I wonder why more Nike does not try to make a better shoe.
@Dan They are trying to make better shoes but it is very hard.
I wonder why more companies do not work harder to lift them out of the average running speed instead of constantly making shoes that do not advance your speed.
I notice that Nike Vaapor fly shoes impacted everyone differnt, although one competitor ran 4% faster when switching to these shoes.
@Lily I think it is because they are lighter. You can get your foot off the goround faster with a lighter shoe.
I notices that the Nike Vapor Fly shoes make you roughly 4% faster. But why is this? is it because they are lighter? is the model made a certain way to improve form?
I notice that in this graph there are a couple of outliers that are far away from the majority of the other points but for the majority of the points they are in a certain range of the graph between 0.5% and 1.5%. I also noticed that there is only one axis determining how fast the pair of Nike Vaporfly allow people to run. I wonder why they don’t have an x and a y-axis considering that if they are trying to persuade people to buy the Vapor Fly they could probably also compare the cost of the Vapor Fly to other shoes. The information the graph tells me that I already know is that certain shoes can affect how fast you run, depending on the support they provide, and the weight of the shoes. The information the graph tells me that I didn’t know yet is that the Nike Vapor fly can make you run 4% faster than other shoes. I also didn’t know how large the difference was or that the type of shoe could affect speed that much. The conclusion that I can make about the information shown in the graph is that the Nike Vapor fly allow people to run much faster than most normal shoes, and that serious runners should consider buying them, do to how much they benefit a runner's speed.
1. As the quality of the shoe increased the quicker the runners finished the race.
2. Is it an actual fact that new shoes help you run fast or do people think that the shoes are helping them run faster. Placebo
3. New shoes are helping people run faster on average and only some get slower
1. I noticed that the more popular shoe companies often have better finishing times.
2. What inside of the shoe helps make you run faster.
3. The graph is showing how different types of shoes compare to the Nike Vaporflys.
I noticed that the longer the race the more quality the shoe develops for some reason. What type of things go into the production of these yeezys? The graph shows finish times in different shoes, but does that matter? Ion know.
I noticed that as the quality of the shoes increased, the runners ran faster. I wonder why different shoes effect how fast the runners go. The graph shows the times that the runners finish after changing to the Nike Vaporflys shoes.
I noticed that Nike has the best shoes out of all the others. They are way in the lead compared to the rest of the shoes. Lots of other shoes are very similar
I notice that as the quality in shoe goes up, the faster the runners get done with the race they run in. Im curious about what material is put into shoes to make this possible, like really light weight material or more material? The graph is showing the runners' finishing times after they switch to new shoes.
I notice that other shoes seem to be faster and better then the Vaporflies. I wonder where this graph of info came from because it seems to me that they aren't supporting Vaporflies at all. This graph is showing how much Vaporflys are working.
nikes "perfect commercial"
@kayin its because it really works !!!
It is a collage of different people running in Nike shoes.
In this graph it looks like there is a bunch of different people who are running in Nike tennis shoes to model new shoes that the company is releasing because they're all wearing the same style of shoe.
Runner running in nike shoes
I see a ton of muscular legs that are showing off the nike brand.
adults advertising nike shes
many people running in types of Nike sports wear
they added pictures of ppl running to make it seem like its running
In this picture there are multiple people running in Nike products. they re most likely doing this stop motion for an advertisement.
It is a graph showing how much better the vaporflys are than other running shoes.
In this graph it looks like a collage of photos put together of different people to make it look like someone is running. This could be an advertisement because all of the shoes and clothes the people are wearing have the Nike symbol.
A collage of different people running in Nike running shoes
In the graph it looks like pictures of different people legs and shoes in different shoes and they are all running. They are probably running in a marathon and this is stop motion.
It's people running in Nike shoes.
It looks like a nike commercial.
There seems to be many cropped out pictures of men and women running and they are all joined together to make it seem like someone is running in video form. This is very artistic and neat because although there are different legs like some with hair, with different mass, or color, it seems like one person is running in a video.
a advertisement from Nike
i think its a Nike commercial because they are all wearing Nike.
This graph is showing an advertisement for nike shoes.
nothing =.(
I see people wearing Nikes and running. So, I can infer that they are doing a commercial.
Vapor Max's increase your speed.
I think that this is a Nike add
It could be a advertisement for the brand Nike, there are a few types of people in there and they are all wearing Nike, so maybe to show that anyone could easily run and workout in Nike
showing that people run faster with those shoes
This graph is a race that many people are running in.
looks like an ad
to me it looks like pictures of people running
The Nike Vaporfly's shoes do make runners faster because on the graph, it says that the Vaporfly are 4% faster.
