Mizuno.... (Read 3866 times)


Feeling the growl again

    Mileage Hound...

     

    The simple truth is... shoes that look like that are boring, and don't sell.  They might have back a few years ago... but walk into any LRS and check out the wall.... the fun looking shoes are selling best, the shoes that literally look fast, are what people are being currently.

     

    That being said... Mizuno will continue to release the core lineup of shoes in a more neutral colorway for the runners that dont wanna stand out as much as some do Smile

     

     

    Ah, so there it is.  Your core audience are the "fun looking" who want to "look fast".  Well, I guess my type won't be as missed then.  It's been this way with brick-and-mortar running stores for years, they are not useful if you want a lightweight trainer, much less flats (never seen a Precision in any store).

     

    You know, I just took a look at the New Balance and Brooks lineups, the two brands I had good luck with years ago, and they apparently think very differently on this whole color thing.  They had a few overly flashy schemes but not a whole lot.  I guess it is time to re-evaluate them.  There is no "core" Precision of non-neon apparently.

     

    As a direct result of this thread, you took a decade-long, 5-pair-per-year customer of what any marketer would consider the most desirable type -- one who buys your brand reflexively without even considering anything else even if he must seek them out; we're talking Apple-type brand loyalty here -- and convinced him of the need to switch to another brand.  Heck, I was on a racing team that had some level of support from Mizuno for several years.

     

    Hamish, yes the Inspire has less offensive colors but I wear the Precisions, and the 13s are all hideous.  I choose my shoes by what helps me BE fast, not look fast (or fun). Smile   I left Nike years ago when they similarly began prioritizing looks and gimmicks over solid function.

    "If you want to be a bad a$s, then do what a bad a$s does.  There's your pep talk for today.  Go Run." -- Slo_Hand

     

    I am spaniel - Crusher of Treadmills

     


    The Thunder

      Spaniel, Seth is right about the colors and the shoes.  Everyone is doing this type of thing, and honestly I've seen all of the lines.  Mizuno does a much better job on colors than say Asics, and many of the other big shoe brands.  They do have some loudness, but people in general dig them.

       

      Also, we sell some of their faster shoes.  Smile  So you're just walking into the wrong store.

      1 Hip and 2 Hamstring reconstructions later…

      Julia1971


         

        Ah, so there it is.  Your core audience are the "fun looking" who want to "look fast".  Well, I guess my type won't be as missed then.  It's been this way with brick-and-mortar running stores for years, they are not useful if you want a lightweight trainer, much less flats (never seen a Precision in any store).

         

        You know, I just took a look at the New Balance and Brooks lineups, the two brands I had good luck with years ago, and they apparently think very differently on this whole color thing.  They had a few overly flashy schemes but not a whole lot.  I guess it is time to re-evaluate them.  There is no "core" Precision of non-neon apparently.

         

        As a direct result of this thread, you took a decade-long, 5-pair-per-year customer of what any marketer would consider the most desirable type -- one who buys your brand reflexively without even considering anything else even if he must seek them out; we're talking Apple-type brand loyalty here -- and convinced him of the need to switch to another brand.  Heck, I was on a racing team that had some level of support from Mizuno for several years.

         

        Hamish, yes the Inspire has less offensive colors but I wear the Precisions, and the 13s are all hideous.  I choose my shoes by what helps me BE fast, not look fast (or fun). Smile   I left Nike years ago when they similarly began prioritizing looks and gimmicks over solid function.

         

        I don't want to beat this issue to death because I think Seth got the input and will forward it along but +1.  I'm brand loyal, as well.  I wore Asics Nimbus for years until I asked about switching to a lighter shoe on these forums.  I switched to the Mizunos in no small part I'm sure because Spaniel recommended them and I've valued his advice over the years.  And, I disagree that the other shoes are just as bad...  A few months ago, I took a non-running friend with me on my trip to the LRS.  She asked what my running shoe was.  I asked her to pick out the ugliest shoe on the display and she pointed right at the electric pink Precision 13s.

