Asics Signs Bates and Kieffer

Welp, two promising careers are now over.

They say they want to "win running" yet they end the article with this quote:

“I think there’s a new audience out there where they’re not ‘runners,’ they are people who run,” he says. “Particularly millennials. And they’re not familiar with this brand, and that’s the hard work that we have ahead of us.”

Interesting....

Seriously mate? wrote:

They say they want to "win running" yet they end the article with this quote:

“I think there’s a new audience out there where they’re not ‘runners,’ they are people who run,” he says. “Particularly millennials. And they’re not familiar with this brand, and that’s the hard work that we have ahead of us.”

Interesting....

Yeah, weird.

And do they have a 5+% shoe yet? I wonder how much this might affect those two runners as their recent races have been in the cheater flys.

Seriously mate? wrote:

They say they want to "win running" yet they end the article with this quote:

“I think there’s a new audience out there where they’re not ‘runners,’ they are people who run,” he says. “Particularly millennials. And they’re not familiar with this brand, and that’s the hard work that we have ahead of us.”

Interesting....

“Win running” means ‘win market share in the running shoe/apparel market’, not ‘sponsor winnning runners’

That sounds like a slap in the face to Sara Hall. She does a lot of racing, a lot of winning.

Rick Sanchez wrote:

That sounds like a slap in the face to Sara Hall. She does a lot of racing, a lot of winning.

Did Hall get dropped?

Sesamoiditis wrote:

Rick Sanchez wrote:

That sounds like a slap in the face to Sara Hall. She does a lot of racing, a lot of winning.

Did Hall get dropped?

Doesn't look like it according to her Instagram:

So is Allie still with Oiselle and just signed a shoe deal/joint deal or she dropped them? She seemed pretty committed to Oiselle's message so I'm shocked to see her leave them. Wonder what kind of deal Asics gave her

Kieffer has a story on the gram of her running with Hall. Wearing Oiselle apparel and ASICS shoes but no posts related to ASICS yet

For the ‘gram

Both Bates and Kieffer wore vaporflys before. Will they run slower times now? Or wear vaporflys that look like asics?

And by the way Gene, Emma nor Allie are moving any needles for your tired brand.

LoneStarXC wrote:

Both Bates and Kieffer wore vaporflys before. Will they run slower times now? Or wear vaporflys that look like asics?

Their signings could be a huge advertisement for NIKE. If they try to wear a Nike racing flat while sponsored by Asics.

I promise this will be an issue.

I was thinking the same thing too. If Allie all of a sudden fails to ever break 2:30 again Nike will love it. I think it's stupid of her to sign with them.

Watching close wrote:

LoneStarXC wrote:

Both Bates and Kieffer wore vaporflys before. Will they run slower times now? Or wear vaporflys that look like asics?

Their signings could be a huge advertisement for NIKE. If they try to wear a Nike racing flat while sponsored by Asics.

I promise this will be an issue.

Asics have not changed the hard slappy ride in 3 decades. They just keep making the same old shoes of the past. With all the great new materials and functional designs introduced every year, they have just been left in the 1980's. All the old farts like me have either died, quit running, or moved on to a new concept called cushioning! Even adidas realized that cushion is the currency with running shoes. When I had to run in rock hard shoes everyday I ran on grass, forest trails or dirt roads. I hope these girls stay healthy and run fast.

Naw, either way Nike DGAF about Allie. They want women who want to and can win. Allie can only (maybe) win non-OT USA Champs marathon, but she considers that beneath her.

Asics must be coming out with a carbon spring shoe because if Allie can go sub 2:30 in conventional Asics I'll eat a pair of vaporflys

so now this photo is more perfect than ever, if Sara gets carbon springs she'll still be faster than both of them and make teamusa

https://i.imgur.com/rR0kABU.jpg

This is an interesting development. Asics was on top of the run specialty market for several years.

At first they refused to make a "minimal" shoe. When they did, it was late to the party and crap.

A few years ago they offered a "maximal" shoe (aka asics hoka), needless to say, that didn't go over so well either.

They are now #4 or 5 in run specialty.

I can't imagine they won't have an asics vaporfly if they are signing two of the higher profile marathon trials candidates (yes, along with a top 5-6 favorite, Sara Hall).

I have no problem with the fact that Allie appeals to a wide audience. Good for her. She is fast and strong and seems to be pretty darn good at marketing in a super niche sport.

But I also can't imagine she will run a marathon in a shoe that does not have the same characteristics as the vaporfly.

Funny how this thread just ended up being another Nike ad. For those of you convinced the shoe was responsible for Kipchoge'a WR, consider this:

The successful record attempt was not 4% faster than the slowest of his previous attempts. It was not the first time he wore those shoes. In them, he has yet to improve by 4% over any race he's run in non-4% shoes. He has never run (in any shoe) 4% faster than what he ran with the flapping-insole shoe. You may point out that the record run was 4% faster than the Gold Medal run (which, of course,I do not count as a record attempt above). The Rio run was in the 4% shoe and his slowest marathon yet. So upon what has he improved and by how much?

Rupp has not run a marathon in anything else, so has he improved by any amount, or is his PR about what Daniels, McMillan, and JK would predict based on 10km PR? Discounting Trials and Rio, What about the one perfect condition (judging by the women's winning time) marathon he's run in which his time was significantly slower than what any physiologist would predict? Also in the same shoe. Does he have any PRs that stand out above the rest when compared to the curve that Tergat's, Geb's, Farah's, or KB's PRs suggest is physiologically to be expected? No.

Whom has this miracle shoe proved by 2% even?

No one's taken 4% off yet wrote:

Whom has this miracle shoe proved by 2% even?