THE BROOKS BLOG

Hi all,

My name is Andre Kriwet and I am the Director of Footwear Merchandising at Brooks Sports. I have been working on and with running shoes for the last 22 years. My team and I are responsible to set the direction of the running footwear line for the future. So with that said, I can only tell you that I love to read the passionate comments you guys posted: Thank you for caring!

I will not take sides on the barefoot discussion but rest assured that we hear you and are super excited and inspired by your thoughts and ideas. We at brooks do only one thing: running. No tennis, no football or climbing. Our only goal and success is when we get it right for YOU! If we learned that we can reduce injuries by putting the left shoe on the right foot and vice versa we would do just that. It is a unique time right now, a time of new beginnings in a way, a lot of questions and great discussion like in this blog: Minimalist shoes, how you run, how you train, why you run, and how the footwear industry goes about reducing injuries.

I cannot tell you too much here right now (you know, our competitors will read this as well: Hi there J, by the way) but we, as one of the leading running shoe brands, have a lot of innovative stuff cooking that will excite you and answer many of the questions you have today. So please trust us, we hear you! And we really care about your opinion since you help me shape the future of the footwear line.

>> Read Brooks’ Perspective on Barefoot Running here .
>> Read trusted experts’ opinions here .

January 22, 2010

An Open Letter to the Running Community ,

For many of us, running is an inseparable part of our lives—we need it. When we run, we improve our health, relieve stress, achieve personal goals, compete, raise money, and have fun. On any given weekend, check out a running event in any city across the globe and you’ll be inspired by runners spanning ages, speeds, motivations, and goals—each with their own stories. At Brooks, inspiring everyone to run and be active is our reason for being.

Given the passion felt about our sport, it’s easy to understand how everything about the run is actively studied, critiqued, debated, and questioned—including shoes. People strive to run faster, longer, healthier, more efficiently, and injury-free mile after mile, and they’ve traditionally looked to their footwear to deliver that. But many people have recently questioned whether running barefoot is better, so we feel it’s time for Brooks to join the public dialogue.

Let’s call a spade a spade. We make running shoes: High-quality, biomechanically mapped, performance running shoes calibrated for runners’ unique needs. We hope runners buy our shoes and we’re confident they’ll enjoy them. But this isn’t about selling shoes. And, quite frankly, this isn’t even about running barefoot.

So what are we talking about here? First and foremost, we’re all talking about running, and that’s a great thing because we believe to our core that running is a positive force in our world. We want everyone to run and be happy. But to get there, whether you should run barefoot is not the great debate. We are all unique. The focus should be on how you run and train, and then finding the right shoe that addresses your unique biomechanical needs. "The Perfect Ride for Every Stride," as we say at Brooks. Let’s look at a snapshot of the running population:

• At one end of the spectrum, we know there are runners who lack foot strength leading to severe pronation. They may strike heavily and need a great deal of support to run injury- and pain-free. We hear repeatedly from them that the Brooks Beast "saved their lives."

• At the other end of the spectrum are the biomechanically blessed (and/or conditioned through training) who have natural healthy gaits and enjoy great efficiency. These gazelles may wear shoes, they may not.

• The vast majority of runners (including this middle-of-the-packer !) fall in between. And for us, we strongly believe most of our mileage should be logged in a performance running shoe, not barefoot . For us, supportive, cushioned footwear is not only beneficial, it also plays an essential role in delivering a comfortable, injury-free running experience.

Elsewhere on our Web site, you’ll find a robust discussion on this topic (or you can view it as a downloadable PDF here ) from our Brooks footwear team. We also asked people we respect in the running industry to chime in with their perspectives on the barefoot running discussion. These experts include accomplished runners, coaches, researchers, doctors, and specialty running retailers, who see more runners (and their feet) each week than many of us see in a lifetime.

Join us in this conversation and be active in your decisions. We were all born to run. But the ultimate goal, of course, is to keep running for the long haul.

Run Happy,

Jim Weber
President & CEO
Brooks Sports, Inc.

We are on a roll! Runner’s World has given the new Glycerin® 8 with Brooks DNA its prestigious "Editor’s Choice" award in the Spring 2010 Shoe Guide in the March issue—on newsstands February 2, 2010.

The award was announced during the Outdoor Retailer Winter Market 2010 in Salt Lake City, UT, at a Brooks-sponsored industry gathering (i.e. a Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series-themed cocktail party!) on Thursday evening, January 21. Warren Greene from Runner’s World made the announcement. A giant banner was unfurled. And the cover band rocked on!

>> See the Men’s Glycerin® 8
>> See the Women’s Glycerin® 8
>> Learn more about Brooks DNA

Woo hoo! We are thrilled to announce a multi-year partnership with Chrissie Wellington, world-renowned British triathlete and reigning Ironman World Champion, as her official footwear sponsor.

