Last week I was asked to take a look at the adidas Running Hub. A novel approach from one of the big 3, it actually appears that they want to hear our opinions about their running shoes.
Working with the Social Media Agency DBM; adidas has created a website designed to interact with runners and gain feedback about how they can develop better running shoes.
Initial impressions, its a nice clean site. There is a forum, the ability to review any adidas running shoe, videos, and competitions. However, unsurprisingly there is little traffic / interaction with the site and this will be the key to its success.
One thing they do need to get right is the Running Shoe Review section. At the moment it’s somewhat disjointed with references to trail shoes being made when reviewing racing flats. However, besides that the questions are engaging (note to self: improve ransacker review system!) and the responses interesting. Here are just a few of my favorites:
What would be or has been your ultimate run and why?:
Adverse weather conditions that instantly take your mind off the mundane. When the hail beats down and stings your ears. When the threat of approaching lighting makes you run full tilt across the moors. When torriatail rain bounces off the floor soaking you to the bone. These elements put a grin across my face in a way which my colleagues in the office the next day with never understand.
After running in the adidas mana how would you rate their initial performance?:
These shoes have zero cushioning. I’m usually very light on my feet but in these shoes every stride is met by an audioable slap of foot on tarmac. I can sense the extra impact on every step and at the end of my 3 sessions in the 3 weeks since I received them my legs have been left tingling from the impact. This is the only downside so far but it makes me consider only using them for track work and for races where a PB is in the sights.
That said they make me run much faster, I think by as much as 10 seconds a mile which I think is a combination of their feather weight and the fact that I feel like a professional athlete wearing them.
They support my ankle well, my foot sits perfectly inside them without rubbing. At the end of my runs I’ve been very sweaty but my feet to my surprise have been bone dry.
Overall: I like the concept of the adidas Running Hub and it’s good to see a manufacturer openly engaging with its customers about their running shoes. One slight concern maybe that it’s very focused on the club runner, just because people are not members of a running club it does not mean that they don’t take running seriously. I look forward to seeing some honest rapport and hopefully adidas using the feedback to make some much needed strides forward.
So if you fancy trialing a pair of adidas running shoes or just letting them know what you think about their range just visit the: adidas Running Hub. And if you do get a chance to review a pair of shoes we’d love to hear your feedback on Ransacker!
