The 2012 Running Event: ECCO's Erik Walcott, video courtesy of the Shoe Addicts, note by Larry Eder

With twenty-nine lines of performance running footwear at the 2012 Running Event, how does a run specialty store decide? The Running Network tracks 45-48 different brands at this time.
Run Specialty puts on the wall, as one of the great Garys told me, “what pays the bills”.

They have to focus on the product that the consumer wants. New shoes, that is the toughest place to be, as run specialty is the top of the running footwear food chain.

The consumer at run specialty influences the other ninety percent. They are looking for the best shoe that they can get, price is about sixth on their list. Service is key.

How does a brand such as Ecco, which has made high quality shoes for fifty years, and has been in running for about five years, reach out to run specialty?

That was the main question that the Shoe Addicts were asking Ecco’s Eric Walcott.

Here was his very thoughtful answer:

Author

Larry Eder
Larry Eder has had a 52-year involvement in the sport of athletics. Larry has experienced the sport as an athlete, coach, magazine publisher, and now, journalist and blogger. His first article, on Don Bowden, America's first sub-4 minute miler, was published in RW in 1983. Larry has published several magazines on athletics, from American Athletics to the U.S. version of Spikes magazine. He currently manages the content and marketing development of the RunningNetwork, The Shoe Addicts, and RunBlogRun. Of RunBlogRun, his daily pilgrimage with the sport, Larry says: "I have to admit, I love traveling to far away meets, writing about the sport I love, and the athletes I respect, for my readers at runblogrun.com, the most of anything I have ever done, except, maybe running itself." Also does some updates for BBC Sports at key events, which he truly enjoys. Theme song: Greg Allman, " I'm no Angel."
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