@Trent L. I agree with this statement. The graph does supply this data.
This picture there is people running with different shoes that are Nike brand.They are showing that the Nike shoes are really good to run in and anyone can wear them.
I believe that this is an advertisement for nike shoes.
It looks like a commercial for Nike sports wear.
This graph shows how Nike Vaporflys compare to other running shoes. The graph shows how the shoes affect the speed of the runner, and how Nike Vaporlys make the runner run faster than the other shoes.
There seems to be many cropped out pictures of men and women running and they are all joined together to make it seem like someone is running in video form. This is very artistic and neat because although there are different legs like some with hair, with different mass, or color, it seems like one person is running in a video.
A commercial for new running shoes called Vaporflys by Nike
I think they are showing similarities and differences of legs running.
It is a Nike commercial probably
it is an advertisement for Nike running shoes.
It looks like a show case of new Nike shoes.
Faster running shoes.
This graph is showing the seed of runners using the different runners.
Running shoes are meant to be light weight so that the runner can run a lot faster, if they're heavy it will be harder to run. I'm not sure if the shoes are light weight because I've never tried to wear them, but they could be.
vaporflys fly away
If you’re gunning for a new 5K PR, you may want to check the scale—for the weight of your shoes, that is. A new study shows that people run slower when wearing heavier sneakers, even if the difference is just a few ounces.
It’s long been known that wearing heavier shoes makes runners work harder, and experts have theorized that that would slow them down. (One oft-cited estimate is that for every ounce a runner shaves off her sneakers, she'll run one second faster per mile.) But researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder wanted to find out for sure if this was true.]]
The researchers recruited 18 competitive runners to complete 3,000-meter time trials (about two miles) on an indoor track, once a week for three weeks. Unbeknownst to the runners, small lead pellets were sewn into two of the three pairs of racing flats they wore.
By themselves, the shoes weighed 7 to 8 ounces each, depending on size. The pellets added about 3.5 ounces (or the weight of a deck of cards) per shoe for one pair, and about 10.6 ounces per shoe for the second pair.
@nicholas that was not a response, that was an essay regarding no information to the graph
Where is the "reveal" information/link? It's now 12/14 and my classed are eager for the additional information. We can't find it at the bottom of the original post.
Hi Amy,
It's there! We posted it on Dec. 13, the piece that begins, "Does Nike’s Zoom Vaporfly, a $250 running shoe with a carbon-fiber plate that some say acts as a catapult, a spring or a lever, really make runners run faster?" The "reveal" for this is different than what you might be used to if you use our What's Going On in This Picture? feature -- here it's more that our colleagues at the American Statistical Association give more context and go deeper into explaining the analysis of the graphic. Thank you for participating!
i think shoes do not make you faster and why do the vaporflyes make you so much faster than an average shoe
HI, SMS responders --
Thank you for coming out in full force and responding to this week's "What's Going On In This Graph?" Your school has contributed in the past to our moderation on what is noticed and what is wondered about released graphs. You are excellent commentators!
This week, I think we distracted you from responding to “What’s Going On In This Graph?” Yes, the video that we included with the graph only showed Nike shoes, but Nike was not involved with the study and its results that are shown in the graph. The article “What if a $250 Shoe Actually Made You Run Faster” gives you Nike’s explanation of Vaporflys and then explains four analyses that the New York Times did using Strava data. For each of the analyses, the article lists the Pros and Cons of the analyses as well as additional reasons for being skeptical.
Please take another look at the graph. And, read the article “What if a $250 Shoe Actually Made You Run Faster.” Also, you may want to read the subsequent article “Running Slower? Slip These On” which describes two experiments on running shoes done by independent researchers.
From the all of the analysis done on Vaporflys and the interest in these graphs yesterday, people really want to know “What if a $250 Shoe Actually Made You Run Faster.” Thank all of you for being part of this discussion.
These times were self reported and the sample size was small. This creates response bias. If Nike is going to use this survey to advertise their product, than they should create an experiment in which they are able to both validate running times, and collect a large enough sample size. Small sample sizes can be result in misleading data, and the self reporting of scores can lead to inaccurate responses.
Even if the people who did respond to this survey were telling the truth, there is a lot more bias behind the scenes. Runners had the choice of whether or not to respond to this survey. This leads to voluntary response bias. Another type of bias present is accessibility bias. Strava is an online fitness network, and runners who do not have access to the internet, or have not signed up are excluded from this sample. Nike is falling victim to convenience sampling.
