PROFILE
Freelance editor and writer, born in 1976, is the Editor-in-Chief of SHOES MASTER, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Runners Pulse, and Director of HOUYHNHNM RUNNING CLUB♡.
PROFILE
Deputy Editor-in-Chief of HOUYHNHNM, born in 1978, formed the HOUYHNHNM RUNNING CLUB♡ with Enomoto in 2014. He is the club's deputy director.
No. 10: Apple Watch Ultra and COROS make a major breakthrough. Running watches are now in the age of the pack!
Enomoto: In September of this year, Apple released the Apple Watch Ultra. It became a hot topic among gadget-loving runners.
Apple Watch Ultra ￥124,800～
Yamamoto: I guess it's like a true launch pad.
Enomoto: The most important feature is stamina. It can be used for up to 36 hours in normal use and up to 60 hours in low power mode.
Yamamoto: Some people say that the main body is too big, but as someone who has been using a large GPS watch from SUUNTO, I don't think it's that big.
Enomoto: Yes, I don't mind the size. The easy-to-use interface is something you would expect from Apple.
Yamamoto: The question is what to make of the price of 124,800 yen and up.
Enomoto: In terms of price, COROS is rapidly gaining support from runners thanks to its reasonable prices.
Yamamoto: I have the impression that the number of runners wearing KAROS GPS watches has increased dramatically.
COROS APEX 2 ￥57,860
Enomoto: For a long time, Suunto and Garmin were the top two GPS watches for running, but now Kalos is breaking away from their stronghold.
Yamamoto: The fact that top players such as Eliud Kipchoge and Kilian Jornet actually use the system makes it more convincing.
Enomoto: It may expand its power even more in the future. I am curious to see what the next move will be.
No. 9: "Thick-soled Carbon" Spreads to Trails. New shoes from various companies are appearing one after another!
Yamamoto: In the past few years, thick-soled shoes with carbon plates have dominated the feet of top athletes in the marathon world.
Enomoto: NIKE's thick-soled shoes continue to be a force to be reckoned with. This year again, athletes wearing NIKE shoes broke the world and Japanese marathon records.
Yamamoto: The trend of thick-soled carbon shoes is spreading to trails as well. Following THE NORTH FACE, which released its carbon-equipped trail shoe "Vective" series last year, this year HOKA released the "Tecton X," a trail running shoe with carbon plates.
HOKA Tecton X ￥29,700
Enomoto: "Tecton X" is a pair that I also like. Although it is equipped with carbon, it has no peculiarities and is easy to wear.
Yamamoto: They are good shoes. What also caught my personal attention was the foot of Petter Engdahl of Sweden, who won the UTMB CCC this year.
Enomoto: Thick-soled shoes from [adidas Telex]. Is it a prototype?
Yamamoto: It looks proto. It was buzzing on SNS.
Enomoto: They are cool enough to make you want to wear them.
Yamamoto: Road shoes have strict rules, such as a midsole thickness of 40 mm or less, but trail shoes are relatively loose, and it is interesting to check the feet of athletes running in prototypes on a big stage like UTMB, which attracts worldwide attention.
No. 8: Debut of the luxury trail shoe Speedland. A wearer wins the Hacettesune Double!
Enomoto: Running shoes are a difficult field for small brands to enter. But in the trail running industry, new brands are emerging every now and then.
Yamamoto: Yes, that's right. Speedland, an American brand, is one of the best examples.
Speedland SL:HSV ￥59,800 (Rufus & Co.)
Enomoto: I heard that "Speedland" was founded by a designer with experience in sports brands. It's a unique and cool design.
Yamamoto: The shoes feature luxurious construction that is totally different from that of major brand shoes, and they are also expensive.
Enomoto: A strong price tag of 59,800 yen. What kind of people would wear them?
Yamamoto: Masatoshi Ohara, the winner of this year's Hacettune Double, was wearing them. They may attract even more attention in the future.
No. 7: Rui Ueda launches his original brand "Ruy. He also achieved a new record by making four round trips to Mt!
Enomoto: Speaking of new brands, Rui Ueda, Japan's world-class professional mountain athlete, launched his own original brand this year. The name is "Ruy.
For an interview with Rui Ueda, please seehere (place close to the speaker or where the speaker is)
Yamamoto: The clear concept of gear that helps win races is very clean. What's more, the developer is not a major brand, but a garage brand called Answer4.
Ruy Race Wind Shell #1 ￥20,800
Ruy 5 Pocket Race Short Pants #1 ￥11,800
Enomoto: Speaking of Rui, this July, he challenged the "ONE STROKE" challenge to make four round trips up Mt. Fuji. He became a topic of conversation when he achieved a Guinness World Record.
©So Hasegawa / Red Bull Content Pool
©Suguru Saito / Red Bull Content Pool
Yamamoto: It's hard enough to summit Mt. Fuji four times. Fuji in less than 10 hours. Rui, you're a great climber.
Enomoto: For trail running to become even more exciting in the future, the existence of star athletes like Rui is indispensable. I hope you will continue to be active on the world stage.
No. 6: Performance wear from Canada's Ciel is cool!
Yamamoto: I am personally interested in the Canadian athletic brand "Ciel. They have a high-performance line called "Elite," which is pretty cool.
Ciel M FLRJacket - Elite - X-Ray
Image from the website of the home country
Enomoto: I see. Ciel has a strong image of caps, but its apparel is also good.
Yamamoto: It is functional and smart looking. Unfortunately, it is not available in Japan at this time, but I think it will be very popular once it lands.
No. 5: Trail-running shoes from the up-and-coming Canadian brand Norda land in Japan!
