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Phoenix Articles - Hot product of the Ottawa Sports Expo

At every sports expo there are the usual collection of local vendors shilling their on topic sports ware. Vendors shilling stuff that might be related to your sport along side organizers for events coming up during the year. There are also occasionally company displays where nothing is being sold just the product line on display so the savvy and not so savvy sports buff can be exposed to a new line of products.

Such was the case with Ottawa and the presence of a couple of vendors with interesting products. John “The Penguin” Bingham was there to talk about Superfeet – the off the shelf orthotics approved by the American Podiatric Medical Association. The problem with the display and the pitch is that it is very hard to demonstrate the advantage of an off the shelf product which really requires a long term commitment. Mizuno had a beautiful display of their entire line of shoes at a booth complete with three company reps who did everything they could to avoid talking to anyone. I guess they got tired of explaining why their shoe sizes are smaller than everyone else’s.

My vote for the hottest product of the ING Ottawa sports expo was a shoe. The Pearl Izumi Synchofloat was I was completely unfamiliar with. The shoes are insanely light. The inside of the shoe is seamless. Think about this though – the way the laces are designed the laces actually wrap all the way around your foot. It is a very clever and well thought out design. The D size was tight on me but because it was seamless and all mesh it was almost wearable. They were just an amazing shoe and with a price point at between 150 and 160 they are right in the same range as the shoes I currently wear and am not happy with. I really cannot wait until these shoes are available in a 10.5 EE because someone was thinking when they designed them.

Denis Bernicky