That’s right. Those Brooks T6 Racers Chrissie wore and won in during the last three Ford Ironman® World Championships ? She chose to run in them because she liked the T6 and they worked for her—and boy, did they! In 2009, Wellington set a new women’s world course record of 8 hours, 54:02 minutes in Kona.

“With that trademark smile she flashes even after finishing a grueling race, Chrissie Wellington embodies the strength, passion, and drive to succeed that we look for in brand partners,” said Jim Weber, president and CEO of Brooks. “We’re pleased to welcome her and proud to have such an inspirational athlete representing our brand.”

Wellington is the first triathlete to join Brooks’ strategic group of professional athletes.

>> Read the full press release here .

During the 2009 Running Event in Austin, TX, Sean McKeon from our partner competitor.com got a chance to discuss Brooks Spring 2010 running shoes with Brooks’ own Mike Billish.

Thanks!

"I hope runners and running fans across the country will join me this week in a long, loud salute to Brian Sell. Few American distance stars deserve it more. Ritz and Teg and Meb and Abdi and Alan and Ryan have lifted our spirits in recent years, and we needed that.

"But Sell punched us in the gut, took our breath away, and won our hearts when he achieved the Impossible Dream. In the decades to come, his story will be told, as it should be, to more young American runners than any number of sub-3:50s, sub-13:00s, and 2:06s. For this simple reason: Sell had to scrape his way to the top mile by teeth-gritting mile. You think he’s got an Alter-G in the basement? An altitude tent upstairs? Maybe, but I doubt it."

>>Read Amby Burfoot’s full post on Runner’s World here

One of the questions we frequently get asked is: What’s the real difference between the Brooks Adrenaline™ GTS 10 (the newest version of our best-selling Go To Shoe) and our other shoe in the support category, the Trance 9 ?

Someone who wears the Adrenaline™ GTS 10 could also wear the Trance 9 , as they provide support for the same type of runner: the moderate overpronator. With that said, there are a few key differences between these shoes:

- One of the biggest difference is the fit. The Adrenaline™ GTS 10 has its signature "midfoot wrap." (“Midfoot wrap” is how the upper of the shoe conforms to the middle of the foot. Not just the arch, but also the side of the foot. With a snug midfoot wrap you get a shoe that feels “at one” with the foot.) In comparison, the Trance 9 can feel like it has a roomier, wider toe box.

- The Trance™ 9 provides much more cush in both the heel and the forefoot by using our biggest HydroFlow® XL pad.

- The materials in the upper of the Trance™ are top-of-the-line premium plush and softer, which adds to the cost.

Brooks hosts the NCAA Division I Cross Country Pre-Nationals for the 7th-straight year today. The meet is being held at the LaVern Gibson XC Course, the home course of Indiana State University in Terre Haute.

Brooks partner Flotrack is covering the event. Unfortunately, bad internet connectivity at the course prevents them from streaming the races live. Instead, they’ll post archived videos of the races here:
http://www.flotrack.org/videos/coverage/view_video/234565-2009-brooks-isu-pre-nationals/204540-2009-prenats-course-preview

More details:

• 94 men’s Division I teams
• 100 women’s Division I teams
• Top 30 in each race will be awarded a Brooks Pre-Nats EZ T!
• Two Brooks photo booths on hand

Good luck to everyone competing!

Woo Hoo! The Adrenaline™ GTS 10, the much-anticipated tenth edition of our best-selling Adrenaline™ running shoe, is here! (See Men’s /Women’s .)

Brooks has diligently worked to evolve the Adrenaline™ line to maintain its signature fit and function runners have come to know and love, while still finding ways to exceed their expectations. In the Adrenaline™ GTS 10, we feel we’ve nailed it. Here’s a quick overview of how it compares to the Adrenaline™ GTS 9.

Improved :
1. Enhanced upper materials and construction to provide maximum comfort and breathability, while maintaining a conforming fit.
2. Asymmetrical upper overlays to create a more secure arch capture.
3. Increased heel bevel to create a smoother transition, a softer lay down, and slower rate of pronation.
4. Caterpillar heel pad;  A more segmented crash pad that customizes the individual’s lay down for the right amount of cushion and stabilization, resulting in a perfect ride for every stride.

Maintained :
1. Signature PDRB® triple-density post on the medial side of the shoe for industry-leading stability.
2. HydroFlow® cushioning in the forefoot and heel.
3. Iconic Adrenaline™ last and shape.

Oh, and did we mention that it’s especially good-looking? We hope you love the new Adrenaline™ GTS 10! We think it will definitely help stability-seeking runners and Adrenaline™ fans Run Happy®!

>>See the full spec sheet here .

Special thanks to Footwear Product Line Manager Carson Caprara for crafting this comparison!