Thinking about it, we have come a long way.

Before I discuss the functionality and appeal of the "Nike Zoom Series," let me first ask you this. Usually, media events for running shoes are held in Tokyo. That's a tale of two halves, because, after all, it is more convenient and reasonable to do it in Tokyo. Therefore, most running events are literally "trial runs," where you get to try on a pair of shoes for a short distance in Tokyo. It is rare that we go out of our way to go out of our way for this purpose.

So what exactly would we be doing in Karuizawa for this event? With these questions in mind, I headed to Karuizawa by train with Mr. Makino of BEAMS RUN CLUB. Incidentally, Makino-san, who runs the BEAMS RUN CLUB, is a serious runner who averages more than 300km per month, and his favorite magazine these days is a running magazine, so he is a serious runner, even more so than a fun runner. We have asked Mr. Makino to talk about the appeal of these shoes, but more on that later.

Everyone knows Karuizawa as a summer resort. It was autumn, and I was gloating that I would be able to enjoy the autumn foliage. With such faint hopes on the back of my mind, the train slipped into Karuizawa Station, and after changing to a bus at the station, I was headed for a track. A track?　I entered the track, my head dizzy from the seriousness of Mr. "Nike", who seemed to be "a little crazy".

Check the functionality of each shoe.

Inside the track, three types of shoes from the Nike Zoom series were prepared: "Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 34," "Nike Zoom Fly," and "Nike Zoom Vaporfly 4%" (clockwise from top right in the photo). First, the athletes wear the "Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 34" on the inside of the track to complete a menu of training exercises, such as strengthening the core of the body, expanding the range of motion of the joints, and mastering footwork to improve form.

Nike claims that the Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 34 is the perfect training shoe for top athletes as well as for regular runners. It is a multi-purpose shoe with excellent resilience, cushioning, and support.

According to Mr. Makino, "I have heard that athletes such as Mohamed Farah (gold medalist in the 5000m and 10,000m at the London and Rio Olympics in succession) and Suguru Osako all use Pegasus during their preparation jogs. As a characteristic, I feel moderate firmness and light cushioning. I have a strong impression that it is a well-balanced all-around shoe. They are NIKE iD compatible, and I wear them as my daily shoes in Cortez colors. I also wear them as my daily shoes in the Cortez color scheme. It's a fun way to make people think, "Hey, he's running in his Cortez!

Thickness leads to speed.

Once your body is ready, you change into your "Nike Zoom Fly" shoes and head out to the track, where your coach will check your form as you run short distances of 100 to 200 meters. At the end of the training session, we will have a group run, divided by target pace. The "Nike Zoom Fly" test ended with the completion of a run at a considerable exercise intensity that belies any naive notions.

The thicker sole is a vivid visual "visualNike Zoom FlyThe "#" is a pair that embodies Nike's slogan, "# thickness is speed. This model is ideal as a production shoe for runners who aim to run a full marathon in 3 hours, and also as a training shoe for runners who aim to run a full marathon in less than 3 hours.

Mr. Makino's impression is indeed from his point of view. When you try them on, you will see that they are forefoot shoes with the center of gravity in the front. The book "BORN TO RUN" exploded in popularity, and in barefoot shoes, which "awaken the power of the foot itself," the landing is not done with the heel but with the toes. The thick sole of this shoe is seemingly the opposite of a barefoot shoe with a thinner sole, but I feel the same vector in the way I run. If you can get up to speed by running with a forefoot form, you can make good use of the rebound of the sole and gain even more speed. As a feeling, I think it would be good to run at a pace of about the first half of 3 minutes per kilometer. In terms of being able to feel the rebound, I can run on the road as well as on the track and feel the performance of these shoes the most, so it makes perfect sense.

What I learned from driving on public roads.

On the second day of the tour, the participants went running on public footpaths to enjoy the pleasant nature of Karuizawa, a change from yesterday's track field. Participants enjoyed the 10 km distance at their own pace, with the rich nature around the trees by their side.

On that occasion, Mr. Makino was wearing the Nike Zoom Vaporfly 4%. This is the fastest marathon shoe in the history of the Nike Zoom series, which Nike boasts has broken the rules for runners by combining the best of its technologies. These are the shoes worn by Suguru Osako, who proved he can compete on a par with the world's best. Everyone from the first to fourth runners in the Fukuoka International Marathon wore these shoes. The sole has excellent cushioning, yet carbon fiber plates are embedded throughout the sole to provide the resilience and propulsive force necessary for kicking off. This is a level of racing shoe capable of meeting the demands of world-class athletes, and is the perfect production shoe for runners aiming to break 3 hours in a full marathon.

So, how does Makino-san evaluate these shoes?

I was fascinated by the idea of putting resilient carbon into this thick sole in the first place. I tried them on at yesterday's track practice, and I personally feel that shoes with generally soft soles have a time lag in the rebound from the sole on surfaces like the track I tried them on yesterday, so I thought that hard surfaces like asphalt would be a better use of the rebound. I was right, and they worked perfectly on the road!　But what makes these shoes different from the soft-soled shoes on the market is the fact that they have carbon in the sole, which gives them a good firmness. So the landing is soft, but the time lag of rebound is small, which is ideal. I would like to run the Tokyo Marathon in February in the Nike Zoom Vaporfly 4%. These shoes make me want to think about running the Tokyo Marathon in February.

Nike's DNA, not just design.

We also asked Mr. Makino what kind of brand "Nike" is as a fashion and performance shoe brand from a big picture perspective.

The more I learn about this brand, the more I get the impression that technology came first, and then this kind of design was created as a result. It's like this is what you get when you push for functionality. I heard that Eliud Kipchoge and his team created the "Nike Zoom Vaporfly 4%" based on just three keywords: 1) lightweight, 2) cushioning, and 3) propulsive power. I think the development power of this shoe is outstanding, as it was created in response to the strong demands of athletes.

This is the result of Nike's DNA, which has been passed down from the company's founder, "Listen to the voice of the athlete. Function comes first. We will never release a design that is not based on design. Of course, once in the hands of users, they are free to enjoy them as fashion.

Come to think of it, Nike's advertisements remain strong in my memory. The company never lost its focus on functionality and innovation, but successfully added a sense of fun and fashion to the mix, creating a new era. In a word, he is sincere and tasteful. This time, a variety of media, from fashion to run magazines, were gathered. This is because "Nike" is at a high level in all aspects, and various media are able to communicate from their own perspectives.

For example, high-spec down shoes are tested in extreme cold, and waterproof shoes are tested in the rain. In the same way, Karuizawa, where there are tracks and public roads, was chosen as a place where the performance and value of these shoes can be experienced to the fullest. The rich nature of Karuizawa is similar to that of Oregon, where Nike's headquarters is located. This running event was such a valuable event, where everything from the product to the place to try it out, in other words, everything from the starting point to the drop-off point, could be shared. So, I was hungry...thick is fast!