Welcome to episode 58 of the Final Surge Podcast where today we welcome Jens Jakob Andersen. Jens founded RunRepeat.com, a website with the goal to help you find your next pair of running shoes and to offer you a deal on them. In this episode we talk about the growth of RunRepeat, how free shoes could bias results of these reviews and what are some of the trends he is seeing in shoes. Please remember to leave us a review on iTunes. Your review will help us grow our podcast. Coming up next week we a coaching legend who will be joining us to talk training.
Listen to the podcast on iTunes or listen to it on Stitcher if you have an Android device.
Stream it right here:
How did you get your start in running?
How did your passion for running lead you to creating RunRepeat?
When did RunRepeat start?
Can you explain to our listeners the goal of RunRepeat?
Each shoe has a number score associated with it, how does the rating system work?
Reviews are from experts on other sites and users who review the shoes on your site?
Who are these expert reviewers that work for you?
If reviewers are getting free shoes, can it cause a bias in the reviews?
If a new shoe was provided for free, will they look at the reviews and treat you differently?
How many miles do they run in a pair of shoes before they review?
What are some of the current trends you see in running shoes that seem to be having a good impact?
What about the Nike Sub-2 hour shoe, what do you think of that shoe project?
All this money goes into marketing to say their shoe is the best. So how does someone find out what is the best shoe for them?
When I was younger I ran almost solely in the Asics GT 2020 line and its successors, but in the last decade I almost never buy the same shoe two times in a row. Do you find people tend to buy the same shoe each time or do they tend to jump around between brands and models?
If I am always buying something new, I need to go into a store to try them on. If someone is buying online would you recommend they stick to the same shoe because they cannot try them on?
When do you know itÍs time for new shoes?
Do you find the shoes that are rated the highest to be the most popular shoes that companies market the most or do you find no relationship between ratings and popularity?
We have had some new companies emerge over the last few years such as the Sketchers Performance line and Under Armor, what do you see as up and coming running shoe lines?
They recently signed King Cheserek to a deal which is a huge name. I had a pair of GoRuns about two years ago and if I am being honest, they were probably the most comfortable running shoes I ever owned, but they broke down really quickly. What are you seeing from them and the ratings?
I noticed one of your studies showed that the higher the priced shoe, the lower the ratings were. Is that because people have unreasonable expectations when they spend more money or why do you think that is?
You have a study which was ironically posted on your website on July 4th that said American runners are getting slower. But when we look at the Olympic A standard qualifications like the 5k, the standard was faster in 2016 than it was in 2012, and we had more people who hit the faster A standard. So the elites are not getting slower. Can you tell us about this report?
Is it because more people who would have never considered doing a marathon before are now doing it for charity?
What other interesting studies do you have coming out?
The Final Surge… 5 questions in under 1 minute
Favorite endurance/running book? – Shoe Dog
Current trainers you are wearing? – Declined
Favorite race? – Norway 1k vertical climb
Favorite meal or recovery drink? – Chocolate
Your favorite workout – 10 x 400m with 1 minute rest + 3 min rest then 10 x 200 with 1 minute
Resources
Email Jens: Jens@RunRepeat.com
Team Final Surge
