Is it wrong to prioritise one’s feet when considering a new pair of running shoes? Of course not. Particularly if your feet have been given short shrift over time because, in the past, you’ve been seduced by cool styling, big price breaks and (admit it) the influence of others who judge runners by their footwear.
But now it’s time to let your feet be the judges when it comes to purchasing a new pair of running shoes, and if you do enough research, both you and your feet will be impressed by the revolutionary, continuous cushioning technology dreamed up by clever engineers at Saucony.
The company calls its proprietary EVERUN feature game-changing. You’ll call it the best thing to come along since runners stopped competing barefoot.
Saucony Has A Reputation to Uphold
No newcomer to the world of running shoe innovation, Saucony has upped its game with its spring 2016 collection of running shoes that feature signature EVERUN technology for a cushioning experience that may, at first, sound too good to be true—until you put on a pair and take a trial run.
Eager to up the ante on innovation, Saucony knows that its brand has a reputation to uphold, and what better area on which to base that reputation than a higher level of comfort resulting from cushioning that’s not just an afterthought but a priority?
“We are sticklers when it comes to keeping our ears to the ground—literally and physically,” said Saucony Senior Vice President of Global Product Patrick O’Malley. “Competition is formidable and since we strive to be the best of the best in a crowded marketplace, we listened when runners begged us to prioritise cushioning to prevent common injuries resulting from impact. That’s exactly what we’ve done.”
Adds O’Malley: “We want runners to say ‘Nothing compares to my EVERUN’—and to utter that statement so enthusiastically, everyone will want to try on a pair to experience the difference.”
The Key to EVERUN: Love and Technology
Developing this benchmark cushioning technology has been a labour of love for Saucony designers in concert with podiatric professionals and footwear engineers. Their mission, to re-invent cushioning, came from this corporate directive: it’s not enough to deliver underfoot comfort; materials must also act as foot springboards so runners bounce back from shocks that typically assault the foot.
Because EVERUN technology excels at both lowering peak pressures on the foot and absorbing impact at such a high ratio (a whopping 83-percent), it’s easy to see how much more distance a runner can travel without experiencing this aspect of runner’s fatigue.
That’s how EVERUN technology acts: runners experience the energy return at the same time underfoot comfort kicks in, triggering such smooth landings, even forefront pressure is reduced.
But that’s not the end of the story. Some shoes deliver a comfortable, shock-resistant run at the beginning, but put miles on those shoes and the comfort can’t be sustained because feet swell and fatigue sets in as a result of materials that don’t hold up over long distances.
Shoes with EVERUN cushioning, on the other hand, work to short-circuit this energy decline by offering the same level of comfort at 10 km as the shoes do at 5 km.
No Detail Was Ignored by Designers, Either
Asked if Saucony ignored the rest of the shoe in pursuit of shock absorption perfection, O’Malley grinned. “Hardly. Our breakthrough Topsole™ construction positions cushioning material so close to the entire foot, it’s hard to tell where the foot ends and the shoe starts. How else could we say that by the end of a run, when competitors are most vulnerable, runners testing these shoes say they’re happy to keep going?”
Did the shoes in the Saucony EVERUN collection receive short shrift in the aesthetics department because too much time, effort and emphasis was lavished on the technology? Not at all. Styles in the 2016 EVERUN collection come in trendy colors and sleek silhouettes, so anyone eager to own running shoes that look as good as they feel won’t be disappointed.
“We urge shoppers to try on our new styles to experience both the feel and the look of the Triumph ISO 2 (named a Runner’s World Editor’s Choice), the latest iteration of the lightweight Guide 9, the mind-blowing Hurricane ISO2 (Runner’s World “Best Update” honours), award-winning Kinvara 7 and stylish Peregrine 6, a shoe that never met a terrain it couldn’t conquer or a surface it couldn’t handle,” adds O’Malley.
A Clever Shoe Deserves A Clever Marketing Campaign
Because this technology and these shoes break new ground, Saucony even decided to ramp up the collection’s introduction to the public by producing a clever animation video to grab the attention of runners immune to running shoe commercials that are clones of each other. “We’re always looking for the best way to tell our story,” said O’Malley, “and this delightful vehicle does exactly that.”
Will this fun animation convince you to try a pair of these shoes or will EVERUN technology be the factor that makes this decision for you? It matters not! When a shoe pampers runner’s feet in so dramatic a way, word-of-mouth is going to spread quickly.
But for those who have promised to listen to their feet for a change, the decision to test shoes in this collection is a no brainer—though your feet will be happy to take credit for your buying decision!
Saucony EVERUN will be available in March 2016 at selected Royal Sporting House stores and partner stores including Running Lab, JW Sports, iRUN 313, iRUN Queensway, SportsLink, Feder Sports and Zalora. The Triumph ISO 2 is priced at S$199, Hurricane ISO 2 at S$219, Guide 9 at S$169, Kinvara 7 at S$159 and Peregrine 6 at S$159.
Saucony creatives were thinking out of the box when they produced the aforementioned animated video. Could we ask you to watch it and let us know what you think? We’d love your feedback and so would the folks at Saucony!
