The problem is, people will pay for it. This is just a litmus test in my opinion. The amount of gained advantage with this shoe isn’t going to be that big. This to me is a shoe for the elite of the elite. Cool look, but stupid money and will just drive prices up on other models.
People will pay a lot of money for a pr. I could see people paying $2k for a race shoe. This will drive up the cost of shoes. The next nike shoe could match the price with other companies asking 350-400. The nike shoe after that could go for 600, etc.
Basically a custom shoe intended only for the top-tier Adidas marathon athletes -- it's only being offered "for sale" to comply with the rules.
This. Needed to be eligible and I doubt there will be many available for purchase. Trying to improve their payback period losses at a 500 buck price point.
At the end of the day, nothing will replace hard work and disciplined training. I don't care how many bells and whistles a shoe has.
Basically a custom shoe intended only for the top-tier Adidas marathon athletes -- it's only being offered "for sale" to comply with the rules.
This. Needed to be eligible and I doubt there will be many available for purchase. Trying to improve their payback period losses at a 500 buck price point.
At the end of the day, nothing will replace hard work and disciplined training. I don't care how many bells and whistles a shoe has.
No I think this will be a money maker. If the goal was to limit purchases, they could sell it for $2000, or even 5000. Even at that amount, people would buy it if they thought they'd get a pr and could afford to. Then there are some weirdos who collect shoes who'd buy it.
FYI, jasaris sold on ebay for over $500 when they were considered top spikes and 500 was worth more then than it is today.
I would pay $500 for a rerelease of the adizero rocket. Not for a bounce shoe, but there are plenty of people like me who have the same mindset but towards bounce shoes.
I'll wait to see how these seem to be working in the real world (as I did with the OG Nike supershoes), but I'll probably buy them if they look legit. As a master's runner in my early 40s who is very close to the 2:30 barrier in the marathon, a marginal $250 is 100% worth it to me if it puts me in the best position to do that. How many bullets do I really have left in the chamber?
The problem is, people will pay for it. This is just a litmus test in my opinion. The amount of gained advantage with this shoe isn’t going to be that big. This to me is a shoe for the elite of the elite. Cool look, but stupid money and will just drive prices up on other models.
I'll wait to see how these seem to be working in the real world (as I did with the OG Nike supershoes), but I'll probably buy them if they look legit. As a master's runner in my early 40s who is very close to the 2:30 barrier in the marathon, a marginal $250 is 100% worth it to me if it puts me in the best position to do that. How many bullets do I really have left in the chamber?
"Unlike other super shoes on the market, it seems this shoe won’t last you anywhere near as long as competitors. It’s only designed to last one marathon, meaning you’re probably not going to see this shoe in the masses at your next race, but potentially on the podium."
I would imagine by “lasting one marathon” they mean the foam has an extremely delicate bounciness that after a marathon won’t rebound to its peak springiness levels they measured to calculate the “efficiency gains”. I doubt the actual sewing & seams are going to fail after 26 miles, no elite pro would ever trust a shoe that is liable to tear apart on them and cost them a podium finish. You could probably wear this for a couple marathons but just get less bounce out of it. Still seems ridiculous that the stated lifespan of a $500 shoe is 26 miles.
Running is going down the same route as cycling. At any club ride, you will see chubby dentists and middle aged financial advisors pedaling $12K+pro level bikes because they can afford them and they look pretty rad rolling along at 18 MPH on a Saturday morning. w
Your local road dawgs won't be rocking this shoe to break 15 at a local 5K. It will be some monied masters athlete looking to break 22 minutes and make the 50-54 podium.
Okay sonny, you got me. You win.
Look, I worked darn hard for over three decades to get where I am in life. Lots of Sundays, overtime, and ALL the holidays. There was a great deal of deferred/denied gratification in those years to be able to retire 'early'.
I still ran and raced throughout that entire period, but now that I retired and am in my sunset years, I have realized I can't take 'it with me'. We do our part to be responsible decent and charitable senior citizens, but if I want to go out and spend whatever I want to spend on a pair of shoe, it should be none of your business or concern. Period-Full Stop.
I train hard for an old guy; 50mpw with decent speed works 2-3X a week and race on regular basis. So if my <21:00 5ks (which age grades to low to mid 15:00s btw) in whatever top of the line shoes I chose to wear bothers you, that is your problem, not mine.
Lastly in my neck of the woods, a 22:00 5k isn't making any age category podium until you are at least 70).
Old man advice: Set your priorities, work hard, and run hard, but enjoy life. None of us are getting out of this alive.
Ha ha, you tell them.
I tell you what, the arrogance of someone who is young and uses ageism is funny. Going to be sorry if they live long enough to get a chance to enjoy themselves, before they become demented or drop from a stroke. You only live once, "yolo" as they say. So buy a stupid pair of shoes, who cares? You earned it after working all of your life. The kid is just jelly.
I had a hip replacement and two Haglund's Deformity surgeries that forced me into the better part of a decade off. I came out the other side dead slow and needing to rebuild fitness.
I could care less about a 4:00 per km water-bottle holding, ipad-wearing, $500 watch-wearing kid with muffin tops. Good. Run. But shutup. The more I talk to sub-40-age runners the more I feel like I was in a coma for 10 years and came out to visit the stupid.
Not directing this at elites, or sub-elite or the top of the age-groupers, they get it. And for the most part, it seems, the faster the runner, the more humble they are....but back to the stupids....
No, the segment-stealing notifications are not important. No, you don't need to drink potable water on a one-hour run unless it is blasting hot. No, you don't benefit from listening to beat oriented music while running or podcasts. No, the Norwegian threshold workouts or the Salazar post-race workouts are not going to help you as a stand alone idea that you just adopt because a world-class runner looked good doing it.
Some people need to learn physiology and the wholeism of running. Or just get humble.
Meanwhile once per week I take out a minimalist shoe that I have removed the sole from and activate the very powerful muscles and tissues in the feet and ankle and lower leg, because they are pretty much flacid in a supershoe.....and yes, this old bod runs in $300 shoes of varying kinds, because I have earned it.
It will be the perfect match for my Tracksmith Organic Merino Wool Predawn Warmup Suit with matching Headband (a steal at $480).
Once I am properly warmed up using my Apple Next Gen Watch ($320) as a heart rate monitor and timer, I'll suit up with my $110 Tracksmith 3.25" Kwikdry Ventilated "Run Hard, Run Strong" shorts with 5 pockets to carry my $35 Energy Plus Bars and Gels.
Up top, my Nike "Free the World" $95 singlet made by Indigenous People of China, of which $5 will go to support the battle of Manmade Global Warming.
Oh yeah, I almost forgot! My workout today is 2x100m (30 sec), 300m jog incorporating lunges, foot rises, jumps, and Australia Aborigines skips and hops.
I will then upload my workout to my $800 a month coach at AtalantaNYC.
Brooks already had a shoe that was supposed to last only 50 miles with the first version of the Hyperion Elite. It was pure crap from mile 1 to 50. Can't beat that.
Just the next step in idiocracy in running. All they have to do is pay one elite to wear them, and lots of hobby joggers will line up to hand over a half a grand for them. As the saying goes, no one ever went broke by overestimating the stupidity of the public.
That's why I'm betting on Brandon to win again in 2024😂
Anybody remember the Nike MayFly? Similarly lightweight and made to fall apart after one use. It was not $500, but per use cost was pretty high. Like this Adidas shoe, its main performance enhancing quality was weight. As compared to other currently available shoes, this does not seem to offer a performance advantage beyond being lighter. It is likely to suffer the same fate as the MayFly.