There are so many different possibilities for lurking variables including the economic status (Vaporflys are $250!), gender, height, and foot width of the participants.
I wonder if there were any graphs accompanying this one that may dig deeper into some of the lurking variables.
For this graph to mean anything, it needs to have more data surrounding it, a clear description of how the data was collected, and a description of how Nike accounted for bias and lurking variables.
“The Nike Vaporflys might make you faster... I can’t be sure though.... We don’t have enough Information.”
1
Good morning, @Peter Smiley --
You bring up many excellent points about sample size, response bias, and lurking variables.
The New York Times wondered about sample size, response bias, and lurking variables, too. Take a look at this afternoon’s reveal, published at the end of the original release. There you will find links to the article, that this graph came from, and a subsequent article published in the New York Times this week. They bring up your concerns and many others. With four studies and two experiments, in addition to Nike’s explanation, the Vaporfly still comes up as a very fast shoe.
Please share with us your thoughts after reading the reveal and the articles. Thank you for your insightful comments.
We noticed that Nike Vaporflys are much faster than your average running shoe. It makes us wonder if these running shoes are considered legal. After all, some races prohibit any shoes that might give any advantage in finishing faster. Is it possible that new technology advancements can question whether sport athletes have an unfair competitive advantage? Another thing that we noticed is that the graph states, “When we measure finish times after runners switch to new shoes.” This data wouldn’t be able to support that Nike Vaporflys are able to make their consumers much faster but other graphs that use statistics based on a runners’ age, genders, and/or other information essentially could do so. However, we also wondered whether the data was credible. In the source, it states that this data was recorded “based on runner self-reported race times and shoe records from about 4,000 runners, as reported to Strava, an online social fitness network.” Self-reported race times can be somewhat unreliable considering that people might misspell the shoe name, fabricate different race times, etc. But, since this data was collected from 4,000 people (a large study group), we are uncertain on whether or not the data is viable. The story this graph is telling is whether or not Nike Vaporflys can make a person run faster than other shoes. Our catchy headline: “What if there is a running shoe that can actually make you run faster?”
2
The graph shows that Nike sells shoes to different types of runners. It is a appealing to all types of athletes. They appear to be either college or professional athletes.
It is maybe an advertisement for nike so that they get more money off of there shoes and socks. There are people running so that they can show that they are good for running and jogging and they are good for all people of different speeds.
The graph shows nike advertisement for diffrent types of shoes.
it's a advertising for shoes to show that there shoes can fit anybody
I wonder why Vaporfly is so much faster than other ok (or) good shoes?!?
It looks as maybe Nike is advertising socks,shoes, and shorts. Someone is obviously running, Nike is trying to tell us that these are good products to run or jog in. It also looks as he has a sleeve on him leg. which is either to keep him warmer and wear comfortable clothes or to stop the sweat from rolling down his leg and onto his socks.
This looks like a ad for shoes, I say shoes because the graph has different brands of shoes not just one type.I wonder if this was done during a track meet or race.The dots on the graph are showing the comfort,grip, or the percentage of people using them during a race.
Thanks to all teachers and students who responded. We love the catchy headlines that capture the main ideas of the graph: “Running Off the Charts” by Emily & Richard of Hanover, MI, "Vaporfly 'Flying' Faster Than the Competition" by Daniel of Hopkinton, NH, and “Nike on 4% FLEEK” by Miggyboom of Philadelphia. You can continue to post responses. Dig deeper into these graphs and check back tomorrow (Thursday afternoon, Dec. 13th) to see the Reveal with a link to the original New York Times article, some questions about the graphs, and three Stat Nuggets.
The next graph will be released next year, THURSDAY, JAN. 3rd, with moderation on WEDNESDAY, JAN. 9th. You may respond before, during, or after the live moderation by going to What's Going On In This Graph?
Signing off – Sharon Hessney in Boston, who runs in Boston’s local running shoe, New Balance (bought at the outlet store) and James Bush, who used to run in New Balance shoes and now cycles the hills of Pittsburgh, PA.
@Moderator James
I think a good name would be:
"Nike Vaporflys Flying Faster Than The Wind"
(A pun) Also, "Vaporflys Sprinting Past the Competition"
I feel these are good names. I would like your opinion!
when I look at the graph the different brands of shoes they all have different fabric so one could be more hever and slowing you down while another is made of a lite fabric alowing you to run faster. The place and grip of the shoe could also be a key factor in the speed of the runer.
