comfortable run. Thanks for your question and I'm glad to hear you're enjoying
your FAAS 500s.
LRC adds: The FAAS 500 has won a lot of accolades as it was named the #1 Best Spring Shoe by Competitor.com as well as the Best New Shoe by Runners World.
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Question #4 From LetsRun.com Co-Founder Robert Johnson About How One Knows What Faas Shoe Is Best For Them
Rojo asks: My New Year's resolution is to try to get back into running, so in December I decided buy three pairs of shoes to make me get my butt out the door, hoping that the guilt of having spent money will motivagte me to actually run.
The problem was I found it was very confusing to figure out what was the correct Puma shoe to buy as I couldn't figure out what the difference was between the various Faas shoes as they all are described with a different number instead of name. How is an online buyer supposed to know what Faas is best for them?
Puma Answers: We are working with the online store to better explain the FAAS foam scale. Currently the Faas website is separate from the Puma.com store so the content is different. We are going to soon update this page: http://www.puma.com/running/faas to better explain the differences between the numbers.
Rojo adds: Thanks. FYI, I created an online photo gallery outlining my purchases and my initial take on the shoes here. My first impression mainly is the shoes are very light, very good looking and very comfortable. I've been wearing the Faas 400 for 4 days and a few of the kids on my team have commented on them - wondering what over Winter break made me want to be "hip" at age 38. As for running? Well, it's too cold in Ithaca for a "retired" guy like me to try running yet.
Want to ask a pre-submitted question yourself? Below is your chance to ask whatever question you want about Puma's Faas line or Puma's running shoes in general.
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