I was speaking with my father-in-law over dinner last night and we got to talking about sports, technology, and relevance. We discussed the sports of running, tennis, and golf where back in his day, the 70's, the technology was drastically different than it was today. Running shoes from the 70's are very different in look and feel than running shoes of the 21st century. Why? People were running marathons, successfully, back in the 70's in those vintage nikes that "Pre" used to wear. Why wouldn't those shoes work today?
I don't get it. I like to live by the motto "If it's not broke, don't fix it...", but I do not really know what the real benefits are of the modern technology in running shoes when compared to "old school" running shoes.
The same argument can be made about golf clubs and tennis rackets, to a point. I understand that the sweet spots are bigger now, thus making the equipment more necessary for success. Also, if the equipment today is making it easier to be 'good', you could almost say that players from "way back" were better than today's golfers and tennis players, simply because they had to be better. The equipment was inferior.
To me, it's an interesting topic. I'd really like to get my hands on a true 'vintage' pair of running shoes and try them out---to see if I could tell a difference. I really am curious to hear what people have to say about this....discuss!!!!
4 comments:
Dude, nice site.
Technology upgrades are pretty valid, I think. Sure, some of it is just hype and marketing. I can say for golf that technology upgrades are a very big part of the game. It's a big issue for the sport. The new technology is making older courses irrelevant, and unchallenging. Jack Nicklaus is a big advocate of tighter rules governing the legality of certain technologies, especially in golf balls.
As for running, just looking at a contemporary sneaker and an old one makes me pretty certain I'd rather be running in my medial-posted, abzorb cushioned, gel supportive, super modern, extra light running trainers than an old pair of suede flats.
I think more than anything sports technology makes all sports more accessible to your average hobbyist. No one likes to play a sport where you can't succeed at least a little bit, and not many people are great athletes. So the new equipment allows your weekend player to drive the ball over 200 yards, or actually jog a few miles and watch his times decrease, or be able to hit a fairly reliable backhand. It doesn't make the athlete, it just makes a bit of success a little more attainable.
do you know what the older running shoes were made of?
like, what was the cloth part made of? same question with the soles.
Definitely nice post...actually every year lots of changes happen from technology to shoes...improvement always happen to become competitive...
spyder
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