Nike is doing a ad for jogging wear. They want you to be comfortable when you are running. They want you to not get hurt doing it. They want you to love running so you buy more run/jog wear.
why and how does this make you faster it seems sketchy
@max
It is the material it is made out of.
I wonder why there is only one dot in between 3% slower and 2% slower.
2
@I am a doge potato
This is because it is less comfortable or less flexible. I don't know which one, but those are the 2 most likely factors.
I notice that most dots are in between 0% and 2% faster.
1
HI, @I am a doge potato --
Quite a few responders also noticed that many data points are between 0% and 2%. What percentage of the points is in this interval? This percentage would describe the variability of the data. The greater the percentage, the less variability and the more unusual is Vaporfly.
@Moderator Sharon about 80%
i think the vaporfly shoes make it really easy to run faster and make you feel more relaxed when you are running
@zach
Do you think this because of information in the graph? What is it about the graph that supports your claim?
@Moderator James
yes because they look like it makes you faster but does it
@zach
The material they're made out of makes them more comfortable and they are lightweight
Nice Gif! I didn't think specific shoes would actually change speed. Now I really want to buy the Vaporfly, and I will never buy Hoka One One Bondi. A catchy headline could be: Nike Vaporflys Zooming Past The Competitors!
3
Hi, @Pheonix --
"Nike Vaporflys Zooming Past The Competitors!" Nice snappy headline that catches the big idea of the graph. I wonder why running in Hoka One One Bondis is so much slower.
@Moderator Sharon
Thank you! It is probably the material it is made out of. It might make it less stretchy/comfortable.
They are probably doing an exercise or just making a nike ad so people can buy them to ran the next day for a exercise for the day.
@Ben
Hi, Ben ....
Check out the graph located directly under the title
How the Nike Vaporflys compare with other popular running shoes ...
.. AND check out the source of the data (shown below the graph). The data is not from Nike and many other shoes were included in the graph.
What can you tell from the graph? What makes you curious? Can you come up with a catchy title for the graph?
@Moderator James
Yes
In this picture I think that all of these people are i a race and a photographer took a picture of there shoes and made it into slide show. They all are wearing Nikes that are different colors.
@Cason
How about the graph? Is there anything about the graph that makes you curious. Slide your cursor over the graph to see the various brands of shoes.
It looks like people are in a running thing and they all are wearing the same type of tennis shoes. They are wearing nike shoes if you look closely. I thing this picture is trying to show that this brand is a good one and many people should wear it cause it is good for running.
@Shailey
Look at the graph located directly under the title
How the Nike Vaporflys compare with other popular running shoes ...
Slide your cursor over the graph to see the various brands of shoes.
It looks like the people or in track or they like to run a lot i think they are showing that it is good to run a lot it makes you in shape.
different people running somewhere or exercising their legs
it looks like an ad people decide to run or exercise instead of being inside playing video games and eating all day and sleeping
The New York Times, based on runner self-reported race times and shoe records from about 4,000 runners, as reported to Strava, an online social fitness network. This graph shows the type of shoes and the time of the runs that witch shoes make this shoes faster. Nike Vaporfly, Nike Streak, new balance 860, brooks launch 6 top four running shoes and Hoka One One Bondi, Brooks Adrenaline, Saucony Omni are the slowest shoes I noticed that some of the shoes that are good are huge brands and expensive for example the Vaporfly is sold out and it's $250 shoes but most good running shoes are $80 to $150 so I think Vaporfly is overpriced for normal people but is good shoes for pro athletes that get paid. I noticed that the biggest group is between 0% and 2% difference from the runner's original speed. I wonder what factors of the sneakers make you "faster" for example I run 200m and 400m also marathon for 400 I do it between 58sec to 70sec with all my different shoes so it really doesn't do anything for my speed but for log runs the comfort and weight of those really matters because you get tired. The Vaporfly 4% never feels unstable or sloppy, and it weighs in at a scant 6.9 ounces im saying this because ran with them. But the last thing I want to say its all about endurance and traction and how good of a runner you are.
1
@Mahdiyar Saberi
Thank you for your insight! You did a nice job of describing the key features of the graph. Now what can we infer from the graph? I think you will be interested in tomorrow's REVEAL where we will share a little about Vaporfly's technology.
They are probably doing an exercise or doing it for an
ad to make people to run , and instead of being inside and playing video games and eating all day and
sleeping or just making a nike ad so people can buy
them to run track if they do run track and
representing nike for a more better company so to be
the best product in the world .
