Tayte Pollmann’s articles are supported by American Trail Running Association corporate member Nike Trail Running. You can follow Tayte’s adventures on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. This is the second of two Kicksology reviews – the first one by Laura Clark was published on August 1.
A lot of media attention on trail running shoes today comes in the form of shoe reviews. Examples include the popular Ginger Runner who’s reviews on YouTube can draw over 100,000 views for a single video or the seasonal shoe review edition by long-time American Trail Running Association (ATRA) member Trail Runner Magazine.
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Kicksology, the latest book by Brian Metzler, author of Running Colorado’s Front Range and founding editor and associate publisher of Trail Runner and Adventure Sports magazines, diverges from shoe reviews and pursues a more basic question about running shoes: When it comes to running shoes, do we really know what we’re buying? Running shoes are the most essential piece of running gear, yet there are so many different shoe models it can be overwhelming to choose the right one for our needs. Will a particular pair of shoes really make us faster or help us prevent injuries? In this book, Metzler provides readers with the latest science, marketing trends and history of shoes to equip runners with the knowledge they need to choose the right kicks. Listed below are some of the ways that reading this book will help you become a more informed shoe buyer and may change the way you purchase and appreciate running shoes.
Match Your Needs With The Right Shoe
You might be overwhelmed by the many different types of running shoes on the market. Some are highly cushioned, some are low to the ground, some are “zero drop” (zero lift from heel to toe), some are stiff, and some are flexible. Throughout the book, Metzler provides his research on running trends to help you better understand and categorize differences between running shoes. One example of this is in Chapter 6: Minimalism to Maximalism: A Tale of Two Innovators, which chronicles the history of minimalism and maximalism, two of the most influential shoe trends in recent years.
I found myself affected directly by the minimalist trend. In 2009, after the publication of Christopher McDougall’s best selling novel, Born to Run, there was a craze for minimal, low-cushioned shoes. I joined the craze and bought a pair of minimally cushioned, zero-drop Altra shoes. Although I liked the shoes, I felt I’d bought them only as a result of the minimalist craze. After the craze faded around 2013, I gravitated towards more normally cushioned running shoes. Reading Kicksology can help you understand how shoe companies respond to marketing trends to boost sales and can help you avoid impulse buys.
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Learn What Shoes Can and Can’t Do
Shoe companies may promise their shoes will give you faster times, but are these claims true? Metzler attempts to answer this question in Chapter 8: The Sub 2-Hour Marathon Quest and the Rise of Magic Shoes, in which he examines the recent rise in high-performance oriented shoes. Nike’s Vaporfly 4% shoe, designed specifically for Nike’s Breaking2 Project, in which three Nike runners attempted to break the 2-hour marathon barrier on May 6, 2017 in Monza Italy, were shown in lab tests to provide a 4% increase in running economy. Hoka One One’s Carbon Rocket and New Balance’s The FuelCell 5280 are two additional examples of high performance shoes developed in recent years. Metzler argues that despite the fact that modern technology can make shoes lighter and faster for elites, there is no “magic bullet” that can improve all runners times drastically. Metzler’s insider knowledge on the Nike Vaporfly 4% and other high performance shoe models can help you navigate through the market’s current push for “magic shoes” and weigh their pros and cons.
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Gain an Appreciation for Specialty Running Stores
One of my favorite aspects of this book is Metzler’s appreciation for specialty run stores. Speciality run stores can provide expert shoe advice and help support running events in your community. Metzler opens the first chapter with a description of his experience at Naperville Running Company (NRC) in Chicago, IL, one of the most successful running shops in the US. Metzler’s experience highlights the problem that despite the increasing number of runners in the US, specialty run shops are on the decline. Metzler summarizes the problem, “Some customers still prioritize fit and feel; however, they seek out cheaper prices online even as they’re being fitted for a shoe in a running store, ordering off their phones as they’re walking out the door.” I highly recommend reading Kicksology if you want to learn how specialty running stores can benefit you as a runner and help you choose the right kicks for your feet.
Interesting in finding a new pair of kicks? See my latest Tuesday Trail Running Tip and see our Find a Trail Shoe page.
Also check out Laura Clark’s review of Kicksology published on this website in Trail News.
