Cycling shoes, probably $800
Its not going to stop until we stop paying at these prices. And, I guess, we have many who do. And its just not going to stop until we are just bled to death like a pig.
I look back on the good old days of paying $110 for a new top end running shoe and $150 to $175 for a cycling shoe.
Are we really now getting $90 to $150 dollars more of benefit from the 2003 models?
I think this is the wrong place to advocate frugality.
Run in $24 department store Nike’s. No one is stopping you.
If running shoes do get that high, I’ll start looking into barefoot running.
What do you run in? I’ll agree these things are expensive, but I don’t see the prices jumping as much as they have in many other consumer goods/services.
I don’t know what you’re talking about. My running shoes have been between steady at $75-$85 for the past 5 years. You just have to shop a little bit.
I knew it.
In 10 seconds, I found a previous post from you on this very forum, in this wrong place to “advocate about frugality” issues, asking where to find a cheap 11 speed wheel.
My question is more about whether the value is matched to these increased prices.
i pay a max 100$ for my shoes and usually get the second pair at half price. i use two pairs for the season an that works out well. jan/feb are usually the best times to buy as they are trying to clear out last year’s models. anything more is a waste of money that could be spent on something more important.
My goodness, Nimbus, Cumulus, and a whole host of running shoes have gone up 50-60 dollars or more, just in the last 3 years. That’s just to name a few of the shoes. I could not sit here and tick off all the shoes which have gone up significantly. Newtons, which were often criticized for being too high several years ago at $160, that price is now the aiming price for most of Asics or Mizuno’s or Nike’s cushioned running shoes, including the GTs.
I knew it.
In 10 seconds, I found a previous post from you on this very forum, in this wrong place to “advocate about frugality” issues, asking where to find a cheap 11 speed wheel.
My question is more about whether the value is matched to these increased prices.
But I don’t say all wheels should be cheap. Or the cheapest wheel will be $600 in 2018. I just wanted a cheap wheel 
Its not going to stop until we stop paying at these prices. And, I guess, we have many who do.
Why is what others pay an issue to you? Do you do that with other items. Say cars. You can buy a $15,000 car or a $100,000 car. It is your choice. If I make a different choice, why should that bother you?
If I think a pair of shoes is too expensive for the value/benefit I expect from them … then I don’t buy them. If I find the value/benefit reasonable … I buy them. Neither should impact you … other than the influence of one consumer on the overall supply/demand equation.
I’ve trained mostly in Nike for the past 7 years and I can’t say I agree. The Lunarglides have been about $100 since they came out 5 years ago. I just got a pair of Mizuno Sayonara’s for $110 and Kinvara’s for $85, two good shoes significantly lower than $160. Stay a year behind the new releases and grab them at steep discounts.
Try living in the UK - ab average pair of shoes that are $100-120 in the US are the same in sterling over here - which makes them $200 equivalent.
I don’t see them going up all that much. The same argument was made about passenger vehicles as additional electronic safety systems were mandated. The reality is that prices have more closely followed increases in commodity costs and inflation, and the technology content has not had a dramatic impact on price.
So shoe mfg’s have R&D & marketing costs to cover, I don’t see those costs doubling in 5 years. I do see competition continuing to increase in the premium and niche markets with brands like Newton, Hoka, Altra, and others competing against the established brands like Nike, Asics, Saucony, Brooks, etc. SO while innovative features and more expensive mfg processes and materials drive it up, increased competition usually drives prices down.
But I’m not a microeconomics expert, but that’s how I see it.
Personally, the $160 I paid at a LRS for a pair of Saucony Cortanas is already stretching my price ceiling.
There is a thread already created for this. Here is the link: http://forum.slowtwitch.com/gforum.cgi?do=post_view_flat;post=1566945;page=1;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC;mh=25;
Fact-checking you…nope.
The Nimbus was last at $120 with the Nimbus 8. It has seen a $20 increase in the previous three seasons.
Cumulus: was at $100, then went to $105, $110, and $120.
Newton has always been 155/175, until they expanded beyond the Gravity, Motion, and Distance.
Average price has creeped from $100 five years ago to $115. The meat of the market falls between 100-120. Unless you’re looking at the Cadillac of each category, you’re still within the price mark you talked about in your OP.
Cycling shoes, probably $800
Its not going to stop until we stop paying at these prices. And, I guess, we have many who do. And its just not going to stop until we are just bled to death like a pig.
I look back on the good old days of paying $110 for a new top end running shoe and $150 to $175 for a cycling shoe.
Are we really now getting $90 to $150 dollars more of benefit from the 2003 models?
400 for a running shoe seems a bit extreme, however, I’d rather pay 175 dollars for my shoes ( Newton Gravity ) than say a few thousand dollars on knee surgery if I used a cheap running shoe
Cycling shoes, probably $800
Its not going to stop until we stop paying at these prices. And, I guess, we have many who do. And its just not going to stop until we are just bled to death like a pig.
I look back on the good old days of paying $110 for a new top end running shoe and $150 to $175 for a cycling shoe.
Are we really now getting $90 to $150 dollars more of benefit from the 2003 models?
400 for a running shoe seems a bit extreme, however, I’d rather pay 175 dollars for my shoes ( Newton Gravity ) than say a few thousand dollars on knee surgery if I used a cheap running shoe
There is zero evidence that paying for more expensive shoes reduces injury. It’s a myth that running companies are happy to let propagate.
Pay for longevity of the shoe - $20 shoes will literally break within a week (and weigh a ton) but a true running shoe north of $60 will last a long, long time and there is no evidence that you will get injured by running with a shoe until the sole wears through (1000+ miles plus in most cases.)
I paid $75 for solid Brooks running shoes 6 years ago. They’re now $100. I doubt they’ll be $500 in 5 years.
Cycling stuff though - now THAT stuff has big markup!
Because I’m a consumer, too! And all of you are right, no-one is making anyone buy these items.
Also, I didn’t frame the question, hey, someone is MAKING US INVOLUNTARILY BUY EXPENSIVE SHOES, or, sorry TunaBoo, expensive 11 speed wheels, what can we do to stop this insidious practice? I’m asking about value. Also, I also didn’t say you can’t or shouldn’t go find or wait on “deals” or “reduced prices,” or buy “earlier models.”
I’m not naive to believe that neither I nor anyone else can wield some galvanized buyers group in a Gandhi-like boycott to stop increased prices in the market for shoes, or actually bike products too, if we want to go there. Its simply a remark I’m making which I have seen now for pricing of performance products we buy, the last 10 years in this sport.
It just seems to be going up quite dramatically for the last 3 years.
Now, to the people below. The gentleman who bought Cortana’s for $160, I actually wear those and I bought Cortana IIs for $120, 2 years ago, so right there is what I’m talking about. Are we getting $30 more value from the shoe? Its a great shoe by the way. Maybe so, but its going up.
I will concede there are some shoes more static in prices, like your Kinvara line, possibly the Mirage line, too. The Pegasus was quite stable in price for some years, (85-95 dollars) now its $120, or so. And Asics, apparently is aware of this issue, and has come up with the Asics Flux and is trying to keep that no higher than $100, in their higher end cushioned shoe line (Nimbus, Cumulus).
Hoka’s sub $100
There are so many discount sites, Amazon, ebay, etc. that I don’t know why anyone would pay full price for running shoes. I don’t think I’ve spent over about $50 for a pair of running shoes in the last couple of years and I’m not wearing stuff from Wal-Mart…