Introduction (go directly to footwear reviews)

We're approaching footwear a little differently. (What's new?) Footwear companies all make statements—whether they mean to or not—about their priorities—how they view and treat their customers; whether they place a value on domestic vs. overseas manufacturing; whom between high-profile vs. joe-sixpack athletes they are more motivated to serve; and a host of other categories.

So we will not be doing the Racing Flat Review or the Motion Control Essay. We will take a company at a time and talk about the shoes they make and the company itself. We've given each company the low-down on what triathletes specifically need in a running shoe—what commonalities triathletes share—and placed on their shoulders the decision of what three or four styles they want us to present to our reading audience. They've complied and over the next several weeks, or few months, we'll report to you the outcome.

Three Slowtwitch reviewers test each shoe model. Each reviewer brings different body- and running-styles. Their approaches to reviewing are different as well. Your Slowtwitch editor, Dan Empfield, one of the reviewers, has a more folksy style, while Cid and JulieAnne stick more to the facts and offer more to-the-point reviews— i.e., just the facts and not the story. The reviewers are:

Cid Cardoso: Cid is the owner of Inside Out Sports. He is also an accomplished athlete, both as a triathlete and as an ultra-distance cyclist (four-time Hawaiian Ironman finisher, age-group winner at Mrs. T's). Cid not only has the athletic background to intelligently analyze footwear, he has the experience of selling it to thousands of customers. He is perhaps 140 pounds, right in between the typical sizes of elite runners vs. elite triathletes.

Dan Empfield: Editor and publisher of Slowtwitch. He (me) has a 10k PR of 32:48 achieved long, long ago in a land far away. He was a fair to middlin' miler in high school with a 4:19.4 PR. He would list his "recent running accomplishments," but that would be an oxymoron. He (I) is (am) an overpronator, moderate to severe, and motion-control shoes are therefore my favorites. He/I run(s) with orthotics, and favor(s) shoes that easily accept—and are strong enough to support—them. At 170 pounds, he/I is/am a tad bigger than the typical elite triathlete.

JulieAnne White: The above gentleman's wife. 10k road PR of 33:45; half-marathon PR of 1:16:24 (six times 1:17 or under); and, oh yes, a pretty fair resume as a triathlete (second in Hawaii in '92; 9:08 IM PR). She has a good footfall but still runs in orthotics.

FOOTWEAR COMPANIES

• NEW BALANCE 4/25/00
• ADIDAS 10/28/00