         

        All I'm asking is for you ask the powers that be that they throw a neutral color on the shoe so that the "fast" color isn't so overwhelming.  I'm tired of wearing black clothes all the time as to not clash so much with my fancy shoes.  (BTW, I didn't know pink and turquoise conveyed speed.  I kinda get the electric green/yellow color since it was all the rage at the Olympics but for the women's line, I'm guessing you're marketing girliness).

        Hamish911


           

          Hamish, yes the Inspire has less offensive colors but I wear the Precisions, and the 13s are all hideous.  I choose my shoes by what helps me BE fast, not look fast (or fun). Smile   I left Nike years ago when they similarly began prioritizing looks and gimmicks over solid function.

          If you look at my previous thread I was not replying to you. But this time I am ... here is a precision 13 in a colour way that is duller.

          You say you don't choose your shoes based on what they look like, but it would seem you are saying quite the opposite i.e. you are not buying precision 13's because they all look "hideous". Anyway each to their own. I was just posting the images to help in case people had not come across the alternative colours available.

           

          You are aware that the colors you get in the US are not chosen by Mizuno, but by Mizuno USA. I'm in Oz and we get different colours from US quite regularly


          Feeling the growl again

             

            You say you don't choose your shoes based on what they look like, but it would seem you are saying quite the opposite i.e. you are not buying precision 13's because they all look "hideous".  

             

            There is being ambivalent to color, and then there is a line where one cannot ignore how hideous they are and would not want to be seen in them.

             

            Perhaps Mizuno has the data to indicate that this is the correct business decision.  Perhaps they have run a conjoint analysis and concluded that color is indeed the primary driver behind shoe choice.  But if the business decision leads them to de-prioritize serving my market segment, I doubt they are surprised that my personal decision is to switch brands.

            "If you want to be a bad a$s, then do what a bad a$s does.  There's your pep talk for today.  Go Run." -- Slo_Hand

             

            I am spaniel - Crusher of Treadmills

             


            Feeling the growl again

              Spaniel, Seth is right about the colors and the shoes.  Everyone is doing this type of thing, and honestly I've seen all of the lines.  Mizuno does a much better job on colors than say Asics, and many of the other big shoe brands.  They do have some loudness, but people in general dig them.

               

              Also, we sell some of their faster shoes.  Smile  So you're just walking into the wrong store.

               

              I was interested what your view would be, so I'm glad you chimed in Thunder.  Like I said in my above post, I'm not awfully surprised if there is data to support this but I certainly don't dig them personally (as some others here have also voiced) and since the lightweight trainers I wear tend not to be "core models" it looks like I cannot count on having the option of non-neon colors.

               

              I'm glad you guys haven't totally written off the faster crowd.  I tell you it is disappointing to walk into a shoe store owned by Bob Kennedy and not be able to find shoes.  Sad  I understand the reasons behind this but it is still annoying.  There are no local options here with the kind of selection it sounds like you carry, and we didn't have it in Michigan where there was a higher number of fast runners, either.  Heck, around here I can't even count on them having a pair of men's running shorts that aren't soccer shorts.

              "If you want to be a bad a$s, then do what a bad a$s does.  There's your pep talk for today.  Go Run." -- Slo_Hand

               

              I am spaniel - Crusher of Treadmills

               

              Melton


                Why are Mizuno folk so darn sensitive to criticism?  If you're not on their payroll, who cares?  And if you are, your customer relations skills need work..

                kristin10185


                Skirt Runner

                  The LRS just put me in Mizuno Wave Inspire 9s. I am coming from Nike Lunarglides. I am an overpronator, with ITBS issues as well as a history of calf cramping. Midfoot striker according to the video at the LRS, but my Lunarglides wore out significantly on the outside of the heels. Think I will be happy in the Mizunos? I was between those and Asics version of them.

