Brooks has made a splash over the past few weeks with the announcement of their PureProject line of running shoes (set to be released this Fall). While I applaud the arrival of more choice for runners from yet another shoe company, something just isn’t sitting right with me Nike Air Max 1 Womens regarding Brooks’ approach to unveiling these shoes (and I actually like the shoes…).It started with the first post published on the Brooks Blog about the PureProject. In the post, the author discusses how Brooks partnered with a market research firm:“…Brooks partnered with the consumer insights and design firm, IDEO. IDEO is often regarded as the preeminent design and innovation firm. This is due in large part to their unique, qualitative approach Nike Air VaporMax Womens to consumer insight gathering and how they synthesize that into inspiration for design. Our team traveled the country from Chicago to Austin to NYC to talk to new runners ages 25 to 35.”
A couple of things bothered me about this. First, why emphasize market research? If you’re goal is to develop a performance product for runners, shouldn’t the foremost emphasis be placed on research as to Nike Air Max 270 Womens how that product can be made in a way that is biomechanically Nike Air Max Tn Damen most sound? Wouldn’t this be the point you’d want to emphasize when introducing the product to the world? I’d have preferred something along the lines of:We studied every type of runner we could possibly find, both in the lab and on the road. We consulted with top experts on running mechanics across the country. We designed the PureProject shoes by putting a desire for a biomechanically Nike Air Max 270 Donne sound product first and foremost, because we did the research and we know what runners need to help them maximize efficiency and minimize injury risk (and we have published the data to prove it). We varied heel heights, we varied cushioning, we varied last shape, and we came up with four shoes that we think will best suit the most runners.I’m not a marketing expert, but if I’m relying on a shoe to allow me to run fast and keep me from getting Nike Air Max 95 Mens injured, this is the kind of thing I want to hear. Later in the post, the author does say they are “…keeping biomechanics as the focal point for design on BOTH ends of the spectrum.” Why not put this right up front? Brooks has some excellent biomechanical experts who do work for them – why not make them the centerpiece?Here’s a second point about the consumer insight approach – why focus your work on new runners? These are the people with the least experience out on the roads and trails, and are least likely to be able to provide helpful information about what makes a shoe effective in practice. I want design of my shoes to be driven by experienced runners and biomechanics experts, not by people who are just getting into the sport. MaybeI’mmisunderstanding this, but it seems strange.the new runner feels disconnected from the current Nike Air Max 90 Dam Rosa retail experience. They are clearly seeking a more simple understanding of the shoe selection process.“We see this very much as a specialty run product,” Weber said, “because it gives stores a chance to maintain their fitting process and offer their customers two different types of running experiences.”OK. So, Brooks learned through its consumer insight research that new runners are Nike Air Presto Dámské looking for a more simple understanding of the shoe selection process, but their CEO states that they designed the PureProject shoes so that stores can maintain their current fitting process. Which is it going to be?“We utilize a new proactive approach to biomechanics called Ideal. Ideal technology is built into the very geometry of these shoes. It was created to promote a runner’s ideal alignment by attempting to shift force application points to Nike Air Max 90 Essential Womens align force vectors, and then load internal structures to enhance performance and decrease the risk for injuries.”