Marketer's Fool

I understand a recent guest thought this was funny:

They're all Brooks Adrenalines, of different vintages, aging in my closet.  My two most recent pairs -- I should say worn pairs -- are drying on our back steps.  Two expectant pairs wait in their boxes.

Since I read Born to Run, my footwear has taken on new value.  According its author, McDougall, each of these pairs has plenty of life left.  So, as I've said, they're aging.  Some day, when I've worn their soles as thin as crepes, they may yet see another race, today's version of running flats.

"What's with the new pairs, still in their boxes?" asks Virginia.

Good question.  I see that on my calendar, for July 1, 2010, I long ago scratched, "Order RR shoes before VIP exp. 8/19," something Born to Run persuaded me not to do.  Because I run about 2000 miles per year, my habit has been to order 4 pairs of running shoes each year, counting on each pair for 500 miles.  According to Born to Run, this means I've been doing exactly what shoe manufacturers want me to do -- buy multiple pairs of their latest model before they roll out the next version.  I've been a marketer's fool.

Besides, the two pairs I've been wearing for the past year continue to serve me nicely.  When the new pairs in the box wear out some day, I might switch to running barefoot or to those flimsy foot gloves.