It would be the shoe that pre-dated, the original Waffle Racer that you would have liked, if you like minimal - the Oregon Waffle. It was essentially a track spike, in yellow and green Oregon Duck colours of course, that had a waffle outsole the full length of the foot. This was circa 1975. I loved those shoes. Those were the first serious racing shoes that I ever bought. Back then if you can believe it, Nike's were not even sold at retail - they were sold out of the trunks of reps cars at track and cross-country meets.

Fleck

P.S. It's running nostalgia day on Slowtwitch. I love it. Great to get away from the endless drone of what aero - wheel, bar, tire, bottle, frame, helmet . . . . . . is faster!

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

"Nike's were not even sold at retail - they were sold out of the trunks of reps cars at track and cross-country meets. "

I remember that. Talk about a little company that grew.

I use the Waffle Racer 3. I do most of my training on trails, but I still do some road. I don't see much appreciable wear when compared to my other shoes. They are definitely sized small, so you need to order it from half to a full size larger than most other shoes.

For $35 you can't go wrong, how can this be a product of Nike? And I got to say, it's very stylish!

People are always quick to dump on Nike, but they really invented the modern day sporting goods company. They also were the first company to really make shoes in large quanities and redily available to runners, that were designed by and made for runners. It's a giant world wide beometh and phenomenon today, but the reality is it had very humble and modest beginnings.

Fleck

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

Close.

Even before Phil Knight started Nike (originally Blue Ribbon Sports) he was selling overstocked Onitsuka (later ASICS) Tigers, out of the trunk of his car.

The designer of the Nike Swoosh was paid $35 for her efforts with the promise, "We'll pay your more when we come up with the REAL one"

Read "Swoosh: The Unauthorized Story of Nike and the Men who Played There"

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"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin

They are definitely sized small, so you need to order it from half to a full size larger than most other shoes.

That's strange, too, that you have to order it. I can't remember the last time I've seen a waffle racer at a retail shop. Why is that?

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"People think it must be fun to be a super genius, but they don't realize how hard it is to put up with all the idiots in the world."

I like their stuff. I look like a Nike sponsored athlete when I'm working out -hat, outwear, sweats, shorts, socks shoes, bag, cyling wear. All that goes to goodwill once I get my new Viturvian sticker.

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I'll be what I am
A solitary man

{The designer of the Nike Swoosh was paid $35 for her efforts with the promise, "We'll pay your more when we come up with the REAL one"] reply

she was well taken care of later.

If you were a store owner, would you rather sell $125 or $35 running shoes?

If you were a store owner, would you rather sell $125 or $35 running shoes?

Yeah, that's what I thought. But the question is really, if you were a store owner, would you rather have me buy a pair of $35 dollar shoes from you, or off the internet?

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"People think it must be fun to be a super genius, but they don't realize how hard it is to put up with all the idiots in the world."

Bring back the original Red, Gold and White Spiridon! The Brown with Orange swoosh Day Break would be good too.

 the Waffle Racer 3.

Where do you order these?

www.eastbay.com has various models available, some for real cheap. Just run a search for 'waffle' under the keyword serach.

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- Nick
Now that I know some of you guys look through the special needs bags for kicks, I'm gonna put some really weird stuff in mine. I can see it now. "What the heck was he going to do with a family pack of KFC chicken, a football helmet full of peanut butter, a 12 inch rubber dildo, and naked pictures of Bea Arthur?"

Talk about nostalgia! When I first went out for HS cross-country in 1974, I got myself a pair of Nike Cortez! White with red swoosh. I ran in the Waffle Trainer (blue with yellow swoosh?) the next year (or was two years later?).

I got mine from footlocker.

"The waffle racer seems like the ideal shoe for those minimalists among us. I used to wear them for X-country, and I don't think the model I used back then would hold up on asphalt too well. But I see on Nike's website that the "Zoom Waffle Racer" is suitable for all surfaces. Anybody know if it's true? "


I don't know about the current models, but I ran in the old yellow waffle shoes around '80-81 in southern California for marathon training and marathons, entirely on paved roads. They worked fine for me.

