This really is pathetic. I'm the first guy to chime in on any thing to do with bikes but I didn't know what kind of shoes I have. Had to go look at them and they say "New Balance 715" on them.

I actually won these not long ago in a 5 kms run for the "middle of the pack" award.

Before these I had shoes made by Saucony, but don't ask me what model.

Now can we please turn the conversation back to bikes.

triangular feet- narrow heel, but very wide balls of my feet for a woman. So I've got pretty good flippers for swimming, but have problems finding something with a sufficiently big toe box that still fits the rest of my foot.

Dennis,

Here's my answer to "Why?"

I supinate, and my foot is wide at an unusual spot (a bit farther back than the typical person's widest spot). So back in 1984, The NB 676 had an external support around the back of the heel, which included the outside of the heel for runners who supinate. The Nike offerings at the time favored runners who pronate, and also were not offered in widths. Fit and function won the contest, and I've been with NB ever since.

FYI, I'm also cheap. My triathlon club has a sponsorship deal with Asics, so I'd be more likeley to try Asics before Nike, today. If Nike offered our club super-duper pricing, then that story would change. That might be an opportunity for you company to "get it's shoe in the door".

---

Mr Ed
Triathlete with one horsepower

Hi Dennis,

I'm a runner for 25 years now. I've started running in the German Luftwaffe where we got a day off every three months if we performed better than a given time.

Over the years I've used a million different running shoes. Some years ago I got problems with my achilles heel and I also had three knee surgeries in the past. There were days I couldn't run because of the pain. I've tried several shoes but the only shoe which lets me run "almost" painfree is the Nike shox. Most people consider the Nike shox not as a serious running shoe - I don't care. I've bought several pairs of shox now and will use them as long as possible. There are days I stand up in the morning with very strong pain in my heels and I know that when I start running the pain will go away after a few minutes. The nike shox is a magic bullet for my feet. I couldn't run on a competitve level with another shoe.

regards,

Frank

---

I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser Gate. All those moments will be lost in time like tears in rain.

I'm a neutral runner with no history of injuries in over 20 years until recently, when I suspect the higher heels on two pairs of adidas I switched to led to Achilles tendonitis.

You wonder why a lot of us don't wear Nikes. Personally, I stayed away from Nike shoes for almost 20 years while the company went after the basketball, skateboarder, and hip-hop markets and changed running shoe designs, names, and colors seemingly every month. Once in a while people would report that Nike had come up with a great design, but then they'd replace it with something under the same name but with a completely different design, or they'd just discontinue it.

This led to distrust in Nike and the feeling it was no longer a serious company for runners.

However, this has been addressed in recent years by the Bowerman series. I saw Nike recognized how they'd alienated serious runners for years and wanted to do something about it with the Bowerman line, so I gave the Pegasus a try a couple years ago. It wasn't available the first three or four years here where I live in Asia so I picked up pairs during visits to the U.S. or via mail order. Now they're available here and I'll continue running in them as one of my long distance trainers. I also like Mizuno Wave Precisions and Asics DS Trainers.

I like the Air Kikunis. I'd like to see Nike update them with a less floppy sole but keep them light and generally flexible. My retired pair is now my most comfortable pair of knock-about shoes.

---

The deeper you get the sweeter the pain. Don't give up the game until your heart stops beating.
--New Order

Favourite shoes over the last 18 months have been Mizuno Wave Riders, on my fourth pair now. I also use some Asics Verdicts, which I really like, tho' a bit lighter and less cushioned than the Mizuno. Have lots of Brooks racing flats, too, but being so pathetically slow these days, too embarrassed to wear them.

Cheers

Barry

Hi Dennis,

IMO, Nike made the best shoes of any manufacturer up through the early 90's. The Air Anodyne was the single best shoe I have ever had in 20 years of running. Unfortunately, Nike discontinued it and replaced it with shoes like the Air Structure Triax. I know discontinuing shoes is common in the industry, but it does not happen with the most successful shoes: Brooks Adrenaline, Nike Pegasus, Asics GT 2090, Mizuno Wave Rider, etc.

There is also the fact that Nike is seen as a poor value. When a company pays half the NBA to wear their shoes, including a single $90 million contract, those costs have to get passed along to the customer. The price of many of the running shoes is obscene.

Thanks for asking us our opinions. My impression of Nike over the last 10 years is that they couldn't care less what us runners think. They seem much more concerned with the urban and suburban youth demographic.

Saucony grid trigon. Same as FLA Jill same foot, but my flippers are probably not as fast as hers. I tried the NB 1004 or 1040 (not sure) one of their upper end models but it was not good for my feet. I went to the local running store and I think I tried every shoe in the store until I got to the saucony and I love it. Now watch they will change it. I haven't put a nike shoe on my foot for a long time the styles I have tried never seem to fit right. I have a pair of Brooks Racing Flats that give me the biggest blisters I have ever had, raced in them three times. Any body want a pair of size 9 Brooks T3 Racer shoes only worn 4 times.

I recently switched from Saucony and Brooks to Nike. I buy shoes by fit (usually 2 pairs at a time). Nike never seemed to fit me right through the toe. I tried a pair Bowerman (sp?) Air Pegasus Trail and I will say that they are the best fitting shoes I own and that if you can tell me the equivalent road shoe I will buy a couple pairs of them also. I’m glad that at least one person at Nike wants to know how to make their product better and not just sell more. Thank Dennis.

Morning everyone,

First, thanks to everyone who has replied and given me some opinions and feedback (good and bad). I appreciate the honesty and like I said, I will definitely pass this along to some of the designers and some of the people in Brand Marketing.

It concerns me (and should concern them) that we (Nike) are being perceived by many to have forgotten the true runner in the marketplace. I know internally, there are so many passionate people involved in running and they certainly haven't forgotten any of you (us) in the running/triathlon community, but sometimes it can feel that way on the outside when all you seem to see in the news is contracts for LeBron, Tiger, etc. (who, by the way are exceptional athletes in their sports - so not knocking them at all).

Keep the opinions coming. We are near and dear to the product on a daily basis, but it's you guys and gals that are the ones who can give us the honest, unbiased feedback.

Thanks again.

Dennis

ps - Shad, the Air Pegasus Trail also has the road version - the Air Pegasus. Should be the exact fit, just has a different outsole for road use. You might also really like the Zoom Elite. It has a little medial control for stability, but it's still a lighter weight trainer with an excellent ride. When we did the runner's lounge in Chicago and NYC for the marathons, people who tried this shoe, loved it.