The Obori was a new shoe for Nike that saw its debut at the Boston Marathon, where Jon Anderson won the race by a minute, in a blistering 2:16:04. Part of the appeal was that it was new, looked different, and had a sole with great traction, especially on our cross country courses which often had stretches on pavement, grass, sidewalks, and dirt tracks. The fit was roomy in the forefoot with a snug-ish fit in the heel. Pretty light, for the day. It did a good job over a variety of distances and surfaces, and Nike’s rebel vibe and reputation just added to the appeal. While wearing the shoes on one particular run, my brother and another teammate ran to the college track from our high school a couple miles away, and met Steve Prefontaine during his training session. A few days later we watched him set a new American Record for the 6 mile run. Back to the shoes, mine developed a hole near the outside of the little toe, and when I showed them to the Nike rep at a marathon expo, they took them back, repaired the hole, and shipped them back to me in time for my next race. Imagine that today…caveat emptor.