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"Because it's there." The famous response as given by George Mallory in 1924 when he was asked why he wanted to attempt to climb the planets tallest summit serves to prove the point that, when it comes to the crunch, mankind has a pretty irrepressible spirit.
Present him with a problem and he will attempt to solve it. Challenge him to perform a feat of skill or imagination and he will endeavour to produce a moment of magic for his audience to savour. Or, alternatively, ask him to run 26 miles as quickly as he can in a manner that will test the limits of his physical and mental endurance and he will happily set off at a canter.
Indeed, that's exactly what tens of thousands of people did in the 100th London Marathon a few weeks back braving inhospitable April conditions as they tackled the gruelling route raising millions of pounds for their chosen charities.
Now, if you're going to put your body through such an ordeal, it's fair to say that the comfort and quality of your footwear has to be tip top. Yet as I watched the runners pass the 23 mile mark that Sunday afternoon it was clear that despite months of preparation and carefully selected sports shoes, the wear and tear on their feet and legs was really beginning to bite.
Meeting and greeting a selection of people who had conquered the course three miles further down the road I was treated to a vast selection of swellings, blisters and bruises that even the technology of Asics, Adidas and Reebok et al had failed to prevent. One finisher ruefully nursing a particularly impressive blood blister on his heel was clearly quick to question the effectiveness of his anti blister socks / sport shoe combination as he painfully peeled them off!
So when running a marathon, the design and comfort of your chosen shoe is particularly important. It's also pretty key for the rest of us as we bustle around in our day to day lives!
That's why this month we have reviewed a great selection of the comfort brands in the market place. We found an array of technology and design innovation that promises to make the everyday shoe as comfortable as possible and we're glad to report that this is not at the expense of looking good. And, in fitting with this theme of triumph in the face of adversity, we also focus on one company taking positive steps in the face of tough market conditions.
And maybe, just possibly, we could all be inspired by the thousands who ran the London Marathon (and those who plan to tackle the big runs during the rest of the year) to dig our running shoes out from the bottom of the wardrobe where, in my case at least, they have languished for far too long. See you out there!
Regards
Mike Sharkey
Editor
DL: 07966 136037
E: footwear@datateam.co.uk
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