@Alexis
What do you notice about the graph?
Is there anything about the graph that makes you curious? Tomorrow, we will reveal the article attached to the graph.
Maybe they are running for doing a ad for running stuff or they are doing it for fun and or exercise.
@ethan
Check below the graph for the source of the data. Can you think of a catchy title for this graph?
How was this graph tested? Did people actually run with the shoes on to figure this out?
@Cristal
Good question. There is some information below the graph on where the data came from. Be sure to read the REVEAL tomorrow. Perhaps some of your questions will be answered.
Maybe they are doing a ad for running or they are doing it for fun and exersise.
looks like a nike commercial
This picture seems like they are being sponsored by Nike. And it looks like they say that everyone can wear Nike no matter what they are. Nike looks like they are running a commercial where everyone can wear nike while they are running.
@Grant
Can you come up with a catchy title for this graph?
In this graph shown they put an ad out about new nikes for running track and other things. They are representing the shoe's to the world. So people that run track can have new and better traction.
@David
Yes. But what do you notice about the graph? What questions does the information in the graph raise?
I noticed that the biggest group is between 0% and 2% difference from the runner's original speed. I was wondering what shoes did the runner's ran in to get their base speed. I think It could also be something about the shoes, that could improve speed.
@D
Good observation! It could be something about the shoes. What other factors could improve speed?
I see a chart I have never seen before labeling the footwear in comparison with speed. I wonder what factors of the sneakers make you "faster". Lastly i think that endurance and traction might play a huge role
1
@FUGAZY
You might have your question answered in tomorrow's reveal of the article. We will learn a little about Vaporflys' technology. Your last sentence brings up a potential experimental design issue. Thanks for your comments.
1
@FUGAZY
I agree with you because i have never also seen the labeling being compared with the runners speed.
Something that I noticed was that this has to do something with shoes. So I looked at the graphed and saw that it also talked about the speeds with different shoes. I also notice that Nike was at the higher part of the graph than any other shoe. I wonder where the race is taking place like if the race in on an elevated place and maybe the other shoes are made for different altitudes. I also wonder if the Vaporflys were the fastest because they were a faster runner
@shaddy I also asked the same thing i believe that the athlete and their speed was a factor that made it seem like Vaporflys make an athlete faster
@shaddy
So the graph makes you curious about the conditions of the study. Good! Be sure to check in tomorrow when we reveal the article.
@shaddy I agree, I also wonder what factors are included in allowing for faster speed. And does the speed of the person play a factor as well ?
Good morning, SMS Texas --
Thank you for responding to "What's Going On In This Graph?"
You are right -- all of the shoes in the video are Nike shoes. But, the graph is not from Nike. It includes many different brands and models of running shoes. New York Times journalists did the statistical analysis based on running times submitted by runners wearing many different kinds of shoes. Examining the graph:
What do you notice about the graph? What do you wonder about the graph? Write a catchy headline that captures the graph's main idea.
Looking forward to what you discover. Thank you.
How different shoes affect your speed
There are a lot of different shoes but I noticed more shoes make you go faster than slower(0%-2%). There are a lot of the same brands. I wonder if the same number of people were using the different kinds of shoes for the data that was used. Where they all running the same race?
@Andrew Good question, Andrew! What other variables might affect running time?
Try to write a catchy headline for this graph. And check back tomorrow when we reveal the article attached to this graph.
HI, @Andrew --
You noticed “more shoes make you go faster than slower (0%-2%).” What does it imply when most shoes result in a decrease in running time? This is very important in understanding the graph’s findings.
@Andrew
I agree, I also wonder what factors are included in allowing for faster speed. And does the speed of the person play a factor as well ?
I notice that all of the Nike running shoes are in the "faster" side of the graph. I wonder why the Vaporflies are faster then other shoes. A title for the graph would be "The Vaporfly 'flying' faster than the compitition"
1
@Daniel
Thanks for the title, Daniel. You raised a good issue about why Vaporfly shoes are faster than other shoes. In tomorrow's reveal, we will learn about Vaporflys' technology.
@Daniel
I agree how Nike shoes bring more speed to the customers and makes it a higher competition to other brands.
Nike on 4 % FLEEK
HI, @MIGGYBOOM--
That’s one snappy headline! How about some evidence that shows that this is true?
