THE RUNNING EVENT: December started out at The Running Event (TRE) in Austin, Texas. We ran TRE's annual Indy 5k on the local Formula One track, and talked with hundreds of running shoe retailers from around the country, and some from around the world. Hello Costa Rica, Panama, Germany! The reception was tremendous. Everyone loved trying on a pair of our Vimazi Z50, especially in fresh new Teko Socks.
The repeated sentiment we heard from buyers and store owners: “We like to bring in new, cutting edge products like this. Our customers are going to love these shoes!” In the few weeks since TRE, lots of buyers say plan to place orders, and a number already have. When the shoes drop in February, we’ll let you know where you can try a pair on.
PACE-TUNED TECH IN THE NEWS: A whole bunch of running shoe media types attended TRE as well. From freelance writers to bloggers and vloggers to bigger magazines like Runner’s World and Outside. They were all there. We even took six intrepid journalists out for a run in the Z50. Enthusiastic response is an understatement. Running writers and creators have been intrigued by our technology, something that’s never been done before. Here are a few of the articles that have been written to date:
“2023’s Best New Running Shoes” – Runner’s World
“Five Hot 2023 Running Shoe Trends” – Six Minute Mile
New “Pace-Tuned Running Shoes” – Gear Junkie
“Vimazi Introduces Pace-Tuned Running Shoes” – SGB
“Vimazi Shoes are Engineered to Enhance Performance at Specific Pace Zones” – HypeBeast
"Sneakers Engineered to Perform Best Within Specific Pace Zones" – Kicks On Fire
WEBSITE & VIDEO: We launched our new website this month, and we've been packing it with relevant info. Let us know what you think. And since we hardly ever sleep, we were also able to spend a few days in Oregon recently shooting running videos. Flagship Independent did spectacular, inventive work. We'll be posting the videos soon.
Enjoy the holidays and we'll see you next year. Keep the pace!
More About Vimazi
Here’s what Vimazi does
We make pace-tuned running shoes that provide better cushioning and more efficiency than previous generations of running shoes.
The physics of pace-tuned shoes
Back in 2017, while Vimazi CEO Scott Tucker was running to his 6am interval workout, he had an idea. A shoe made for a specific pace, he thought, might offer better cushioning and more propulsive efficiency than a generic shoe that wasn’t “tuned” for a particular pace.
It took three years to fully understand the physics of human running, and the forces that are generated. When we finally understood the physics, we built an equation that defines running forces. We’re now able to calculate the exact impact force and propulsion force, in Newtons, for any pace, including variations for height, weight, and cadence. (A Newton is a metric unit of force.) Data from the Forces in Running study we conducted aligned with the force calculations we got from the physics. In other words, we know it works.
Knowing the precise impact and propulsion forces at each pace, allowed us to create shoe models for different pace zones. So our pace-tuned technology is based on pure physics. No hand waving, no conjecture, no correlative studies, no self-reported data sets, no marketing fluff. We started with the physics of human running, and it led us to pace-tuned shoes.
The problem with previous gen running shoes
Most running shoes have the same foam density from heel to toe, and they’re sold to runners of every pace. The trouble is that midsole foam can’t respond correctly to the forces at all paces, and it can’t even respond appropriately to the differences between impact and propulsion forces. To make sure you get all the cushioning you want as well as all the efficiency you deserve, you need a shoe that’s made for a specific pace zone and tuned differently in the heel than the forefoot.
The Vimazi solution
Our solution to this running shoe problem was to create something that's never been done before—pace-tuned running shoes. In 2023, after years of testing, we launched seven road shoe models that span paces from 4:30 minutes per mile to 15 minutes per mile (2:50-9:30 minutes per kilometer). By making a shoe for a specific pace zone, we’ve been able to deliver better impact cushioning and propulsion efficiency for every runner.
25 years experience
We’ve taken everything we learned making running shoes for 25 years—and running marathons for even longer—and elevated it to a whole new level with pace tuning. It offers a better and more personal running experience. We were instrumental in creating shoes for Montrail, Scott Sports, and Pearl Izumi. We learned even more while owning a specialty running store and organizing running events.
A marathoner’s fit
Running shoes can have the best tech, but if they don’t fit well, nobody will wear them. We wouldn’t either! Not only have we spent our careers perfecting innovative fit technologies at other companies, notably at Montrail, we’re also life-long marathon runners ourselves. So we understand fit and know how critical it is, from heel to toe. Each of our models has been painstakingly designed and built with the perfect fit in mind. They’ve also been extensively road tested since 2019, including at the Boston, London, Portland, Missoula, San Antonio, and Two Oceans Marathons. We think you’ll love them.
