Forums >Gears and Wears>Skechers Won the Boston Marathon
ultramarathon/triathlete
That's what business week is saying.
http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-04-21/skechers-won-the-boston-marathon-dot-but-why-was-it-even-in-the-race
I get that Sketchers are not your typical running shoe (I don't wear them, don't plan to). But really, how many of you real runners believe the shoe brand is going to make or break an elite/pro level athlete's performance?
Do we REALLY believe Meb would have run faster or slower in a pair of Nikes (assuming he had the same training in them as he did in the sketchers). Or do we realize, like bike companies, the pro will ride or run in whatever they're paid to (Meb was getting paid mid-6 figures, btw).
End transmission.
HTFU? Why not!
USATF Coach
Empire Tri Club CoachGatorade Endurance Team
uʍop ǝpᴉsdn sǝʇᴉɹʍ ʇI
Like you said, the pro will run in whatever they are paid to. Runner's World did a review on Skechers not too long ago and said it was a decent shoe (I don't remember the model) for the price. The one problem it had was the durability and they did not last too long, maybe 200 miles, if I remember correctly?
Shoes don't matter that much.
That's probably the true answer.
We pay a lot for brands. We pay a lot for stuff. We think better stuff will make us better. We don't know what better stuff is, and depend upon brand names and marketing to guide us.
I run in Brooks because I tried them on and liked them. The next brand of shoe I buy has a high probability of being Brooks. But if that shoe I tried on and liked in the running store was Willy Wonka, then the next pair would likely be from Willy Wonka.
And if some BM winner, or Olympic great runner, says on a tv comercial cool youtube video, "When I'm running, I'm running in Willy Wonka" and then strides effortlessly down the road wearing Willy Wonka's, followed by shapely female runners also wearing Willy Wonka's, then there'd probably be a lot more of us wearing Willy Wonka's.
Super comfortable, I got close to 400 out of both pairs of GoRun2s I've had. Raced a marathon in em. The only "problem" is that you can feel every pebble in the road (soft underbelly). Other than that I love those shoes.
Come all you no-hopers, you jokers and roguesWe're on the road to nowhere, let's find out where it goes
Mmmmm...beer
Do elites even run in shoes that are available off the shelf? I was under the impression that the shoes they get are custom made. But I agree, I don't think the shoe matters.
-Dave
My running blog
Goals | sub-18 5k | sub-3 marathon 2:56:46!!
I thought Meb won the race. Interesting.
"He conquers who endures" - Persius "Every workout should have a purpose. Every purpose should link back to achieving a training objective." - Spaniel
http://ncstake.blogspot.com/
I wear Skechers because you can usually get really good deals on them on Amazon.
The funny thing is they sold a model of their shoes that they had specifically designed for Meb that they called the GoRun Speed. It was a little more expensive than the others, but I got a pair on sale and tried them out. I didn't like them at all. If you don't like the GoRun2's because they are too soft the GoRun Speed is a lot stiffer and may be just what you are looking for.
I'm on my 6th pair of Skechers right now. I tend to get 400ish miles out of them before moving them to treadmill duty and then usually put another 100 or so miles on them on the treadmill. Not sure what is up with my current pair of GoRun2's though, they are wearing out a little quicker. Only 367 miles on them and the tread around the toe is really showing signs of wear.
Age: 50 Weight: 224 Height: 6'3" (Goal weight 195)
Current PR's: Mara 3:14:36* (2017); HM 1:36:13 (2017); 10K 43:59 (2014); 5K 21:12 (2016)
P.S. - I thought it was his CEP compression socks that won the race for him. That's why I wear them!
Good point!
And who made his sunglasses? I'm sure that contributed a good amount to his win. I need them.
Joggaholic
Good point! And who made his sunglasses? I'm sure that contributed a good amount to his win. I need them.
You are all wrong. It's the baldness that won the race!
:-( I have the same haircut.
I didn't win Boston last year when I ran.
Maybe I use the wrong blade. What does Meb use?
Why is it sideways?
I got some skechers last month (GoRun3) and am happy with them. They check all the boxes for me: flexible, light, cushioned. Good for runners with a midfoot strike, and seem especially supportive under my arch, which is high.
Price is right: $70 retail.
Reading this reminds me of a story I heard about violinist Jascha Heifetz. After a concert, a fan came up and said "Oh Mr. Heifetz, your violin sounds wonderful!" Heifetz picked up his violin, put it to his ear, and said "That's funny, I don't hear a thing."
Meb's Skechers didn't win the Boston Marathon. Meb won the Boston Marathon. His Skechers didn't say a thing.
In full disclosure I work for Skechers Performance (and if you follow these forums you might know me as the same runner who spent the last 4 years working for Mizuno) and I also ran Boston and PR'd (although a solid 35min slower than Meb) in the same Speed racing flats.I only joined the brand a few months ago, as I started consulting on some product and really fell in love with how the shoes (specifically the Speed2 and GOrun3) felt on the roads, and I slowly found myself running in Skechers Performance A LOT more than my Mizunos. One thing led to another and I was brought on officially this winter. As someone who scoffed at the brand for years, I never even gave the shoes a chance either... but it only took a few runs for my mind to change. I'd consider myself a "serious" runner, I log a lot of miles and my training is important to me. I would never join a brand that I did not believe in, the product has to be on point, the brand needs to have a focus, good leadership and a great plan... and I saw all that at Skechers Performance. I think Meb's win has less to do with the specific shoe (GOmeb Speed3 due out this Fall) but more to do with the support the brand has given him over the past few years. Which is another big part of what I saw in the brand when I made the decision to join...
I'm definitely available to answer any questions about the Performance Division here at Skechers and welcome conversations about the shoes and brand. I know it's a super polarizing brand... and I'm expecting the haterade, but if runners can be open minded and try the product I'm stoked to share ideas with you all!BTW... Here's his shoe:
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They fugly.