RUN WITH HER
At the launch of Puma Run XX Nitro, their first woman-specific running shoe, the brand asks you to “run for her”. But we think you should go a step further
IN 2021, GLOBAL SPORTS BRAND Puma introduced the re-engineered Running range, sparking change from the most sought-after marathon finish lines to local run communities. For 2022, they’re announcing the launch of Run XX Nitro, a collection named after the woman-specific double X-chromosome DNA sequence.
Run XX Nitro is an all-new femalespecific, progressive design powered by the innovative campaign: a never-done-before, on-the-ground activation which combines Singaporeans’ love for food in Singapore with the relatable, everyday visual of fooddelivery professionals streaking through the streets. With this #PUMAdeliveryrun, Puma
Singapore outfitted female food-delivery professionals in the newly launched Run XX Nitro, ensuring their needs for comfort and speed are being met.
Having inappropriately answered the door in boxer shorts and little else, it dawned upon us that we had incorrectly assumed that female food-delivery professionals are a rarity. However, the inopportune moment awakened us to the fact that after two years, the aftermath of a global pandemic means that certain habits have formed and the outgrowth of delivery and logistics industry is here to stay with equal opportunities for both genders.
Featuring Puma Nitro technology and Runguide support, the Run XX Nitro Running Shoe is tuned to the female foot. The brandnew advanced midsole provides superior responsiveness and cushioning, while ensuring proper alignment, to make each stride light and easy. Engineered to be just the right mix of comfortable and durable, the updated fit is designed to hug her heel, instep, and arch in just the right way with a soft and breathable engineered mesh.
What We Learned Running With Her
Led by former SEA Games athlete and Puma runner Joy Kuan, Augustman embarked on an urban run from the heart
of town to the city fringe, gaining insights on how to work on our running technique to be more stamina-efficient. But beyond our own physical bad habits, could Puma’s latest innovations make us better runners?
In theory, running shoes do what normal shoes do (protecting the soles of our feet and giving support to our joints), while also enhancing our ability to move quickly and flexibly, to minimise energy loss, and provide added protection where injury is most likely. The outsole of a running shoe must provide enough traction for the athlete to avoid slipping during running. What is unknown is whether there is any point to designing running shoe outsoles with traction above this minimum required traction. In a 2014 study between the Human Performance Lab and Sports Science departments at the Universities of Calgary, Canada and Western Australia, the results did indeed show that the role of outsole traction is not merely to provide adequate traction to avoid slips, but also can help enhance athletic performance for high traction tasks such as accelerations and changes in direction.
From a biomechanical standpoint, outsole traction provides a runner with the ability to manipulate the direction of the resultant ground reaction force vector. As it is this ground reaction force that accelerates the runner in the intended direction, it is theoretically plausible that providing a runner with more grip could allow the runner to direct the ground reaction force more advantageously facilitating faster accelerations and changes in direction when running along a curved path (seriously, how many straight paths are there in the park?).
Pumagrip is made of a durable rubber compound that offers all-surface traction, and is built for grip even in the wet. Specific to the outsole, it is built different from other shoes as the outsole grip is shaped in line with how the feet land, and the contact points are all specifically tailored for a grippy roll-off. The C-shaped cut of the outsole adds to this effect as well.
We also discovered that the Puma Nitro automatically corrected our supination as well. According to a source at Puma, they theorised it was possible that through the plush and reactive nature of the Nitro foam cushioning, the shoe reacted with our landing and follow-up stride, and consequently corrected our supination. However, this experience may be quite subjective, as it is highly dependent on each individual runner’s unique gait.
Life Is A Marathon
Clinical psychologist Dr Harriet Heal, cofounder of social running group Up and Running, says, “Mood-boosting activities like running increase your positive experiences together. From a practical perspective, sometimes it’s more comfortable to have difficult conversations side-by-side because research shows that it’s less confrontational.”
Biologically speaking, the release of endorphins during exercise makes you a happier person individually. However, if you participate in physical activity with your significant other, you get to share that experience together. The added benefit is that in pushing and motivating each other, the mutually beneficial result creates yet another burst of positivity to bond over. To sum up, don’t just run for her, run with her.