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Behold the turtle! He makes progess only when he sticks his neck out. (James Bryant Conant)
GET OFF THE F*%KING WALL!!!!!!! (Doug Stern)
Brevity is the soul of wit. (William Shakespeare)

Hit up your local running specialty store and they should have these. The store I work at carries 6 or 7 different waffles in season and they are popular with XC runners, track runners who don't like spikes, football players and guys like me who use them for trail/XTERRA racing.

The Nikes are nice but for most heel-strikers on the road I would watch out. This shoe has a true negative heel and Nike has put almost all the cushioning up in the ball of the foot (there's almost a bump of EVA foam under the ball of your foot, kinda weird). I guess if you were a Pose runner this would be okay...

Very flexible midsole so if you need arch support watch out and NO stability features whatsoever. The upper is pretty comfy though and the traction is good as long as it's not wet hard surfaces in which case they seem to slide all over. I'm actually racing my off-road tris in another waffle but a spikeless waffle for a little more traction. The best waffle I've ever tried on was the Kennedy waffle, damn that was a nice shoe. Only Narrow feet and high arches should apply.

Sizing, they run small as they are expected to fit small. If you wear a 10 training shoe and bought a waffle for racing you'd probably want the waffle to fit a bit tighter and that's how they fit. If you want the same fit as your training shoes plan accordinly and size up. Also watch out as most of the waffles on the market run pretty narrow. The Nikes aren't bad though.

I have a pair of those shoes. Original (as in not a copy), hardly worn, in my closet. I am too scared to wear them as I am only one year older than them. They look great.

I laugh when I go into these hip shoe stores and see these fashion shoes that are really knock-off's of what the Oregon Waffle was 30 years ago. I minimalist nylon runner/racer with a waffle sole.

I had a few pairs of them back when I ran cross-country in high school. Usually trashed a pair in a one cross-country season as we always seemed to be racing in muddy and wet conditions. I have a picture of me after one race, where you can't even tell that I have shoes on there was so much mud on my legs and shoes. We used to just walk in the shower with the shoes on!

Fleck

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

Chuck:

My new Virtuvians are stuck in at the UPS facility Hodgkins, IL . Can you use your juice and get them moving again?

Mar 23, 2005
1:17 A.M.
HODGKINS, IL, US
ARRIVAL SCAN Mar 21, 2005
9:30 P.M.
MANCHESTER, NH, US
DEPARTURE SCAN 8:50 P.M. MANCHESTER, NH, US ORIGIN SCAN 5:16 P.M. MANCHESTER, NH, US PICKUP SCAN 1:25 P.M. US BILLING INFORMATION RECEIVED

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_________________________________
I'll be what I am
A solitary man

The lovely Janice at UPS assures me that the package is on the move and will arrive on schedule. She said it's not always scanned or updated between trucks. I suspect they realize it's promotional items going to an elite sponsored athlete and they're all taking a peek. The stickers weren't ready when the package shipped so I'll put yours in the mail.

What made you think I'd be looking at a Nike thread? Couldn't help myself and the walk down memory lane has been fun. I worked with Bowerman in '91 to redevelop the Oregon Waffle, a leather minimalist shoe. A small production run was made in the Beaverton Sample Room. Don't know where they went to.

That shoe is a work of art. What's the midsole material? Looks like the shoe for me!

I used to have the Waffle Racers circa 1985... Loved them. And I remember a certain marathon runner winning one of the higher profile races on them... All pavement! Spencer? Don't remember the name right now... Any one have some ancient Runner's Worlds out there?

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Some are born to move the world to live their fantasies...

https://triomultisport.com/
http://www.mjolnircycles.com/

Damn, I'm impressed. That is clout.

I'm so impressed that I'm thinking of getting a "Team Virtuvian" temporary tatoo for the Wildflower.

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I'll be what I am
A solitary man

Hey Fleck

Oh man that brings back memories!! I also had a set back in 75 or 76! Used them for cross county and track. And I got them at the first Nike store in Eugene Oregon. It was a very small shop like 20’ wide and 50’ long, I loved that place.

Thanks for the memories!

Dan…