Running Changed. Sneakers Changed It.

About this episode

The episode features a discussion with Raziq Rauf about the cultural history of running and the impact of sneaker technology.

You probably know I've got a love-hate relationship with running. But when Raziq Rauf, the guy behind the Running Sucks Substack, sent me his new book This Is Running , I couldn't put it down. So I figured I needed to get him on the show. Raz is a former music journalist, BBC and Guardian contributor, USATF running coach, and now author of what is genuinely a cultural history of running in the 21st century. We talk about the super shoe revolution and what carbon plate technology actually does to your body, why run clubs exploded out of the pandemic, how brands coming into that space changes the community, and what it actually means to find yourself while you're out there grinding through a five mile loop. We also get into the sneaker side of all of this... the Nike Alphafly at fashion week, whether performance running shoes can cross over the same way basketball shoes and tennis shoes did, and the moment it all changed at the 2016 Olympics. If you've ever laced up for a run or thought about it, this one's for you. This Is Running is available to order now: https://amzn.to/4tlGWxq Follow Raz at @runningsucks101 on Instagram and find his newsletter at runningsucks101.com…

People in this episode

Host: Nick

Guest: Raziq Rauf

Topics covered

• running
• sneaker culture
• super shoes
• carbon plate technology
• community
• cultural history

Keywords

• running
• sneakers
• super shoes
• carbon plate technology
• Nike Alphafly
• running clubs
• 2016 Olympics

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: BBC, Guardian, USATF

Products: Nike Alphafly

Books & works: This Is Running

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