The Puma Faas Design Team Answers Your Questions (Jan. 10-12)

I've worn the faas 300, I liked the idea behind the shoe but there were a couple of issues, I felt the forefoot was a little too narrow and the cushioning was so soft it bottomed out a little (I'm only 140lbs). Are there plans to make any changes in the near future? The main question for me is how commited to running is puma? Is this a real attempt at a consistent product line for the long haul? Or is it another short lived attempt to get in on the running Market, like sponsoring a host of kenyans in the mid 90s, the disc, the puma cell etc... I love the idea of the faas they look like true running shoes and they are simple and well designed, it's a sound approach but how long will puma stick around for in the serious running Market?

I've been wearing the Faas 300 now for the last 5 months in addition to another brand of lightweight shoes . I've mostly worn the 300 for tempos/speed (mostly on the treadmill, sometimes on the track) I've done up to 18, 19, 20, 22 miles (again on the treadmill ) but have raced a 10k and a half marathon with success. The more I wear the Faas shoes the I want to race in them. The other shoe, I've been wearing them for about two years and used to use them for ALL runs/races. Now, I just use them for long runs (outside on a soft packed trail) and for other outdoor runs. I've been averaging about 70+ miles per week for the last few months leading up to a marathon that I will be running in couple weeks. I also wear custom orthotics with my shoes without problems. Have been injury free... My question, I'm not sure if the 300s are meant for long distance training or running but I'm leaning towards wanting to wear them for the upcoming race, would I be fine to wear them or should I stick with my other brand shoe for the marathon since I've run 2 marathons in them before. I tried the other Faas line with more cushion but did not feel as comfortable in them. Can you explain or suggest which line of shoes have been used for training or races? Also, does the 300s not have a medial post in them? I think my other shoe does or can you explain if any of the Faas line does or not. One last question (sorry..) I really like the feel of 300s, the material , the response of it and the very lightweight feel of the shoe if somehow it was built to have little more cushion for longer and heavier workouts? Thanks in advance.

I have been running for 30 years at the high school, college, post-collegiate level and been coaching high school kids for last 10 years. I have also been wearing Brooks shoes for more than 10 years. Why should I switch what I knows works for me to go with an upstart company who seems to be based around Usain Bolt not distance runners? Cheers.

Carabyrdd wrote:

I am really enjoying running in your Faas 500s. I just want to know why you chose to exclude a heel cup. It takes forever to put the shoe on..Cara

Hi Cara,

Glad you are enjoying running in the Faas 500s. When you say heel cup, i'm assuming you are referring to a heel counter. With Faas being more of a minimal running line of shoes versus a more traditional line we wanted to provide the runner with a more minimal ride so chose to not include a heel counter in the Faas 500s. A few of our Faas shoes do have a thin and minimal counter for runners who do need a minimal amount of support.

Not sure why not having a heel counter would make it longer to get the shoe on so i'm curious to know what the issue is.

Thanks

What should I study to become a shoe designer?

Physics? Mechanical engineering?

teddy wrote:

I've never worn Puma shoes before. Why should I switch from my current trainers (Mizuno Wave Rider) to a shoe in the Faas line?

Hi Teddy,

Thanks for the question. The Faas line of shoes are a great line of lightweight training and racing shoes, so one of the reasons to switch would be the lighter weight aspect. The Faas line of shoes also features Faas Foam (a unique blend of EVA and rubber) that provides a minimal yet cushioned ride. All that being said it's important that you choose the correct model and the best way would be to visit a Run Specialty store that carries Puma running shoes. The Wave Riders are a great shoe, but if you are looking to try a Faas shoe you could explore the Faas 550. It's a neutral training shoe as well, lighter and more minimal in construction. Since it's more minimal (in the upper and midsole construction) you might need to transition to the shoe versus making a direct switch.

Hope this helps and all the best.

Daviddw wrote:

I've worn the faas 300, I liked the idea behind the shoe but there were a couple of issues, I felt the forefoot was a little too narrow and the cushioning was so soft it bottomed out a little (I'm only 140lbs). Are there plans to make any changes in the near future? The main question for me is how commited to running is puma? Is this a real attempt at a consistent product line for the long haul? Or is it another short lived attempt to get in on the running Market, like sponsoring a host of kenyans in the mid 90s, the disc, the puma cell etc... I love the idea of the faas they look like true running shoes and they are simple and well designed, it's a sound approach but how long will puma stick around for in the serious running Market?

