Brian Metzler - Kicksology: The Hype, Science, Culture & Cool of Running Shoes

Table of Contents

Praise for Brian Metzler and Kicksology

No one alive knows more than Brian Metzler about that great modern indulgence: the running shoe. Kicksology captures the science, the sagas, and the surprisingly tantalizing backstories surrounding a subject thats as personal and passionate to true believers as any religion. If youve ever laced rubber to your feet for a run, youll be captivated by this delightfully probing book.

CHRISTOPHER MCDOUGALL

author of Born to Run

If theres a such thing as a living encyclopedia of running shoes, its Brian Metzler. Not only does he own more shoes than anyone I know, he knows more about them than anyone I know. His passion for running shoes, their history, evolution, and application is unmatched and speaks to my sole.

MARIO FRAIOLI

The Morning Shakeout

It takes a true running shoe geek to write an informative and entertaining book about running shoes. Thats who Brian Metzler is, and thats what he gives us with Kicksology. Like the proverbial kid in a candy store, Metzler samples each new shoeminimalist, maximalist, zero-drop, VaporFly, and so onwith unabated enthusiasm. He also interviews the researchers and designers behind each shoe to provide crazy stories and new insights we havent heard before.

AMBY BURFOOT

1968 Boston Marathon winner, Runners World editor at large

Kicksology is a great survey of the modern history of running shoes. A must-read for anyone in the sneaker game.

MATT POWELL

sports industry analyst

I loved reading Kicksology and recommend it a must-read for anyone who runs. Brian Metzler has been one of the countrys top running writers for a long time because he asks the right questions and delivers smart, thought-provoking answers with exceptional storytelling. He presents the untold stories of running shoes: where we are, how we got here, and what the future holds for your feet.

JAY DICHARRY, MPT

leading biomechanist, running gait expert, and author of Running Rewired

No one has more knowledge and passion about running shoes and the industry than Brian Metzler. With Kicksology, he delivers a compelling and engaging read.

LISA JHUNG

author of Trailhead and Running That Doesnt Suck

In Kicksology, we too can run in Metzlers shoes and gain access to his hard-earned insights. The result is a fascinating journey.

LAURA CLARK

American Trail Running Association

Kicksology is a personal tour of running shoe history, design, and business that only Brian Metzler could write. He has the uncanny ability to be near the center of every new trend and takes the reader on an informative journey through the many interesting characters, stories, and ideas that make running shoes fascinating.

JONATHAN BEVERLY

Editor, PodiumRunner

Copyright 2019 by Brian Metzler

All rights reserved. Published in the United States of America by VeloPress, a division of Pocket Outdoor Media.

4745 Walnut Street, Unit A

Boulder, CO 80301-2587 USA

VeloPress is the leading publisher of books on endurance sports and is a division of Pocket Outdoor Media. Focused on cycling, triathlon, running, swimming, and nutrition/diet, VeloPress books help athletes achieve their goals of going faster and farther. Preview books and contact us at velopress.com.

Distributed in the United States and Canada by Ingram Publisher Services

The Library of Congress has cataloged the printed edition as follows:

Names: Metzler, Brian, author.

Title: Kicksology: the hype, science, culture & cool of running shoes / Brian Metzler.

Description: Boulder, Colorado: VeloPress, [2019] | Includes index. |

Identifiers: LCCN 2019025044 (print) | LCCN 2019025045 (ebook) | ISBN 9781937715915 (paperback) | ISBN 9781948006088 (ebook)

Subjects: LCSH: Running shoes. | Sporting goods industry.

Classification: LCC GV1061.6 .M48 2019 (print) | LCC GV1061.6 (ebook) | DDC 796.028/4dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019025044

LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019025045

Art direction by Vicki Hopewell

Cover photo by D. Scott Clark

Cover and interior design by Karen Matthes and Beth Skelley

Composition by Beth Skelley

Interior photographs by Brian Metzler except photo insert page 1 (bottom), page 2 (top and bottom), page 3 (top and bottom), page 4 (top), page 5 (top), Scott Draper/Competitor; page 6 (top), courtesy of Hoka One One; page 7 (bottom), courtesy of University of Colorado; page 8 (bottom), courtesy of Saucony.

v. 3.1

CONTENTS

MY FAVORITE SHOE DEENA KASTOR

Six Patents That Changed Running Shoe Design

MY FAVORITE SHOE KARA GOUCHER

MY FAVORITE SHOE DAVE MCGILLIVRAY

MY FAVORITE SHOE KARL SPEEDGOAT MELTZER

MY FAVORITE SHOE SCOTT JUREK

Eight Epic Shoe Fails

MY FAVORITE SHOE JENNY SIMPSON

A note to readers: Double-tap on illustrations to enlarge them. After art is selected, you may expand or pinch your fingers to zoom in and out.

I vividly remember the day I got my first pair of kicks. They were cherry red, and they made me feel really fast.

I was 5 years old and had envied the sneakers my older brother had gotten the previous year while I was still stuck wearing a pair of little boys saddle shoes. When it was time for me to get new shoes the next spring, my mom took me to the Shoe Tree store in our suburban Chicago town. The salesman measured my foot in one of those metal devices and then disappeared into the back. I remember him coming out of the back room with a red-white-and-blue box and kneeling down in front of me. I was smiling from ear to ear, feeling like my chest would burst open with excitement, when he fit them to my feet. Even as I write this, more than 40 years later, I can still feel that pure joy.

Once I got those sneakers, I started running everywhere. Places you might normally walkto the bus stop, in the grocery store, across the playgroundI ran instead. It was as if the shoes had helped me discover a new part of myselfa yet untapped inner athleteand gave me license to dart around with short, sharp bursts of speed wherever I went.

Back then, I certainly wasnt what youd call a runner. Like most kids, I just enjoyed the sheer thrill of racing around at recess, with neighborhood friends, and with my brother. I wouldnt join a cross-country team for another six years, in middle school. Yet early on, there were inklings. I vividly recall first grade field day, when, wearing a pair of sharp blue-and-white sneakers, I ran my guts out in the 50-yard dash and finished second to a girl in my class, Lori Habbegar. This was hard to swallow because I had already beaten all the boys and was certain I would wind up with the fastest time of the day. A humbling blow, but inspiring nonetheless.

Im not sure what it was about sneakersand eventually running shoesthat moved me so powerfully. I know I liked the feeling of running fast, the cool sensation of tearing around under my own power, and Im sure I correlated those positive feelings early on with the shoes I was wearing. I didnt have a profound Forrest Gump moment, but wearing sneakers just made me want to run.