NEW YORK, Nov. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Spira Footwear today launched its "Banned
in Boston" protest and announced that it is offering a $1 million prize to any
male or female runner who can win the 2006 Boston Marathon in a banned pair of
Spira brand shoes. Spira Footwear made its announcement at Tavern on the
Green restaurant -- located just yards from the finish line of Sunday's New
York City Marathon -- a race where no elite runner will wear Spira shoes due
to its "banned" status.
Spira Footwear (http://www.spirafootwear.com) launched its protest
campaign featuring what would be the largest pay out in the history of
professional running to bring attention to what it feels is an unfair and
unjust rule by the governing bodies of Track and Field -- the International
Amateur Athletic Federation and USA Track and Field. Both the IAAF and USATF
have adopted a rule that bans spring technology in footwear, including Spira's
WaveSpring (TM) technology, in competition. IAAF and USATF rule 143(3)(a)
states:
"A competitor may compete in bare feet or with footwear on one or both
feet. The purpose of shoes is to give protection and stability to the
feet and a firm grip of the ground. Such shoes, however, must not be
constructed so as to give the competitor an additional assistance and no
spring or device of any kind may be incorporated in the shoe."
"We are attempting to bring attention to an outdated and unfair rule,"
said Spira Footwear CEO Andy Krafsur. "There should be no prohibition against
the use of shoes like these in competition."
Spira is even developing a special lightweight running shoe just for the
marathon, spearheaded by Dan Norton, Spira's VP of footwear development.
Norton was formerly the head of the advanced concepts department at Adidas,
and made custom shoes for 45 Olympic and world champions including Sebastian
Coe and Carl Lewis when he worked at Nike.
"I have worked in the footwear industry for over 30 years and Spira's
WaveSpring technology is the first true innovation that I have seen since
basically the Nike air," Norton said. "The WaveSpring patent is the reason why
I proactively joined the company."
Since debuting on the market four years ago, Spira Footwear has been
providing runners with comfort and protection from injury. Spira shoes have a
patented spring technology that reduces the impact on a runner's feet, which
leads to easier recovery and less overall exertion. Spira's patented
WaveSpring technology may be the most significant advancement ever achieved in
the footwear industry.
"If we apply the same logic that underlines this rule, all track events
should be run as they were in the movie 'Chariots of Fire.'" Races should be
held on cinder as opposed to tartan tracks and racing shoes should be
comprised on leather straps with heavy spikes embedded therein. Pole vaulters
should be using bamboo, not high tech carbon fiber poles," Krafsur said. "When
you think about it, the ban of the WaveSpring technology by the USATF is
consistent with history. The metal composite ski in 1952, the oversized metal
tennis racquet in 1976, and the oversized metal driver in 1979 were all banned
when they were first introduced."
Krafsur contends that the change was such a departure from the status quo
that the governing bodies could not adjust their rules fast enough. "The
developments fundamentally changed the sports they revolutionized and
increased participation for all," Krafsur said.
Spira shoes are now sold in over 750 stores across the country and will be
available in 30 countries by next spring. Registration for "Banned in Boston"
is posted online at http://www.spirabannedinboston.com.
Media can obtain more information by going to
http://media.spirabannedinboston.com.
SOURCE Spira Footwear
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Related links:
http://www.spirafootwear.com
http://www.spirabannedinboston.com
http://media.spirabannedinboston.com
CONTACT:
Holly Fields, Director of Marketing of Spira
Footwear, +1-915-276-9912, hfields@spirafootwear.com; or Randy
Walker, +1-917-770-0843, Randy@levsports.com, or Ben Sturner,
+1-212-988-1989, Ben@levsports.com, both of Leverage Sports
Agency for Spira Footwear
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