Yamamoto: One more Canadian brand I'm interested in is "norda," an up-and-coming shoe brand that was just founded in 2021.
Enomoto: They look like this and are called high-performance trail run shoes.
Yamamoto: It is stylish, isn't it? Incidentally, you also collaborated with the aforementioned "Ciel.
Enomoto: I heard that the flagship model "norda 01" is available only at "BEAMS" in Japan. Why "BEAMS"?
norda 01 ￥40,700 (BEAMS)
Yamamoto: Perhaps it was the stylish looks that caught the eye of the "BEAMS" buyer.
Enomoto: I think it means that while they are stiff trail-running shoes, they are also attractive enough as a fashion item to attract the attention of "BEAMS".
No. 4: Keep an eye out for the British garage brand CIMORO!
Yamamoto: I am also personally interested in the British garage brand CIMORO.
Enomoto: "Simolo"? I've never heard of it.
Yamamoto: We are an independent running gear brand based in London. Items are mainly trail run and speed hiking sacks, but we also offer apparel.
Enomoto: Wow. It's definitely cool. The world view is unique.
Yamamoto: This is also a collaboration with the aforementioned Norda. I think it is interesting that independent brands collaborate with each other across national borders.
Enomoto: Major brands are good, but they are not interesting enough. I would like to see independent brands like these do well.
No. 3: The world's first "My Bottle Marathon. Shonan International Marathon was held for the first time in three years!
Yamamoto: We have only three more items left in this year's list of our top 10 running gear picks. Third on the list is the "My Bottle" for the Shonan International Marathon, which we also participated in.
For more information about the Shonan International Marathon, please seehere (place close to the speaker or where the speaker is)
Enomoto: This is something I cannot leave out when looking back on this year.
Yamamoto: At this year's Shonan International Marathon, which was held for the first time in three years, a new rule was introduced: "You must carry your own bottle.
Enomoto: Paper cups are no longer used for water supply, and runners are now required to supply their own water in their own bottles.
Yamamoto: It was unexpectedly comfortable, my bottle.
Enomoto: You can supply water at your own pace and reduce waste. It's really a good thing.
Yamamoto: The sight of no paper cups on the streets near the water stations was truly beautiful. My Bottle may become the new standard for marathons.
Enomoto: The North Face and GOLDWIN are the special sponsors of the Shonan International Marathon. The North Face and Goldwyn are the special sponsors of this year's Shonan International Marathon. The new proposal of the "My Bottle Marathon" is very persuasive because they are actively involved in environmental issues.
Yamamoto: Speaking of GOLDWIN, this year, the company's original brand "GOLDWIN" signed an athlete support contract with Dylan Bowman, a top American trail runner.
Dylan Bowman
Enomoto: GOLDWIN doesn't have much of a trail run image, but I wonder if they will continue to develop items while reflecting Dylan's experience and knowledge. That is something to look forward to.
No. 2: "ASICS x Eldresso. An unexpected collaboration!
Yamamoto: Next, we have a collaboration between ASICS and ELDORESO. This is a collaboration between ASICS and ELDORESO.
Enomoto: Speaking of running gear topics for 2022, I would definitely not miss this one.
The article on "ASICS" and "Eldresso" is available on the following websitehere (place close to the speaker or where the speaker is)
Yamamoto: As someone who knows TARZAN AQZAWA, the designer of Eldresso, personally, I was even impressed.
Enomoto: As AQZAWA-san said in his interview with HOUYHNHNM's, when he was approached about the collaboration, he was more truly surprised himself than anyone else.
Yamamoto: Mr. AQZAWA used to compete in the Hakone Ekiden (relay race) as a track and field athlete and was an avid fan of "ASICS. I had no idea that he would collaborate with ASICS after such a long time.
Enomoto: You can't help but feel a sense of destiny.
Yamamoto: The items were also cool, showing the best of both [ASICS] and [Eldresso]. It was a hot topic and sold out immediately after its release.
Enomoto: I hope this will be an ongoing effort, not a one-off.
Yamamoto: I have long thought that running lacks design and that there is still room for fashion. I hope that ambitious efforts like those by ASICS and Eldresso will spread to the entire scene.
No. 1: Kilian Jornet, the world's strongest mountain athlete, collaborates with Camper. He established a new brand "NNormal"!
Yamamoto: In first place is Normal, a new brand launched by Kilian Jornet and CAMPER.
Kilian Jornet
Enomoto: Kilian is the world's strongest mountain athlete in both name and reality, having won many big races including UTMB, and holds numerous speed climbing records on high peaks such as Mont Blanc and Everest.
Yamamoto: Kylian collaborated with "Camper"? It was no short of a surprise.
Enomoto: Although there is a common denominator that both were born in Spain, the combination is too unexpected.
Yamamoto: He won the UTMB for the fourth time this year, and also set a new record for the event, under 20 hours. Kilian, who was clad in "normal" clothing, was also very cool.
Enomoto: Unfortunately, however, they have not yet decided to release the product in Japan.
Yamamoto: You can check out a variety of items on the official Instagram.
Enomoto: The shoes look especially good. I'm curious to see how comfortable they are.
Yamamoto: Well, looking back again, a lot has happened in the running industry this year.
Enomoto: Gear selection is one of the pleasures of running, and it supports my motivation to run. I hope to keep up with the latest information next year.
Apple https://www.apple.com/jp/
COROS https://corosjapan.com
HOKA https://www.hoka.com
Speedland / Rufus & Co. https://rufusand.co
Ruy. https://ruyueda.stores.jp
norda / BEAMS https://www.beams.co.jp/
CIMORO https://cimoro.com
ELDORESO https://eldoreso.stores.jp
NNormal www.nnormal.com
