Industry: News
Hattori a ‘Trojan horse’ S
aucony’s new Hattori barefoot running shoe is a ‘Trojan horse’ that will allow the company to use the barefoot movement to target a mass market audience, the company said.
Marketing manager Jonathan Quint said the Hattori is a true barefoot shoe offering zero heel-to-toe drop, but is one which the average runner may shy away from as it is ‘the extreme of the design’. Instead, styles such as the Kinvara and Mirage, which provide the feeling of barefoot running while maintaining an element of protection pared down from the likes of the Triumph range, will suit most. “In future collections, such as spring/summer 2012, you will see more and more references to barefoot. But the Hattori is a Trojan horse really, and is the extreme of the design.
“The vast
majority of runners will fall somewhere in the middle. The whole gradient gives them choice, from the Stabil
down to the Hattori, with different weights, flexibilities and other technical specifications to choose from.”
Offering customers this level of choice is important, Quint added, as ‘barefoot shoes are not for everyone’.
“Running shoes are fundamentally a training aid and switching to barefoot may cause as many problems as it resolves. “They should be introduced slowly with the runner building up the amount of time they spend and the distance they cover in barefoot shoes.”
ISPO Beijing extended I
Adventurer steps nearer to 10m metres
A
dventurer Alex Flynn will step nearer his target of covering 10 million metres by 2014 when he embarks on a 30- day, 1,800 mile run from London to Rome on June 10.
Flynn is aiming to cover the 10 million metre distance in aid of The Cure Parkinson's Trust. Flynn himself was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2008.
Already he has covered more than one million metres, over 11 per cent of the total distance, while become the first Parkinson’s sufferer to complete the Marathon des Sables. More races and challenges are forthcoming, including the
Challenge Henley Ironman distance triathlon, the South African Otter Trail and the Trans USA ultramarathon.
He has collected nearly £40,000 so far for The Cure Parkinson’s Trust on his mission to raise £1 million, a feat which he admits is ‘no drop in the ocean’.
“I have three goals: to raise £1 million, which is no drop in the ocean; to raise awareness of Parkinson’s disease; and to inspire people to take on challenges in their everyday lives, be it an illness or something else.” Flynn added that he is always on the look out for corporate sponsors to allow him to undertake challenges. Financial services group deVere has recently signed up as a sponsor, alongside recognised industry names such as Orca, Zoggs, Ardblair Sports Importers, Buff, PureTri and others.
For more, see
www.alexflynn.co.uk or to donate visit
www.justgiving.co.uk/alex-flynn
SPO Beijing, formerly ISPO China, will run for four days in 2012 in response to requests from the industry. Organiser Messe München said exhibitors as well as visitors had requested an extra day at the show as ‘three event days often made it impossible to attend all meetings, resulting in not being able to speak with all
important customers as required’.
The extended running time will also allow tradeshow participants to attend show conferences, forums and seminars, Messe München said. Klaus Dittrich, chairman and CEO of Messe München, said: “We are pleased to fulfil the demands of the industry by increasing the running time of ISPO Beijing, to allow for the time required for negotiations, meetings and conference visits.
“These demands clearly show the importance of ISPO Beijing as the leading sports business platform for the Asia-Pacific region. We continue to work on new concepts to further develop this position.” ISPO Beijing will run from February 22-25, 2012 at the China National Convention Center, Beijing.
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www.sgb-sports.com
Denny streamlines gumshield packs
D
enny Bros has teamed up with Paul Norman Plastics to reduce the packaging used in its products by introducing a fix-a-form to some of its containers. The Game Guard gumshield product range now features an eight-page, resealable fix-a-form
which includes usage, fitting and care instructions, as opposed to a traditional cardboard backing.
A Denny Bros spokesperson said: “We wanted to improve our product offering with a new eco-friendly case without cardboard backings or plastic blister packs to throw away and improved fitting instructions, so we replaced the hand-folded instruction and usage leaflet and separate pack label with a fix-a-form that does both jobs in one.
“The base label information is printed on the front of the fix-a-form and all the instructions are neatly contained within the booklet.” The initial order of 100,000 fix-a-forms has now been applied to Game Guard gumshield containers, and Paul Norman Plastics is considering introducing fix-a-forms to its other ranges.
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