Hi David and thanks for the great question. Sorry that the Faas 300 did not fit your foot type as well as you had hoped and that you weren't happy with the cushioning. As far as changes to the Faas 300 - the fit/last on the shoe is not changing in the near future, however when we update the shoe we will look at the feedback with regard to the cushioning and make upgrades where relevant. Thanks so much for the feedback.

To answer your next question - an emphatic YES....Puma is 150% committed to the running category as well as the Faas line of shoes for the long haul. You will see consistency within Puma's Faas collection over the next few seasons and all of us at Puma hope that all the runners out there enjoy the product we provide you.

Shoe Lover wrote:

What should I study to become a shoe designer?

Physics? Mechanical engineering?

Hi Shoe Lover,

Most footwear designers study Industrial Design. This combines mechanical engineering and design to create nice looking functional product. Art Center College of Design in California and RISD in Rhode Island have great programs, but there are great programs all over the country. If you happen to find a program at a school that also offers mechanical engineering and biomechanics courses I would urge you to learn as much about these things as you can.

I hope that helps and good luck if you decide to pursue this career path.

Yes, PUMA, can you tell us if you plan on doing any "sponsorship" of runners or running events? You want our money, but the"give back" to the sport is questionable....

How are your shoes segmented. Do you have any shoes appropriate for pronators or are your shoes designed in a similar fashion as the Nike Lunar Series, or are they just minimal/neutral trainers?

MHolik wrote:

I have been running for 30 years at the high school, college, post-collegiate level and been coaching high school kids for last 10 years. I have also been wearing Brooks shoes for more than 10 years. Why should I switch what I knows works for me to go with an upstart company who seems to be based around Usain Bolt not distance runners? Cheers.

Hi MHolik,

Switching from one brand to another all depends on the runner. There are various schools of thought - one of them being if it ain't broke don't fix it.....so you could stick with Brooks which is a great brand. That being said there are also benefits of mixing up your running shoes so that you use different muscles in the feet and strengthen them...e.g. your everyday training shoe 5 times a week and a minimal running shoe once or twice a week; or just mixing up different training shoes every week for muscle confusion.

Specific to Puma running - we do have a few shoes and spikes that are built specifically for Usain or designed with him being the inspiration, however by no means is the Puma running line solely based on or built for Usain. The Faas line of shoes comprise of training and racing shoes and the majority are built for distance runners. The benefit of Faas over some of the competitor shoes is that it's lighter, more minimal and has a really smooth transition through the gait cycle.

Cheers

questionable wrote:

Yes, PUMA, can you tell us if you plan on doing any "sponsorship" of runners or running events? You want our money, but the"give back" to the sport is questionable....

Mt. Sac Invitational

Boilermaker

Hustle up the Hancock

Delilah DeCrescenzo

Adams State Cross Country

Hi "I like running Faas",

That's great that you're enjoying the Faas 300. And 'props' for being able to run 22 miles on the treadmill...I'm going crazy on the treadmill after 30 minutes! The 300 (along with the Faas 250) was designed as a racing flat ideal for 5K-half marathon distances. It is a low profile, lightweght performance shoe with a 6mm heel to toe difference with no medial post. Whether or not you should run in the 300s for the marathon is entirely dependent on your own biomechanics and gait efficiency. If you are able to run 22 miles in them without problems then they could work for you as a racing flat for future marathons. However, I am reluctant to endorse any drastic or risky change when it comes to racing. As a competetive runner, I am very conservative about changing footwear or training elements that I know have worked in the past without substantial time to adapt and adjust. I would recommend transitioning into the 300s as a primary racing flat for your NEXT marathon and feeling out how you respond to trying the 300 in a few long runs or race simulation workouts before switching over completely. If you feel like you need a little more cushion underfoot you could try the Faas 400, which is a lightweight performance trainer that is still lower profile than the Faas 500 (more of an everyday trainer). Hope this helps and good luck in your marathon!

InWyo wrote:

How are your shoes segmented. Do you have any shoes appropriate for pronators or are your shoes designed in a similar fashion as the Nike Lunar Series, or are they just minimal/neutral trainers?

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.

are faas shoes minimal?

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?

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

My question is, how can I meet Joanna?

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.