“How many heartbeats can a running shoe save?” That is the central question in a crowdsourced study, launched as of today by Swedish running shoe company Airia Running. The company will recruit runners from all over the world to compare their usual running shoes to Airia 1.5 in a simple treadmill test. The hub of the project is the website, where test runners register and report heart rate data.　
The test is open for current Airia runners and at least 100 runners that get a free pair of Airias. The test protocol is statistically validated and needs more than 50 participants to reach significance.
More info about the test: http://saveheartbeats.run/about/
“Engaged consumers want more than the ordinary marketing nonsense, runners not the least,” says Mattias Geisler, CEO of Airia Running. “And this project can prove our own shoe tests in a conceivable and transparent manner and also pave way for new thinking in the running shoe business.”
The Airia shoe concept was launched in 2014 and gained interest for its innovative form and function. The outsole focus on improving the running stride and the shoe has been shown to decrease ground contact time and increase power in the propulsion phase for a majority of runners. More about the shoe here: http://www.airiarunning.com/pages/the-science
“We are curious by nature and dig down deep on every possible aspect of running shoe performance. And we will make serious efforts to produce hard facts with all our products,” says Geisler. “Too much of the R&D in the running shoe business takes place behind locked doors and never reach public scrutiny.”
