NIKE QUALITY: Shoes FALL APART in WC steeple AND Berlin Marathon.

Bowerman did once say that the ideal racing shoe would vaporize right at the finish line which was the idea when the Mayfly was developed.

Basically their timing versus the distance covered was just a bit off with Kipchoge's shoes.

Let's not forget Quincy Watts Nike spikes coming apart during the 1993 WC 400 meter final. Nike has had quality issues with shoes for awhile. Kipchoge said he used the shoes in Kenya to test them out before the race, but for the sockliners to come out, that's pretty bad.

My 2ct:

- Maybe Kipchoge should have read Runners World 10 Golden Rules for First Time Marathoner - don't wear new gear on race day

- "Slave labor" - where would Bangladash and similar countries be today without Nike and other companies setting up factories in their country?

In our school's equipment closet, I have at least 10 pairs of Nike spikes that started coming apart within the first 2 or 3 races they were used in. Sometimes it's the insole that starts slipping on the inside and sometime's their toes push out the side of the shoe when running curves on the track. This started happening with the Zoom Victory and Zoom Matumbo.

We don't buy Nike anymore. We've had good luck with Brooks.

And how hard is it to apply a layer of contact cement to the sockliner and the inside of the shoe before shipping a prototype?

They suck, haven't worn them in 20 years (pegasus was a decent shoe back in 1988). Mizunos all the way for training and racing.

Something similar happened to me while wearing Nike Lunaracers recently during a session of mile repeats on the track in hot and humid conditions. On about the sixth repeat the insoles on both shoes started moving around. First they started shifting towards the outside of my foot then they bunched up at the toe. I finished the rep but it was certainly uncomfortable. I readjusted the insoles after that rep but the same thing happened on the next rep so I called it a day. I can't imagine trying to run a significant portion of a marathon with jacked-up insoles, particularly at a pace that would be considered respectable by letsrun standards. (I was running about 6:00 mile). I attributed the problem to the fact that my socks were soaked with sweat but maybe it was Nike's fault.

BigTex wrote:

In our school's equipment closet, I have at least 10 pairs of Nike spikes that started coming apart within the first 2 or 3 races they were used in. Sometimes it's the insole that starts slipping on the inside and sometime's their toes push out the side of the shoe when running curves on the track. This started happening with the Zoom Victory and Zoom Matumbo.

We don't buy Nike anymore. We've had good luck with Brooks.

Good change.

Barrister III wrote:

Let's not forget Quincy Watts Nike spikes coming apart during the 1993 WC 400 meter final. Nike has had quality issues with shoes for awhile. Kipchoge said he used the shoes in Kenya to test them out before the race, but for the sockliners to come out, that's pretty bad.

Is there video of this?

Nothing new on race day wrote:

“As he has done in previous races, Eliud was testing a prototype racing flat which we’ve been working on together for several months,” said T.J. Crawford, a spokesman for Nike, which sponsors Mr. Kipchoge. “As with any prototype, elements can sometimes go wrong. On this occasion, the sockliner didn’t work. As in all innovation, we will learn quickly from mistakes.”

How innovative can a sockliner actually be?

It's just sad that Nike would obfuscate like this.

it's been going on for years wrote:

Barrister III wrote:

Let's not forget Quincy Watts Nike spikes coming apart during the 1993 WC 400 meter final. Nike has had quality issues with shoes for awhile. Kipchoge said he used the shoes in Kenya to test them out before the race, but for the sockliners to come out, that's pretty bad.

Is there video of this?

Found it:

2:16. The sole completely separates from the upper.

This actually looks dangerous at 400 pace.

Bowerman legacy wrote:

Bowerman did once say that the ideal racing shoe would vaporize right at the finish line which was the idea when the Mayfly was developed.

Basically their timing versus the distance covered was just a bit off with Kipchoge's shoes.

So they built a marathon shoe ideal for a one-hour race? :)

THIS X2

verb

ob·fus·cate \ˈäb-fə-ˌskāt; äb-ˈfəs-ˌkāt, əb-\

: to make (something) more difficult to understand

obfuscate is your word of choice?

The problem is not difficulty but risk with a new product. Having worn shoes by 6 or more companies over 40 years no company is 100% perfect. If an athlete uses a prototype that person better be confident in the product and accept an negative consequences of use. Responsibility is on the athlete.

I've had three pairs of Nike running shoes fall apart on my. Ran a steeple in some spikes that apparently had water soluble glue holding the midsole on. Heel started flopping off. Another pair did this in a 1500m, but after I had run a couple of steeple races. A pair of trainers did the same, but were pretty well worn. This is over a 10 year span and probably 50+ pairs of shoes. It only happened with Nike shoes, but I tended to run more often in Nikes.

FYI this is NOT on Kipchoge....as many athletes are REQUIRED by their contract to wear whatever product is given to them otherwise it is a breach of contract, and thus no money. I would say 50 percent of the top elites are all wearing brand new gear on race morning. The latest color of singlet, newest socks, newest shoes, and perhaps even sunglasses for the first time. Not ideal, but when this is how you make a living a requirement of the job.