In the late 70's most serious road racers wore the Elites. I venture to say most of the old guard original running boomers would agree with me. If Nike recreated them they still would fit the bill.
In the late 70's most serious road racers wore the Elites. I venture to say most of the old guard original running boomers would agree with me. If Nike recreated them they still would fit the bill.
Where were Nikes manufactured in those days?
in bowermans kitchen
Elites were fine at the time in the late 70's, but a few years later, I believe that the American Eagle was a notable improvement for serious racers. If Nike were to re-create any performance flat, that would be the focus that I would recommend. It was better than anything they have currently.
Exeter, NH or Saco, ME
The American Eagles were great shoes, but I believe that more people raced in the Elites than any other shoe. When you looked around at the starting line at a road race it seemed like almost everyone had them on. Personally I would have loved to have them in the special colors that the elite runners wore. I remember talking to an elite after a race and asking him how I could get a pair of shoes like his, and he smugly said "run a 2:10". I guess I'm biased because I ran most of my best road races in them. I did have the American Eagle and liked them, but I preferred the Eagle over them. I liked the smooth sole rather than the ridged sole.
I must correct my previous post. The elite runner said run 2:15, which he was at the time in 78 or 79. He ultimately ran 2:10.
They did re-issue Elites, in 1982, with just a small change to the rear, with an angled sole, rather than the flatter one of the original.
And yeah, the original Eagle, from fall 1980 was way better than the American Eagle, though the Skylon AlSal and Co. had was better than both.
AW78 wrote:
Elites were fine at the time in the late 70's, but a few years later, I believe that the American Eagle was a notable improvement for serious racers. If Nike were to re-create any performance flat, that would be the focus that I would recommend. It was better than anything they have currently.
Arguable (and we do!). The Elite and the Eagle/Amer. Eagle were quite different. The Elite was more stable and substantial, if a bit heavier. I ran my first marathon in Eagles in 1981 and have to say I loved them, but I had a pretty stable footstrike. I managed a running store and Elites flew off the shelves, along with the Internationalists and Pegasus 1.0. Eagles were nothing like as popular.
In the early 80's I tried on a shoe from the Nike Rep called (I think) the Air Waffle Racer. Looked similar to Elite but Airsole I remember it being more comfortable than the Elite but never raced in them. Anyone know it?
The American Eagle was the greatest racing flat of all time. In both performance and style.
10k to marathon. Although it was only going to hold up for 50 miles. Especially if you were a pronator. That heel got crushed quick.
You might had to have had a narrow foot with high arches but that shoe was a masterpiece.