I have noticed that Adidas has dropped several of their athletes. The addition of TK to Reebok has obviously influenced several of these athletes to sign with Reebok. Are you more likely to try a Reebok shoe now? Are you less loyal to Adidas? Does it mean anything to you as a consumer?
When shoe companies--or any other company--supports the sport by funding athletes or sponsoring races, I'm more likely to give their products a second look. Rarely, though, do I ever buy something that I don't really need or want solely because I like what the company is doing in regards to elite runners.
i gotta be honest i did check out what spikes reebok had after watching the Boston Indoor Games
no
Makes a difference to me.
I used to buy a certain brand b/c the company supported several of my friends. The company no longer does, and their new models do not feel as good to me, so they lost my purchasing exclusivity.
I now gravitate (not exclusively) toward a brand that is a longtime, major (albeit not title) sponsor of one of my favorite races.