A letter to the makers of running shoes

Dear Nike, Asics, New Balance, Saucony, Adidas, Brooks, and all other running shoe manufacturers,

I was hoping it wouldn't come to this, but now that I am once again forced to shop for a new brand of running shoe, I have no choice. It's time for me to unleash the fury of my keyboard.

Let me start off by saying that on the whole you guys do a great job. You have kept me and millions of other runners in properly supporting footwear for decades now, and you truly seem to be moving from strength to strength. While the generation of my father had the choice between cleats and the 1960s equivalent of Keds, I now have a cornucopia of running shoes to chose from. There are shoes with arch locks, decoupled heels, toe drops, solyte midsole material, impact guidance systems, and on the whole enough technology to make the space shuttle seem positively austere. And not only is the technology overwhelming, but there are shoes for every runner imaginable; from the lucky neutral runners like husband-dear, to the over-pronating, injury-prone, high-arched runner like myself. You can be proud of yourself, because you did good.

But lately, I have been getting the feeling that you really have been overdoing your innovations. I'm sorry, but it's true. Just to make sure I wasn't imagining things, I've pulled out the shoes I have gone through in the past three years. The oldest shoe is the Asics GT 2110, which was replaced by the New Balance 875, which then made way for the New Balance 1223, followed by the New Balance 1224. Shoes prior to 2007 have been thrown out, but I do remember owning several pairs of Nikes prior to my switch to Asics.

Now I know what you all non-shoe-manufacturers are thinking, what possesses her that she would (a) go through that many shoes, and (b) switch brands so often? Regarding (a), the average life of a running shoe is anywhere from 300 to 500 miles, which gives my shoes a shelf-life of about 6-9 months. And what about (b)? Well that, my darlings, is the point of this letter.

Let me make it clear that whenever I find a shoe that works for my apparently girly and sensitive joints and muscles, I am thrilled. I am beyond thrilled. I am excited, over the moon, and generally can't wait to beat the crap out of some pavement. And I would love nothing more than to run in that same brand of shoe for the rest of my life. I'm serious. Only, I can't. And that is the fault of the manufacturers of running shoes. And their fault alone. Why, you ask? Because every year or so, they get an itch, or a burr up their behind, or something somewhere, and decide to completely revamp their line so "it better matches the needs of today's runners" or "reflects today's innovations in running", or something equally pompous.

And what does this translate to for most runners like me, who do not have the neutral feet like husband-dear? It means another two hour session at the local running store trying to figure out which shoe works best. Don't get me wrong, I love my local running store. I would gladly spend two hours there, but not while uncertain if I will ever find a pair of shoes that will work as well for me as the ones that Nike, or Asics, or New Balance just decided to discontinue.

Interestingly, all runners, as well as the staff at the local running store agree that discontinuing popular shoes is ridiculous. But, most of them will argue, it's the shoe manufacturer's way of ensuring a steady income. Which doesn't make it OK, they will add, but it does make it understandable.

Well, let me be very frank here, because all it really does is make the running shoe people look really stupid. You see, as I was just explaining, I buy new shoes every 6-9 months, and so do all serious runners. We don't care about new technology, cute colors, or a pretty reflective stripe, no, our old shoes are so beaten up we feel like we're running on crocs, and we just need new ones. So regardless of whether companies introduce new gel cushioning, more wick, or a biomorphic fit upper, we need new shoes. And we will buy them. Do shoe companies not see the profit potential here? Throw out your R&D people, just recycle the same shoes year after year, and runners will still keep buying them! It's a win-win situation, as far as I'm concerned.

Then there are those of us who say, "Ah, yes! But they're banking on runners stocking up on shoes once they know they will be discontinued.". And although this is a very valid statement, and I have done this in the past, all this means is that if you've just stocked up on two pairs of shoes, you won't be buying new shoes for 12-18 months as opposed to the usual 6-9 months.

Now before you all bring up the people who do like innovations, and who will run out to buy the latest and greatest: as far as I'm concerned, they're either Olympic athletes, and thus completely irrelevant to this discussion, or not serious runners. I mean, I would like to remind you that most runners look like hobos, do things like pick up trash while running, and generally avoid anything that reeks of popular culture, including great new wonderful innovations that came straight from the NASA drawing board!

People who do fall for innovations in exercise are people who buy the Reebok Easytone because they believe if you walk 300 yards in those every day, your butt will look like Jennifer Lopez's, you will have Tina Turner legs, and a Madonna upper body. These are people who own the thighmaster, the AbCruncher, and every single Aerobics, Pilates, and Tae Bo video that every made it to the market. These are not people who will invest the time in understanding the difference between motion control and neutral shoes, but who want the easy fix instead. So the whole "let's reinvent our entire line every two years" is wasted on them too.

So.
Shoe manufacturers. Listen up.
I should think my point is clear.
(a) Runners will always buy shoes every 6-9 months
(b) Runners like their shoes. A lot.
(c) Runners' feet don't change all that much. A high arch is a high arch and once you pronate, you generally don't stop.
So.
Let's stop all the mad innovations and keep it simple.

And while you're at it, please reintroduce the New Balance 1224 just the way it was.

Thanks.

D.C. Runner