1
@Moderator Sharon @MIGGYBOOM--
NIKE HAS 4% faster shoes
here is an article
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/06/learning/whats-going-on-in-this-graph-dec-12-2018.html#commentsContainer
Hope you like it
1
Nike Vaporfly Takes 1st:
I noticed a lot of things about this graph. First of all, I noticed that the biggest group is between 0% and 2% difference from the runner's original speed. I also realized that all Nike shoes are above 0% difference. I was wondering what shoes (or no shoes) the runner's ran in to get their base speed. This could affect the difference that the Vaporfly makes if you already run in a faster shoe. I also wonder what makes the Vaporfly so much faster than the other shoes. Could it just be that you think they are faster so your body reacts that way. It could also be something about the shoes, but I don't know much about shoes so I don't know how they are changed to improve speed.
1
@Nathaniel
Nathaniel ..... You bring up many VERY interesting questions including the possibility of a "placebo effect." I think you will be interested in tomorrow's reveal of the article. Thanks so much for your thoughts on this graph.
HI, @Nathaniel --
Lots of great noticings and wonderings. I think you will find the answer to your “wondering what shoes (or no shoes) the runner's ran in to get their base speed” in title above the graph.
Nice headline!
I noticed that the fastest shoe, is a more commonly heard of brand, and that the shoe on the slowest side, is a shoe brand that is not as heard of. I have not really heard of many of these brands, for example the Hoka One One Bondi, or the Altra Torin. There are also a lot of the same show BRANDS, but they are all different styles. Then, in the pictures, I noticed that they were all Nikes, and I think that they are just showing the one shoe type.
I wonder what the pictures are for, and if the images are only of the one type, or if they are different types of shoes.
A title I would give this, could be 'The Vaporfly, and its race to win."
@Addie
Hi, Addie. Thank you for suggesting a title. I like the observation in your first sentence. You seem to know your running shoes. Watch for tomorrow's reveal of the article.
I noticed that alot of shoes make you run between 0.5% and 2% faster. I was wondering how can a pair of shoes make you slower or faster? Then i was wondering why would certain shoes from the same brand make you run slower than other shoes from the same brand when most shoes look very similar especially if they are the same brand. My title is "Do your shoes put you at a disadvantage?"
@Gabrian
Gabrian .... These are great questions that are possibly related to the design of the study. Why would a runner run between 0.5% and 2% slower? Is it the shoe? Random variation? Fatigue? The graph does make us wonder. Thanks for your title submission.
I was wondering what was the original time, was the zero with no shoes on. Also, are these runners screwing this up on purpose to make their shoe brand seem better? Finally, is Nike paying for this commercial and just brainwashing us?
@Ryan
Be sure to read tomorrow's reveal of the article. Perhaps some of your questions will be answered. Can you think of a catchy title for this article?
@Moderator James
Sir I can come up with a good new title. Nike is brain washing us with there “best” running shoes.
@Moderator James
Here is a new name
"Nike is trying to brainwash us with "the best running shoes"
Running in Front: Speed according to Shoes
Hey guys! With this weeks graph, I noticed three things primarily; a large percentage of shoes are in the 1% to 2% range, along with Nike having not only the top two places for fastest, but also all of there shoes help people go faster.
What I was wondering was why are there so many shoes in the 1% to 2% range? Why are Nike shoes consistently making people go faster? Why are the Vaporfly shoes at least .5% faster than the rest?
And most broadly of all, why are people going faster or slower? Is it psychological? Or is it because of how the shoes are made?
Honestly, I think that the Nike's are better because Nikes are easily broken in. I also wonder why the Hoka one one Bondi's are so bad but they still cost 106 pounds (150 dollars). It also seens that new shoes in general are about 2%. Were the old shoes used for the constant, running shoes?
HI, @Pewdiepie --
You wonder about the high price of the Hoka One One Bondis and how could they be so bad. Well, the Vaporfly costs about 198 pounds ($250). Is the extra cost worth it?
The running time difference was calculated by comparing the times between two consecutive races when runners changed which shoes they used. There were no “old” shoes.
How about sharing with us a catchy headline that captures the graph’s main idea.
I wonder what was the distance they ran? And how did they record how long it took them to run that distance?
@Bridget I also wonder this. Was this tested in some way and how?
I noticed that the only shoes in the video were Nike. I also noticed that the slowest shoes were 2% slower and the fastest were 4% faster.
Why are all of the Nike shoes faster.
How far are they running and does the person testing the shoes take a long break before testing the next pair of shoes.
Did only one person test the shoes or was it different people.
I would title the graph: Nike helps you run faster.
