Expensive running shoes ‘rated worse’ than cheap ones, survey finds

[Jonathan Fairfield]

Expensive running shoes ‘rated worse’ than cheap ones, survey finds

Expensive running shoes are rated worse than cheap ones, according to a international survey.

RunRepeat.com looked at over 130,000 reviews of nearly 400 different running shoes from 24 brands.

It found that the higher the list price, the lower the shoes’ ratings, and the ten most expensive shoes rated worse than the ten cheapest.

“80% of all the runners buy the same five running shoes, even though there are better alternatives to them,” said RunRepeat.com founder Jens Jakob Andersen. We tend to buy what’s promoted a lot and not what other people actually like. So what we see is that expensive running shoes have so many extra-features that we might not need and that can be one explanation why they get worse ratings than the cheaper and more affordable running shoes.”

RunRepeat.com is privately funded and operates by selling reviews to online stores. It says the study is the first to compare the correlation between the list price of running shoes and and reviews.

Andersen claims the study aims “to inform consumers, not to promote or hurt any specific brands”.

On people’s apparent tendency to purchase expensive shoes, he says “people buy three times as expensive shoes to get eight percent less satisfied. This makes me question the consumerism we are experiencing towards premium running shoes”.

-- (c) Copyright Euronews 2015-09-30

[TheCruncher]

The expensive price for certain brandname running shoes isn't because of research and quality materials used, but because of the billions of $ they spend on advertising.

[jvs]

I used to run a lot before and i always believed running people did not really have much foot issues until a certain company started promoting shoes just for running.

A very good book to read if you are into these things is'born to run"

People where adviced to buy new shoes every 3500 km or so,for me new shoes every year.

Then there is a big difference between trainers and competition shoes all these things may be important to professional runners but for the great majority it is just money out of your pocket.

When i owned a gym i used to sell a lot of supplements and people wanted to believe it helped,well it helped me a lot.(financially)

[JetsetBkk]

I've been walking - not running - up a mountain in Phuket town for years. My 99 baht Adda flip-flops work great!

[Colabamumbai]

They are all made in factories in Thailand, Cambodia etc. for between $ 3 and $10.00 a pair, as posted it is the marketing and branding that you pay for....

A recent professional race runner just had the insoles of the Nike shoes fall out during the race.....

Stay away from name brands.

[empireboy]

Quality is often quite obvious... most people do not look for the "obvious" but prefer to buy the "hype" or the "logo/brand"

[thailanddogerator]

These runners are anyway so ridiculous with their colourful shoes and clothes !!!

[thailanddogerator]

Just like any brands !!!

Do you think that Chanel puts $200 of ingredients in their cosmetics ?

They put $1 just as Chinese factories and keep the rest as profit !

The expensive price for certain brandname running shoes isn't because of research and quality materials used, but because of the billions of $ they spend on advertising.

[Chicog]

Newsflash: iPhones aren't worth $600 either.

[The Deerhunter]

Newsflash: iPhones aren't worth $600 either.

Agree but they have got their costs cut down so far in China that they reputedly make at least 2 or 3 times more out of each phone sold than Samsung make out of every phone of a slightly cheaper alternative. Apple is good gear but the brand hype that makes people buy expensive shoes is probably worse in the phone market. Phones cost more than running shoes and there are millions who a new phone each time Apple put out a new model. i.e. Once a year, like shoes. I admit I love my 2 year old (OLD!!!!!) Samsung Note 3 but there are a growing list of phones from 1/2 a dozen brands now with similar specs for heaps less money and two major new budget brands launching, right now and more to follow. No surprises in that shoe survey. At all!!!!! I gave up running years ago & now walk kilometers behind a mower or swim when I can, to avoid impact injury on the old joints. Running is a stupid addiction. (IMHO)

Edited September 30, 2015 by The Deerhunter

[Emster23]

Way back when I took a marketing class called "Consumer Behavior". If some product, be it a movie, shoes, 9THAI GF?) etc is repeatedly said to be much better than other competitors product (gf might have had back home), expectations often don't match assessment once experienced actual product. The product can be better than average, say an "8" but if expected a "10" the rating then user will rate it a "4", below average.

[Gandtee]

I used to run in plimsolls. What happened to them I wonder? They were multi-purpose. The school masters used them to apply appropriate punishment to boys rear ends.

[wabothai]

Better for your health not to know all this stuff.

[eddiesdad]

Worked in the shoe industry for twenty plus years on the moulding end of things ie the soles - never has there been an industry so full of BS claims re what their shoes will do. I have told people for years that simple is best - all you need is a decent EVA (foam) or PU if you like it midsole. You do not need all the so called bells and whistles that the majority of brands market.

They pack "technology" into the heels of their shoes - which if you are a runner will know that that is exactly the wrong place to run/land. If anything this encourages people to run badly which in turn produces injuries.

Buy simple - learn how to mid/forefoot strike - you will be far better off.

[attento]

One wonders if the amazing long distance runners from places such as Ethiopia, rely on Expensive running shoes during their early years, before they become sponsored by the big Brands.

Ssshhh - maybe it is not the shoes, it could be their natural ability and no-nonsense training regimes !

[uptheos]

You try and get a 2E or 4E width running shoe in one of the cheap brands they don't exist. So for us guys with wider width fittings we're stuck with the more expensive brands. I wear New Balance and my last pair cost 100 quid, but they're sooo comfortable and worth every penny.

[katana]

I liked New Balance trainers as well for running.

[retarius]

You try and get a 2E or 4E width running shoe in one of the cheap brands they don't exist. So for us guys with wider width fittings we're stuck with the more expensive brands. I wear New Balance and my last pair cost 100 quid, but they're sooo comfortable and worth every penny.

Agree 100%. Those of us with wide feet cannot fit into other brands, cheap or expensive....for me NEW BALANCE or nothing.

[Credo]

Newsflash: iPhones aren't worth $600 either.

iPhone has a lot more technology involved in it than shoes.

If you have a good iPhone you don't need to do near as much running around anyway.

[bendejo]

What about that cherished piece of wisdom "you get what you pay for"?

[TheCruncher]

What about that cherished piece of wisdom "you get what you pay for"?

That cherished piece of wisdom never applies to the top brands, of whatever item, as they always demand a premium for the brandname.

[01322521959]

I buy two pairs of Clicks each year. 500 baht each pair. I run between 3 and 9 kms 3 times a week and they suit me just fine