we get to live one life.
what's the most important question to be answered?
yes, that is very deep. but the weekend is for deep thinking. read the headline of an email and your brain is already floating. in the runner's mind there is only one question.
running is boring but friend of the brand marc has his ways of making strangers getting to know each other.
what is the right shoe, for me?
trial and error is the way.
the right shoe... wow. flashbacks. bad decisions. blisters. blood. injuries. nightmares. because we've all been there; in the wrong shoes, that is.
now obviously people who don't run don't understand the importance of what we're talking about. that is why we are runners and they are not.
and they also don't know what you do when you find the right shoe. you start hoarding. what if this perfect shoe never comes back? what if they change it to something horrible? i have been there too. honestly speaking, i still remember my best ever running shoes over the years (wanted to list them but it might be too much otaku). but how do you get to love them so much? how do you know where to find them?
the foot and the shoe have to get to know each other.
i think i have a theory. and let's put the obvious reasons aside like bad fit, wrong size, weird foot shape, already injured, etc, etc.
it's not about the shoes. i have a theory that you and the shoes need to get to know each other. and it brings me to one important point about 4T2 and shoes. comfort is the most critical factor. comfort leads everything else. and why do most brands make soft high stack shoes? for instant comfort. in the store, when you try them on. great, that's a win.
wait, is that so?
the right shoe for them may not be the right shoe for you.
running shoes want to run, just like you. running is movement with feet landing on the ground and taking off again. there's shocks and forces and muscles, ligaments, tendons all moving at the same time. here's the secret no one told you:
soft shoes don't work with running dynamics. soft shoes interfere with the signals that the nerves in your feet need to pick up to communicate with your brain and send back to your feet and lower legs to make sure you run and use all these components in your body.
yeah, running is easy. but difficult.
some say there are no bad running conditions.
so we make shoes that provide comfort and they are not too soft. actually, you'll need to break into them a little, you gotta get to know each other. but after a while you get to like and maybe even love each other, at least that is our mission.
it is also one of the reasons why we have longer lifecycles for our shoes. we love it when people can still find their fav shoes, maybe with some improvements we learned from you along the way, but fundamentally providing you the same ride you are familiar with.
back to the point. what is the right shoe for me?
runner's feedback is gold, keep sharing it.
well, we tried to simplify that to a couple of key steps:
running road or trail or both?
if you just run road, there's three options; sundays, weekdays, one more. coming back to this below. if you just run trail, it's either get lost or sayonara. if you run both, you can always stick to trail shoes because they'll do fine on road too.
road.
sundays, weekdays and one more.
want comfort over anything?
pick sundays. it was made to be easy on sunday morning, especially for your lsd run. the shoes are our highest stack (more foam = more comfort) and a 9mm drop for an easier heel-to-toe transition (run more lazy).
want something you can do your daily runs in and use for the gym as well?
it's weekdays. compared to sundays it is slightly firmer and has a 6mm (lower) drop for a more natural heel-to-toe feel (your feet and lower legs will be more active during the run).
want to feel lighter, faster and be more active on your feet?
one more it is. it is our lightest, most flexible shoe, and perfect for faster runs or for people who want have less shoe, more fun. it also has a 6mm drop for a more active ride.
trail.
sundays, weekdays and one more.
go long and easy or go up and down and on more technical terrain?
simple story. get lost is like weekdays for the trails. perfect for more technical terrain, since the drop is 6mm. but get lost is also a favorite among ultra runners who love get lost for its versatility on the trails.
if your trails are pretty easy going and you are too, go for sayonara, it's basically sundays for the trails. so perfect for longer less technical trail runs. both models come with the best trail outsole from vibram and yes, just like all road shoes, you can order a spare pair of outsoles and resole your shoes at the local shoe repair shop.
what about size?
size, easier said then done?
stick to your regular running shoe size. if you are in doubt, shoot us a message in the chat or by answering this email (we actually will answer your questions in person) and we'll help you out.
we hope this simplified determination of the key question of life helps you to get to the answer. if it doesn't, ask us. the answer is always near and it comes in a box.
big hugs from the team and me,
jurian, founder.
may you and your shoes be longtime friends.
