മികച്ച പ്രകടനത്തിനായി പുതിയ റണ്ണിംഗ് ഷൂസുകൾ: അത്ലറ്റുകളുടെ ലക്ഷ്യങ്ങൾക്കനുസരിച്ച് വിപണിയിൽ പുതിയ തരംഗങ്ങൾ

Summary

At the onset of the running season this year, brands are launching shoes ingrained with high technology and design based on an athlete's goals and abilities

Buoyed by the podium finishes for India's long and middle distance runners -- including three medals for Gulveer Singh and a silver medal for marathoner Sawan Barwal, at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya in Japan this year -- recreational runners are enthusiastically welcoming the running season in India.

How to hit a new personal best is on the minds of tens of thousands as races start coming thick and fast, including World Majors such as Chicago Marathon and New York City Marathon and the homegrown Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon on October 18. Beyond proper training, the answer lies in choosing shoes that can help you reach your goals, believes Romain Girard, Global Head of Innovation for footwear at PUMA Group, as he looks at several shoe prototypes sitting in a black box in front of him at the company's headquarters in Herzogenaurauch, Germany.

Every major sports brand seems to believe so. Nike's newest race day shoes -- including Nike Apex, Alpha Fly 4 and Swoosh Fly -- are for runners of varying abilities ranging from elite athletes to slow or medium-paced recreational athletes. Adidas recently launched Adizero Adios Pro 5 aimed at fast recreational runners and has just announced a new shoe for slower ones where they can switch on and switch off the carbon plate mid-run depending on how they are feeling. The carbon-plate is lodged between a thick layer of lightweight midsole foam used in performance footwear. PUMA has Velocity without any carbon plates. But, it's present in the Deviate range for seasoned runners and the Fast-R race day shoes for the elite. The reason, argues Girard, for launching high performance shoes for runners of very different capabilities is because everyone loves the feeling of running faster, no matter what end of the speed spectrum they maybe at. "Running shoes have to be relevant not only to the elite but to mass athletes too," he adds. And to make that happen sports brands will need to innovate -- be it with shapes, silhouettes, new technologies or materials.

Based on the level of an athlete's performance ranging from two-hour marathoners to six-hour marathoners, brands are designing shoes with the appropriate level of technology and architecture to ensure cushioning and speed. Now that every single running shoe brand uses carbon fibre plates in their shoes, the advancements are happening elsewhere. Nike has been experimenting with full-length Nike Air units underfoot, Adidas has experimented with a carbon rim that can be switched on and off, while PUMA has focussed on the foam and out-of-the-box architecture to help people achieve their goals of getting faster.

Among the prototypes I was privy to, a couple of shoes had double carbon plates (including one designed specifically for Hyrox), at least two pairs had extreme cushioning rendering them illegal for World Athletics competitions as rules mandate a maximum cushioning of 40mm, and another that is set to be launched shortly, had two carbon plates. "A runner's journey has changed over the years. Athletes who run on the weekends and enjoy speed do not need to stick to legal shoes. There are multiple shades of racing today from community runs to party runs and park runs. These athletes can use the extra cushioning and other design innovations to enjoy the feeling of running faster," points out Girard while I tried out the pair that resembled high heels minus the heels.

All leading sports brands have decoupled technology and architecture as per the modern athlete's needs. Girard and his team developed their trademarked Nitro foam during the Covid pandemic. According to him, Covid was when running really exploded into the massive mass participation sport that it has become today.

Races sell out within hours of opening registrations. Indian running groups this week pointed out the Ahmedabad Marathon was sold out within hours of its announcement. The Tata Mumbai Marathon registrations were full despite several runners complaining about the high registration fees across their categories with ₹5000 for the full marathon. Next year's London Marathon is set to make history with 100,000 runners over a two-day event. "Running is a huge world already and it is going to get bigger," says Girard, and adds, "And, innovation has two gears -- evolution and revolution." The evolution of the foam and shoe architecture are happening as we speak. Revolution will come as the running world expands.