Rundefeated

Back in 2016, when Pokémon Go was still a thing and fidget spinners ruled the Earth, I tied up my first pair of proper running shoes and hit the road. The running world back then was obsessed with one thing: minimalist shoes. The idea was simple — less is more. Barely-there cushioning, super flexible soles, and the false promise that you’d eventually run like a graceful Kenyan gazelle. I joined the hype and got myself a pair of Skechers Go Run 4, which felt like running barefoot on optimism. Then came the Saucony Kinvara 8, which made me believe I was floating… until I realized it was just my foot arch crying for help.

Not long after, the world did a complete 180. The minimalism era packed its bags and left quietly, replaced by maximalist running shoes that looked like they were designed by someone who’d never seen a human foot before. Enter Hoka One One, the brand that thought, “What if we put your foot on top of a marshmallow and made you pay $150 for it?” And surprisingly, it worked. I bought the Bondi and Clifton series and suddenly my feet were so high off the ground, I was worried about getting altitude sickness.

Then, as if runners weren’t confused enough, the supershoe era arrived. Shoes with carbon plates, bone-like fiberglass plates, and midsoles so bouncy they made you question gravity itself. I fell right into that rabbit hole and collected four plated shoes like Thanos collecting Infinity Stones. Under Armour Velociti Elite 2, Adidas Adizero Boston, Mizuno Wave Rebellion Flash 2, and Nike Zoom Tempo Next%. Each promised a personal best and early retirement from injuries. None mentioned that I’d need to sell a kidney to afford them.

Running now feels like participating in an Olympic science fair. Every shoe comes with a marketing jargon longer than my weekend long run. Words like PEBA foam, carbon propulsion system, and aerodynamic heel bevel get thrown around so much, I wouldn’t be surprised if my next shoe came with an instruction manual and a physics diploma.

And where does it go from here? What’s the next trend? Smartshoes, probably. Shoes with sensors that track cadence, heart rate, hydration levels, cholesterol, emotional trauma from your last breakup — all uploaded in real time to your smartwatch. “Warning: you’re 400 meters away from total despair. Adjust your pace.” And don’t forget the built-in AI coach that constantly yells, “Pick up the pace, slowpoke!” in your earpiece.

Or maybe we’ll see self-lacing shoes become mainstream, like those in Back to the Future. Only now, instead of tying themselves, they’ll decide whether or not you deserve a good run based on your sleep data, caffeine intake, and how many motivational quotes you liked on Instagram that morning.

Of course, there’s always the chance the next trend will be anti-tech running. Imagine a shoe made of woven banana leaves with zero cushioning and an ancient Indonesian shaman’s blessing for injury prevention. Runners will pay top dollar because it’s “authentic” and “connects you to nature.” Hypebeasts will claim it’s the best thing since carbon plates.

Whatever the future holds, one thing’s for sure: as long as there are shoes, runners will chase the next big thing, leaving behind a graveyard of barely-used sneakers and a wallet that constantly asks, “Was that necessary?” And yes — it always is.