                  PRs:   5K- 28:16 (5/5/13)      10K- 1:00:13 (10/27/13)    4M- 41:43 (9/7/13)   15K- 1:34:25  (8/17/13)    10M- 1:56:30 (4/6/14)     HM- 2:20:16 (4/13/14)     Full- 5:55:33 (11/1/15)

                   

                  I started a blog about running :) Check it out if you care to

                     

                    I was interested what your view would be, so I'm glad you chimed in Thunder.  Like I said in my above post, I'm not awfully surprised if there is data to support this but I certainly don't dig them personally (as some others here have also voiced) and since the lightweight trainers I wear tend not to be "core models" it looks like I cannot count on having the option of non-neon colors.

                     

                    Just to clarify, what I mean by "core models" are the brands traditional go-to shoes... like Mizuno's Wave Rider/Inspire... Brooks Ghost/Adrenaline etc...

                     

                    As of now (and I DO see this changing in the industry) lightweight trainers that you and I both wear daily... are still sort of in their own "performance/lightweight" category.. and the majority of runners looking for  a shoe like that, ask for it to look fast (no matter  what "fast" means to them).

                     

                    Mileage Hound - whatever type of runner YOU are, will absolutely be missed... and the shoes coming down the road from Mizuno, although some will look pretty wild... I think our team has done a fine cheap of keeping a few mellow options too.. especially the Wave Sayanora!

                    ---------

                      The LRS just put me in Mizuno Wave Inspire 9s. I am coming from Nike Lunarglides. I am an overpronator, with ITBS issues as well as a history of calf cramping. Midfoot striker according to the video at the LRS, but my Lunarglides wore out significantly on the outside of the heels. Think I will be happy in the Mizunos? I was between those and Asics version of them.

                       

                      I hope so!  The Inspire offers a a more table platform than the Lunarglide.. and a bit more of a firm feel on the run.   Please report back with an update!

                       

                      Best,

                      Seth

                      ---------

                        All I'm asking is for you ask the powers that be that they throw a neutral color on the shoe so that the "fast" color isn't so overwhelming. 

                         

                        Done and Done Big grin

                        ---------

                        drrbradford


                          Mr. Mizuno, a question for you: Is the notably high price of ultra-light shoes simply a marketing gimmick? (I'm not complaining about this, I'm just interested to know if it's psychological forces at work or if there they do honestly cost more to manufacture because of smaller batch sizes or something.)

                             

                            Just to clarify, what I mean by "core models" are the brands traditional go-to shoes... like Mizuno's Wave Rider/Inspire... Brooks Ghost/Adrenaline etc...

                             

                            As of now (and I DO see this changing in the industry) lightweight trainers that you and I both wear daily... are still sort of in their own "performance/lightweight" category.. and the majority of runners looking for  a shoe like that, ask for it to look fast (no matter  what "fast" means to them).

                             

                            Mileage Hound - whatever type of runner YOU are, will absolutely be missed... and the shoes coming down the road from Mizuno, although some will look pretty wild... I think our team has done a fine cheap of keeping a few mellow options too.. especially the Wave Sayanora!

                            The only color I hate is white.  Even as a kid, the first thing you do to a white shoe is scuff it up so it doesn't look new.  Bring on the purple and fuchsia.


                            Smashy!!!

                              It's a struggle sometimes, when shoes start to cannibalize eachother, and we see that right now with Wave Rider and Precision next to eachother... there really is not enough substantial differences between the 2 shoes, to allow them to coexists... so our footwear team realized they needed to step their game up, and make an even better option... and just doing a slightly better "Precision 14" was not the option.

                               

                              Seth,

                              Not to keep picking at this sore spot, but my issue is not with the Precision. It's the Elixir. The Rider and precision may have cannibalized each other, but in my experience, the Inspire and Elixir are totally different. The Elixir is also very different from the Precision. So Mizuno can keep claiming that the Elixir is superfluous, but I just don't think that assessment can be extrapolated from the Rider/Precision situation--the Elixir is a different class. But I guess we'll see. If the Sayonara has a noodley forefoot, then it won't work for me, regardless of what the marketing folks say.

                              PRs: 21:35 (5K); 1:46:46 (HM); 4:30:46 (FM)