At this point, people who moan about super shoes are just the old men shouting at a cloud. The shoes are with us, they've been the reality for at least 4 years now. I'm sorry that it's easier for people to run the same times you did back in the day but you have your memories and the extreme self-satisfaction of having run in basic shoes. Kudos to you
And...you youngsters will continue to compare your assisted times with the legends of the past, pat yourselves on the back, knowing full well that your time is not your own.
The knife cuts both ways.
Yea and your sub 4 would've been slower in Bannister's era
Again, this is an inane argument. The shoes have contributed to the downfall of what once were times only for the greats. Do the shoes make everyone a potential WR holder? No. Do they crack the door for people that need an additional boost? Absolutely. Technology advances, and with advancement comes obsolescence in the form of outdated times and records.
Point is- enjoy the new records; they are remarkable and the shoes shouldn't take away from that. But never forget the Bekele's/Kipchoges/Gebs, Ngeny's, Komen's etc that were world beaters and stewards of the sport long before Grant Fisher's and Cheptegai's were threatening for new records...
What times that were one reserved for the greats are now commonplace? Cheptegei ran 12:35 and 26:11, both times that Bekele could have run without super spikes. No one else has come close to 12:37 or 26:17, nevermind 3:26 or 7:20.
Is your complaint that soft indoor records are falling? The difference between indoors and outdoors is marginal, and people are chasing the clock now more than ever. Obviously El G could have run way faster than 3:48. Kejelcha and Nuguse have run 3:47 and will never run 3:42 outdoors.
It’s one thing to say times have been cheapened by super shoes on the roads, but I’m not seeing it on the track. Marks that were competitive 20 years ago still hold up today. Anybody running 3:29 or 12:50 before 2019 should be flirting with/breaking world records so why isn’t it happening?
And...you youngsters will continue to compare your assisted times with the legends of the past, pat yourselves on the back, knowing full well that your time is not your own.
The knife cuts both ways.
Yea and your sub 4 would've been slower in Bannister's era
Yes, Bannister's sub 4 on cinders is superior to sub 4 on an all weather track. Nobody's saying it isn't.
However, until 2/3 years ago no runners used shoes that provided a measurable mechanical assistance. That's different.
And...you youngsters will continue to compare your assisted times with the legends of the past, pat yourselves on the back, knowing full well that your time is not your own.
The knife cuts both ways.
Yea and your sub 4 would've been slower in Bannister's era
BS. Take a 2000s sub 4 runner and transport him back in time with the same shoes and track and he runs sub 4. Training is better now. There is no doubting that. But a 2005 sub 4 runner on a cinder track in 50s spike will be a sub 4 runner. Contrast that with today where simply switching out shoes will decrease a time by 4 seconds.
Yea and your sub 4 would've been slower in Bannister's era
BS. Take a 2000s sub 4 runner and transport him back in time with the same shoes and track and he runs sub 4. Training is better now. There is no doubting that. But a 2005 sub 4 runner on a cinder track in 50s spike will be a sub 4 runner. Contrast that with today where simply switching out shoes will decrease a time by 4 seconds.
The shoes aren't worth 4 seconds over 1500. Tim Cheruiyot ran 3:28 before the Dragonfly was even used as a prototype. He also ran 3:28 with the super spikes in 2021. Are you saying that he's actually regressed and is now really a 3:32/33 guy who just has better shoes?
I agree to an extent. But the controversy around the shoes isn’t how it makes modern competition unfair. Everyone has good shoes and the playing field is fair. People are complaining about how it makes comparison across eras of running much more difficult.
Well, that is the case with any technological advances the sport has witnessed.
E.g. Track surfaces.
Yes, this right here. I don't think younger people understand the differences in shoe technology from the 1970's to now.
But also track surfaces, not only were they cinder but by the end of the season the average cinder track was basically dirt.
We had a couple "all weather" tracks in our area and they were like concrete and often a little slippery.
I often wonder what times I would run today if I had what we now have.
Help us build the best running shoe review site for a chance to win a LetsRun t-shirt.Help us build the best running shoe review site for a chance to win one of 10 LetsRun t-shirts.