Anyone else noticed...

[birdi_gurlie]

how few women's PV spikes there are?
So, one day I got bored online and decided to search for women's PV spikes [or long jump/triple jump...cuz those can also be used well...I use middle-distance spikes...again, just got bored.] and there was virtually NOTHING.
The only "womens" spikes [i.e. those that came up when I searched for women's, not just spikes in genera;] were either A. ugly or B. guy's spikes.
Okay, only guys spikes showed up...but there weren't any bright pretty colors as they have in sprint and distance and mid-distance spikes...mainly grey, white, red, and black.

I mean, in the sprint/mid-distance/distance spikes, you see pinks, blues, yelllows, purples, etc.. decently often...and I haven't seen a SINGLE pair of LJ/TJ/PV that aren't grey, black, red, or white.
Also, what's up with grey/orange spikes? I don't think anyone has said that grey and orange go together well and I've seen NUMEROUS pairs of LJ/TJ/PV spikes that are orange and grey. It's kinda strange, seeing as most other spikes aren't orange OR grey.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not picking spikes based off color-only...I just find the color choices strange...and that they're only marketing those shoes towards men, not both males and females.
I'm not looking for them....just wondering if any one has noticed this.

Anyone?

[chasing6]

It's all about marketing. Think of it this way:

On an average HS track team, how many LJ/TJ/PV athletes are there compared to sprints/mid/distance folks? I'd say the ratio is somewhere in the ballpark of 1:5. And of the jumpers many will also be doing sprints and will chose an all around spike instead of buying multiple pairs. That leaves very few potential consumers (buyers) of jump spikes compared to sprint/all around spikes, and that's not even counting gender, which cuts the number of consumers down even further when looking at making women's spikes.

I would not be surprised if it costs $10 million or more to put a new shoe into production, and easily $1 million just to make them in a different color. Taking all that cost and such a small number of consumers, it makes little financial sense for a shoe manufacturer to make both men's and women's shoes when they can easily make just one unisex (really just men's size) shoe and keep their profit margins high(er).

That's what it seems like to me anyway, I hope that helps.

*Disclaimer: I just pulled the numbers out of thin air, but I think the idea is still solid.

[Thats.What.She.Said]

ok i understand, its really not worth the money for them to make them, but i do agree with you. i mean, wanted to get a pair of the NikeID costomizabe spikes, but nooooooo they have absolutly no heel, support, and we all know how that would end. If i had artistic skills i would get the Nike PV spikes that are white and make them pretty, but alas, they would end up looking worse than if they were boring if i did that.

[powerplant42]

You could pay a friend that's good with an airbrush... I'm sure you know some art people!

[Thats.What.She.Said]

You could pay a friend that's good with an airbrush... I'm sure you know some art people!

*thinks* yeah i probably do, but thats just like a lot of effort.

hmm i wonder if i took a pair to the fair this summer, if i could have the guy that does airbrush hats, to air brush the spikes, cause that would be wicked spiffy.

[birdi_gurlie]

Haha, true.
Yeah, it'd be more expensive...but there aren't even any other "normal" colors...no blue or green.
I mean, I can understand no pink and purple and such...but blue and yellow are VERY wanted colors.
And I don't know anyone who thinks that orange/grey and orange/olive go well together...and 3 pairs of jumps spikes I've seen are those colors! It's STRANGE.

I do kind of like the airbrush idea...but I don't think the paint would stick.
Not many paint types stick to those kinds of fabrics. [I'm an artist . My mom's an artist. I know tons of artists...but I don't know of any kind of paint that would stick to that and not make it too stiff or have the paint crack or fall off.]

[Thats.What.She.Said]

Haha, true.
Yeah, it'd be more expensive...but there aren't even any other "normal" colors...no blue or green.
I mean, I can understand no pink and purple and such...but blue and yellow are VERY wanted colors.
And I don't know anyone who thinks that orange/grey and orange/olive go well together...and 3 pairs of jumps spikes I've seen are those colors! It's STRANGE.

they were obviouslt designed by men

I do kind of like the airbrush idea...but I don't think the paint would stick.
Not many paint types stick to those kinds of fabrics. [I'm an artist . My mom's an artist. I know tons of artists...but I don't know of any kind of paint that would stick to that and not make it too stiff or have the paint crack or fall off.]

yeah airbrush seems like it would be the best option since works pretty well with other aricles of clothing. haha my first thought was just sharpie, since i remember in middle school people would get those white adidas shoes and color on them with sharpie

[birdi_gurlie]

Obviously.
Airbrush works on FABRIC. But it would go through mesh and it wouldn't stick to any slick surfaces.
Sharpie actually may be a better idea...but you couldn't do detailed, detailed work cuz it'd bleed. [Unless on a slick surface]

[Thats.What.She.Said]

okie dokie, so sharpie for the slick surface ones, airbrush for the fabricy ones? now i just need to get some art skills, and then i would actually do this to shoes

[birdi_gurlie]

Probably.
Sharpie would rub off [bit by bit, but not too bad] though, so be sure you touch it up when necessary.
Even just using fabric paint on the mesh would work. Just be careful that you don't muddle the mesh up and make it non breathable...light coat, probably watered down.

[Thats.What.She.Said]

the sharpie may not wear off, my friend has spikes and the toe part is is like red colored over green or something completely disgusting like that, point is they look hideous, but its still there, and she got them as like hand-me-downs from a guy. but it may just be cause of the part of the shoe that its on for why its still there and "vibrant"

[rainbowgirl28]

Adidas and Asics have had blue spikes in the past.

If you become as famous as Isinbayeva you can design your own: http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/sp ... 29973.html (scroll way down to see them)