Kicksology: The Hype, Science, Culture & Cool of Running Shoes

Something I'd never have thought would be an interesting thing to read about, but it was a really interesting thing to read about! Every time I go to my local Fleet Feet to try on shoes it blows my mind the technology that abounds. Now they have 3D foot mapping and will soon have 3D-printed insoles. Long gone are the days of running in Keds (and yes, I remember my mom taking me to the Shoe Tree when I was a kid). I try to keep my enthusiasm in check and not drop a gazillion bucks on the latest and greatest because, like so many other things, I find a perfect shoe for my running style and it's suddenly upgraded to Version 87.5 or whatever, and now it doesn't work for me anymore and you can't find a pair of the old ones to save your life. Not that you can stock up either when you find the "perfect" shoe because your feet evolve along the way. Mine got wider and developed bunions, so the old perfect ones didn’t work anymore and I had to find new perfect ones. It's a complicated topic that the author succeeds in making a lot more interesting than this review. A fun read.

Thought I knew a great deal about running shoes until I read this book. Some great history of the shoe industry and behind the scenes on how and where most of the shoes we run in are made along with tweaks and major advances in running shoe technology- what lies ahead?

This was a good book and I especially liked it as I am a running shoe nerd like the author. It gives a history of the running shoe industry.

Very interesting shoe info if you are a longtime runner. Easy to read and told in a sense that makes one feel a part of the story.

Superbly written, engaging, factually correct. Finally, a running book without brand propaganda. Instead, we are treated to skeptical thinking and logical conclusions about performance and health in running footwear.

Very interesting and fun read

An exceptional book! No one knows shoes like Metz.

A little slow in some places, great stats

Terrific book, well written book which is chock-full of interesting details about the shoes we love to run in. Provides balanced perspectives on topics presented. Published in 2019 so, as of the date of this review, the information is quite current. It would be great to see an updated edition a few years down the road. Highly recommended for anyone who has an interest in running.

Have read Metzler's writing across the years in various running publications but they were all about running. This book tells you how much of a shoe geek he is and what all those miles he accumulated over thousands of shoes have taught him. The book is an enjoyable read for running shoe geeks. Loads of running shoe history, business rivalries mixed with personal experience.

If you’ve been running for a long time, as I have, then you will find this a nostalgic romp through the history of running shoes in the last 50 years or so. The last couple of chapters discuss emerging trends such as the new “go faster” shoes from Nike, Adidas, et al which although interesting were also depressing for someone who has always thought that running was more about the running than the equipment, unlike cycling for example.