After many different versions of Nike’s Air Pegasus running shoes I decided to see if there was another running shoe out there for me. I had recently moved which changed the surfaces that I regularly ran on. I needed to find a new shoe with the same comfort but with a little more stability to prevent injury. I went to a running shoe store that allowed me to try multiple pairs of shoes, all at the same price, by running about a mile in each pair. I ended up finding that the Brooks Adrenaline GTS was the best fit for me by far. I honestly had never tried on a pair of Brooks running shoes before, sticking to my trusty New Balance and Nike brands, but I have to admit, my Brooks shoes have lasted the longest and have given me the least amount of aches and pains from running. I love them. Plus, I can tell I’m SO much faster in them.
Brooks Sports, Inc., based in Bothell, Washington and was founded in 1914. Now it is a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway, Inc. Berkshire Hathaway is run by Warren Buffet who’s business strategy throughout the years has been to invest in undervalued, quality companies for the long-term. Based on his investing record, if Warren likes it, the company must be good. Brooks’ footwear is designed to produce a running shoe that is both comfortable and helps to prevent running-related injuries. From the Brooks website, Brooks Sports mission is to “inspire everyone to run and be active by creating innovative gear that keeps them running longer, farther, and faster.” I guess this is where Kayne West got the idea for his song, “Stronger.” I thought Puff Daddy was the one that ran a marathon? Who knows.
At any rate, Brook’s newest innovative gear is the Brooks Trance 8. Brooks Trance 8 is the first shoe made with a biodegradable midsole which breaks down in landfills 50 times faster than normal running shoes. Normal running shoes take an average of 1000 years to biodegrade in a landfill in comparison to the Brooks Trance 8 which takes approximately 20 years to biodegrade. Brooks estimates that by manufacturing this biodegradable shoe alone will account for a decrease our landfills by 30 million pounds in the next 20 years. If just one type of shoe can account for that much waste, wouldn’t it be great if more products to be made with this innovative material and biodegrade quicker? Of course, and Brooks Sports, Inc. agrees. Brooks has made this new product an “open source” innovation, vowing that they will share this new product to any company, including competing shoe manufactures. Now that’s a commitment to the environment.
After you buy your new pair of running shoes think twice about throwing away your old pair. Please consider to continue to use them for other purposes or better yet, give them away to someone that needs them more. Remember, those shoes have a life expentancy of 1000 years!
Tags: Brooks, enviroment, running shoes