This isnt just one shoe, it is an entire group of shoes from different brands.
There are no discounts!!!
I would like to support my local running store but they cater to the crowd buying $4,000 bicycles, even though most people can afford only Walmart. I refuse to play. They could offer economy shoes.
With regard to tariffs, which I haven't experienced yet since I'm in Europe for the time being, they absolutely do have an enormous effect on the price of the shoes, adding $56 to a $100 pair in this example.
Factory outlets and Ebay are your friend. Get last year's or even the current years (after they do color refresh) well under $100 shipped.
Ebay is a gamble. You have to match the model number and color schemes to what is in the catalog. Otherwise, you could end up with a counterfeit pair of shoes that look just the same.
Factory outlets and Ebay are your friend. Get last year's or even the current years (after they do color refresh) well under $100 shipped.
Ebay is a gamble. You have to match the model number and color schemes to what is in the catalog. Otherwise, you could end up with a counterfeit pair of shoes that look just the same.
Ebay verifies most Nikes over $75, and they verify many other brands as well. I run in Nikes, so I never worry about counterfeits. You pay something like $20 for the verification service but the shoes still end up being a lot cheaper.
The adios pro go on sale for 150$. The carbon plate spreads the load so the foam lasts forever. I took three pairs to over 2000 miles each. This is with the adios pro 3, haven't tried the 4 yet.
almost every shoe now has a big chunk of super critical foam (don’t ask me me what that is cause I don’t have a clue) and some sort of plate. This new technology is driving up the price and it seems most consumers are more than willing to pay.
I can understand it for race shoes but I don’t know what difference it makes in training. The shoes to me don’t feel like they have any more snap or pop or energy return or fun or whatever standard reviewer cliche you want to use. Running on big blocks of foam probably does save your legs a bit but that’s about it.
Ebay is a gamble. You have to match the model number and color schemes to what is in the catalog. Otherwise, you could end up with a counterfeit pair of shoes that look just the same.
Ebay verifies most Nikes over $75, and they verify many other brands as well. I run in Nikes, so I never worry about counterfeits. You pay something like $20 for the verification service but the shoes still end up being a lot cheaper.
The bigger problem with ebay, amazon, and other online buying is you can't try them on. At least you can get free returns with amazon, but even then it's a hassle unless you know your size in a particular shoe. I have shoes that fit me well ranging from 11.5 to 12.5 depending on the particular model, and have big enough bunions/wide forefoot that I can't even squeeze into some shoes.
I'd agree with those that say it's bad form to try on in a store (unless it's self-service like outlet stores or big box stores) and then buy online, so I don't do that. That leaves trying on a bunch of shoes in stores and finding/buying what works, and then sticking with the same version for future buying. That means I still end of buying in store once in a while.
almost every shoe now has a big chunk of super critical foam (don’t ask me me what that is cause I don’t have a clue) and some sort of plate. This new technology is driving up the price and it seems most consumers are more than willing to pay.
Those materials don't actually cost that much. I'm not racing anymore, so I haven't felt the need to buy a supershoe yet, but I think the foam in my $65 retail ($45 sale price, Freewaters brand) sport sandals is supercritical EVA foam. They don't advertise it as fast because they are a sandal company, but say " Traditional sandals fall flat when compared to our Cloud9 footbed, which demonstrates a 70% greater shock absorption rate." (Shows GIF of medicine ball bouncing way higher on it vs. trad EVA, which is actually energy return, not shock absorption, but yeah). And also, "Cloud9 advanced injection EVA foam maintains its structural integrity 90% longer than traditional foam sandals resulting in footwear longevity, increased wear time, and delayed pack out." Also, they feel different than any EVA shoe I've had, so I'm pretty it's super critical EVA. Of course they save money having all EVA sandals (like OOFA/Croc) or with simple straps instead of a full upper, but the new foam don't have to cost much.
The carbon plates are also nylon or plastic with low percentage of chopped carbon, which doesn't cost much more than plastic. Even full carbon layups wouldn't cost much in volume, but they don't that anyway.
The bigger problem with ebay, amazon, and other online buying is you can't try them on. At least you can get free returns with amazon, but even then it's a hassle unless you know your size in a particular shoe. I have shoes that fit me well ranging from 11.5 to 12.5 depending on the particular model, and have big enough bunions/wide forefoot that I can't even squeeze into some shoes.
I also wear sandals as small as size 10 because there's no upper smashing my toes, thus sizing conundrums buying online. I run in my size 10 $45 super critical foam sandals this summer as my main outdoor trail running shoes this summer, size 11.5 wide Hoka Cliftons on the treadmill, and 12.5 adidas Terrex Speed Ultras (that I stocked up on and still have a new-in-box for $40ish on closeout in Dec. 2022) for other trail running.