HI, @collin--
All of the shoes in the video are Nike and all Nike shoes decrease running time. That makes it seem like something fishy is going on, but check out the source of the data (shown below the graph). The data is not from Nike and many, many shoes were included, all of which are not shown here dues to space constraints.
Given what you read, do you have other noticings and wonderings? How about a catchy headline?
i think this is some kind of shoe brand ad. like saying this is one of the most softest or something.they probably are using pro athletes as runners.and this is how they show people their products.
HI, @jaden --
Take a look at the source of the data that's given under the graph. Notice the number of runners whose times are included in the analysis and the source of the times. Now, wonder about the graph. Please share your findings.
I think this graph is showing a brand of nike and how suitible it is to run in them. Also, they might have wanted to get creative and play around with the images to make it look like this. My question is, why is it just showing the legs of the people running?
I think that this picture is showing how people run in different ways but in fast motion.Maybe it's even showing different kind of shoes people wear such as NIKE.
I notice that they are all wearing nike shoes and they are all running. I wonder why they are running. And I think that they are probably trying to sell nike shoes.In the graph they are probably trying to persuade people to buy the NIke new shoes because they are showing how they go the shoes go faster than other shoes.
In this photo, I think their try to tell you that nike running shoes are the best shoes running shoes to use. And that many runners use them today to run.what is the theme of this graph?
Welcome to Wednesday's moderation of “What’s Going On in This Graph?” Today’s graphs shows evidence to answer “Does Nike’s $250 running shoe really make you run faster?” (In the video, the shoes are the coral-colored ones.)
From 9 am – 2 pm E.T. today, give us your responses online to these three questions -- "What do you notice?", "What do you wonder?", and "What's going on in this graph?" Plus, share with us a catchy headline.
On Thursday afternoon, we’ll reveal the article that included these graphs and much more. We look forward to reading your discoveries.
(The next “What’s Going On in This Graph?” will be released next year -- Thursday, Jan. 3 with moderation on Wednesday, January 9.)
This graph is very informative based on the fact that Nike is leading the race by a good amount in the running shoe industry. Nike has been a very reliable brand. Nike, In my opinion, has been getting more attention and buyers for a couple of reasons. Nike is one of the most innovative brands, they are very reliable, have been in the shoe business for decades This is because they listen to their customers extensively seeking answers for what they could change and what they would like to see in their next running shoe. The Nike Vapor flies are helping people win races because of the fabric called flyknit. As said before Nike is innovative and is all ways changing. These Factors are what is putting them in 1st place in the race.
Good morning, @TENNYO. --
You know a lot about running shoes and Nike, in particular. What do you notice in the graph that adds to your understanding of Nike shoe performance? Are there any Nike shoes that resulted in an increase in running time?
Check back tomorrow to learn more about the several studies on running shoes and the Vaporflys' technology.
I notice that a few name brand sneakers averagely 1-2% fast, but nike develop a much more faster running sneaker. I wonder what technology did Nike use to make the sneaker much faster then the average percent. Also how many trials were there to see if the shoes was faster than the other brands.
The story this graph is telling is that Nike running shoes are superior that other running shoe brands based on fast mobility.
Good morning, @Bobbi-Ann Williams –
Very interesting noticings and wonderings. The article, that we will reveal tomorrow afternoon on this site, will describe the technology and how the statistical analysis was done. Check back with us.
Would you share with us a catchy headline for the graph?
I noticed that most of the runner’s improved after putting on new shoes. I wonder why only some of the runners were disorientated by having different feeling shoes on. I noticed that the one with vaporfly improved the most. Because of the fact that vaporfly was pointed out, this must be an advertisement for that type of shoe. This graph is telling how much people improved with a new pair of shoes on.
Good morning, @Jeremy Comet --
You noticed “most of the runner’s improved after putting on new shoes.” I wonder what the percentage of “shoe-changers” improved a lot (you define) and what percentage did not improve a lot. This may explain more about the Vaporflys.
what I noticed about this graph is that I wonder how they gathered the data for this graph but am impressed with how many runners they tested. What were the running conditions, and were there other variables that could have affected the running speeds? The dot repersents a different shoe.There are no negatives numbers on this graph, usually on the left side they would be negative numbers but instead their are positive numbers. Overall, I think the design plays a key role in faster shoes and faster times.
Good morning, @Dylan Comet --
You mention that the running conditions and other variables could have affected the running times. What other variables could affect the running times?
