Who would’ve thought all this talk of buns and thighs would turn so ugly?
Yes, there appears to be a bit of a battle going on about toning shoes, the sneakers that claim to – among other things – help you shape up your abs, thighs, and glutes just by altering the way you walk. As it turns out, that’s a pretty profitable promise, as the market for toning shoes is expected to surpass $1 billion this year, led by Sketchers and Reebok.
Wait a second. Where’s Nike?
Sitting on the sidelines, actually. Nike claims to be unconvinced about the benefits of toning shoes, and has gone so far as to mock them in a recent campaign. In the example pictured to the right, the sign off (‘This shoe works if you do”) wraps up a broader message about getting a hot body through good ol’ fashioned exercise, rather than “magical” shoes. Oh, SNAP.
We’ve previously lauded Nike for their work on Nike+, noting that this sub-brand demonstrates an impressively nuanced understanding of the running community. As a result, their executions have been exceptionally targeted, ranging from iPod integrations to geo-tagged running routes to simultaneously coordinated running events. In other words, Nike has proven, repeatedly, that they understand the priorities and motivations of this Micro Community.
So, if Sketchers can get credit for having the right brand personality to launch a quick-fix toning shoe (a case made by the always-wise Ed Cotton), Nike deserves even more admiration for knowing when to step aside from a “brand-wrong” trend. We not saying the toning shoes do or don’t work, since shoe science isn’t our specialty. The point is that even if the shoes are effective, their sole selling feature undermines the essence of the entire Nike+ brand: namely, that a healthy lifestyle is a marathon, not a sprint (and yes, every single one of those puns intended). Over a long period of time, Nike’s been able to connect with the running community by continuously demonstrating that the brand is paying attention to (and delivering upon) their needs, so we’re relieved to see that Nike knew better than to undermine that promise by jumping on a possible fad.
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