I have been asked by several people about the price of inov-8’s minimalist shoes. Why, for a pair of shoes that essentially have far less to them than many of their less-minimalist counterparts, do we still have to pay up to £100? Surely less shoe ought to mean less money.
I put this question to one of inov-8’s marketing people and this is their view on it:
To answer your question about the pricing structure, it is because we are
a brand that manufacture the highest quality products. Our focus is to
deliver products to our consumers that allow them to enhance their
performance. We firmly believe that minimalist shoes (with less
cushioning) encourages a more natural running style offering, which
ultimately results in a more economical way to run, something that has
been supported by anecdotal research. Research also suggests that
minimalist shoes (with less cushioning), results in less injuries.
However, to deliver upon these values, we are required to use the highest
quality materials and manufacturing processes. For example, to reduce
weight, we use techniques such as seamless construction (I.e. The upper is
seamless rather than being stitched together). This allows the shoe to be
lighter ( giving the obvious benefit of allowing it to travel through the
air quicker).
We also use a range of new innovative technologies, for example, the new
trailroc range uses Tri-C™ technology on the outsole. This means that the
outsole comprises three different types of rubber with differing cleat
sizes. So for example, soft sticky rubber allows excellent grip on trails,
hard sticky rubber used on the outer parts of the sole for additional
grip when contouring, and endurance rubber is used in areas of the shoe
that typically experience the most wear. By adding this technology into
the shoe, it will obviously mean that we as a company incur additional
design and construction costs.
Additionally, all of our products are tested by a number of athletes prior
to being launched, to ensure that they stand up to the rigorous quality
and production standards that we set ourselves.
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