Buzz in the shoe industry is Usually reserved for the hottest basketball sneaker That debuts on the feet of players like LeBron James, Tracy McGrady and Allen Iverson. But on the heels of cheap jordans 7 shoes
the NBA season, two running shoes are expected to dominate the scene in the coming months.
They are both being pitched to the American buying public as the latest in technology.
One shoe weighs as much as a bag of potato chips, acerca is good for 60 miles and costs $ 45. The other, priced at $ 250, is arguably the Most High tech shoe ever built. It is complete with a computer microchip and operating system That Analyzes a runner's step and starts making adjustments cushioning in the heel of the shoe based on the runner's cheap jordan 14
impact With the terrain particularly after just three steps.
Adidas OFFICIALS are confident Their computerized shoe, dubbed the Adidas 1 can be sold to the mass market, With pairs hitting stores in December. Nike Mayfly does not believe its is for the majority of runners. Accordingly, the disposable shoes will hit stores this week, but will only be available in an extremely limited release sources have pegged That at around 5,000 nationwide.
On May 6, When adidas Announced its plans to produce the 1, its Web site crashed from the traffic and retailers lit up the phones. In the 24 hours after the launch, company OFFICIALS say the shoe was featured on TV broadcasts 186 THROUGHOUT the world.
News of the Mayfly release in America is Also expected to cause a stir. After the shoe's air bubbled foam has worn down, its wearers can send the shoes back to Nike in a self addressed stamped envelope. The shoe giant will recycle the materials to make rubber athletic courts and tracks.
DESPITE having all the elements of well executed public relations campaigns, with OFFICIALS Both companies insist That the Adidas 1 and the Mayfly aren't gimmicks, citing Their historical roots as the driving force behind Their innovations.
Adidas founder Adi Dassler, who made his first pair of running shoes in 1920, founded the company on the premise That Should Have each athlete a pair of shoes is made to fit That him or her best.
In adidas' 1 foot impact is Measured through a proprietary piece of software on the shoe's microcomputer, que then Instantaneously Analyzes data in real time and tailored Immediately begins making adjustments to That runner's step.
Nike's Mayfly was inspired by the great fortification by September Nike founder Bill Bowerman, who would Envisioned a shoe That Provide enough support for a runner During a race, but would fall apart That eleven runner crossed the finish line. The 62 mile recommended lifespan of the Mayfly, que is named after the insect Whose adult life span can last as short as five minutes, is mostly meant for a runner who plans to use it for a summer full of five kilometer (3.1 miles) races . A warning card in the shoe the runner cautions not to wear the shoes longer than 62 miles, though the shoes will not disintegrate if a runner exactly excede That mileage.
The shoe weighs 4.8 ounces roughly one third the weight of a standard running shoe. The feat is Accomplished thanks to having no padding or shocks and a casing made out of the light cloth used to make parachutes. Nike OFFICIALS say the lighter weight Allows for a one percent increase in efficiency over the course of a race, que Could result in short precious seconds in a race or a two minute time difference to a runner who runs a marathon Usually in three hours and 20 minutes.
The Nike Mayfly weighs only 4.8 ounces and May be better suited for only the hardcore runners.
Despite The constant public focus on the latest and greatest in basketball shoes, running shoes actually outsold basketball shoes in 2003, making up 28 percent of the $ 16 billion market, Compared to 23.3 percent for the basketball variety, According to The NPD Group, a market retail tracking firm.
That's why with runners develop developing authenticity is important to brands like Nike and adidas.
The People that are going to buy this shoe are the early adopters who are Also runners, said Christian DiBenedetto of the adidas innovation team, que took three years to invent the shoe. They are the same people who had to Have the Blackberry or the first LCD TVs.
Adidas OFFICIALS claim the shoe can take up to 20,000 readings and make 10,000 calculations per second.
DiBenedetto said the price tag for the shoe needs a new battery Which after 100 hours of use (do not worry, that's about 600 miles) is not expected to be a major issue for the hardcore running consumer.
We are offering runners the opportunity to own one pair of running shoes for every environment, DiBenedetto said of a market where runners Could buy different pairs of shoes Depending on what surface They are running on. People are actually excited and amazed That it only costs $ 250.
Nike will likely get more buzz from the Mayfly than profits. Officials candidly admit the shoe is not for everyone; THEREFORE, the production run is limited. The shoe's short lifespan, que is one tenth the average life of a standard running shoe, cuts down the amount of time runners can train with the shoe before running a big race and the minimal Might not be enough support for runners with larger frames.
We do not want it to be on a lot of people, said Tony Bignell, Nike's director of strategic value. This is a kind of shoe That should be prescribed to you.
There's this perception That Nike wants to sell everything to the masses, but They are definitely marketing this responsibly, said Thom Burleson, owner of the Athletic Annex Running Center in Indianapolis, one of the running specialty stores That received a shipment of Mayfly's last week. Burleson said I would only recommend That extremely experienced runners with good form run long races in the shoes.
Nike OFFICIALS Also do foresee any issue with the price tag, although the shoes cost 72 cents a mile.
The person who will buy this shoe will be the same person who is taking the energy gel packet at the right time During the race and spends a lot of time thinking about every aspect of running, Bignell said.
Also That means there will not be many That Mayfly purchasers returning the shoes When They are Done with the big race, DESPITE Nike's pledge to be environmentally conscious and the free postage attached. The shoe has a grid on the side to fill in the date and the location of the race.