And, yes, there are no negative numbers on the graph. Maybe slower times are represented in a different way. Take another look at the graph and share with us what you notice about slower times.
In this graph I notice that there are a lot of shoes that are right behind that 4%. I wonder if shoes are getting better plus those are cheaper brands and could possibly be just as good as the Vaporfly. The only thing that shoe would have is that it is Nike. I think in this graph they are trying to show a difference between Nike shoes and other brands of shoes and how other brands are not far behind.
@Lauren Comet Very inquisitive insights. I am suprised that people are playing the premium to buy the Nike Vapor flys.
Good morning, @Lauren Comet --
It’s very interesting that you wondered if “cheaper brands could possibly be just as good as the Vaporfly.”By hovering over each point, you can see the brand and model of each shoe. With this information, you could look up the price of the shoe. Then, you could show on a scatterplot (with price on the x-axis and change in running time on the y-axis) the relationship. Let us know if you do this and what you find. I’m sure many runners would love to know which shoe has the potential to offer the most improve for the least cost.
What is going on in this picture is people are running.I say this because i see nike shoes running
I notice multiple things that might be going on in this graph. One thing that a notice most is that the graph is comparing different types of running shoes and how Vaporfly is faster compared to other shoes when it comes to crossing the finish line. I wonder what makes this shoe way better than any other running shoe being sold today.
I notice that I haven't heard of a lot of the shoes. I would not consider myself a runner, but I still thought I would know more. I wonder how the shoes were picked or tested, and was their any bias toward certain brands? I also wonder how accurate the runners' speed was. Did the runners have any breaks in between their running sessions?
Good morning, @Shelby Comets --
I hadn’t heard of many of the shoes either. Ask your friends who are runners about these shoes. Maybe these are shoes used mostly by the most experienced runners.
Look above the graph. There is a brief explanation of how the shoes were tested. Come back tomorrow and learn of six ways the shoes were compared, as well as how researchers selected the shoes tested.
These are all great wonderings. By wondering and asking others, you will uncover more insights into the graph and running shoes.
What sticks out to me is that Nike Vaporfly is one of the most, if not the most, popular running shoe there is. The runners stay around 1%-2% faster and then the Vaporfly is blowing them out of the park. That just proves how good Nike is doing and how good their products are.
Good morning, @Maxwell Comets --
You say “that Nike Vaporflys is one of the most, if not the most, popular running shoe there is.”This may be true, but do we know about popularity from the graph?
I bet you could combine your thoughts about Nike’s products and popularity with what you notice in the graph to write a catchy headline. Please share it with us.
I noticed most finishers completed 1% faster with the new shows. But some runners got up to 2.7% slower. I wonder what makes the difference of why some people are faster but some are slower. After looking at the graph most people finished faster so I believe the Nike Vaporflys are a good shoe.
I notice that Nike has really nice shoes and the people that wear them tend to run a few seconds faster. The type of shoe you have really effects how you run and keeps your feet from getting sore. Plus they just look nicer. Most of the good shoes are Nike, I wounder why.
In this graph, it looks like a time lapse of several runners wearing Nike apparel. There are about five different runners lower body shown in a time lapse and they are all wearing Nike shoes with some wearing Nike shorts and socks. In the background you can tell that they are running in public because you can see bikes and the road as if they are running in a city. I think that this is a Nike advertisement for runners since they are all specifically wearing Nike apparel. This story this graph is telling is that “Whenever you buy Nike, you instantly become a runner.”
Good morning, @Noah S. Comet --
The video may be of Nike shoes and apparel with the coral-colored Vaporflys. Would you share with us evidence from the graph that “Whenever you buy Nike, you instantly become a runner?” Thank you.
In the chart, there are different kinds of shoe brands with many different kinds of shoes. I noticed that on the chart there are multiple different brands of running shoes represented, and the data shows how they increase or decrease runners’ speeds. I wonder how they gathered the data for this graph but am impressed with how many runners they tested. What were the running conditions, and were there other variables that could have affected the running speeds? For my headline I would probably say "Running off the charts."
this is clearly a graph on which shoes are faster. the picture is a time laps of people running a marathon. it show that Nike vaporflies have the faster times.
What I notice is the Nike Vaporfly is the most popular running shoe on the market today. I wonder what makes this shoe way better than any other running shoe being sold today. The graph is showing how the Vaporfly is faster compared to other shoes when being crossed the finish line.
In the chart, there are different kinds of Nike shoes with many different kinds of shoes. I noticed that on the chart there are multiple different brands of running shoes represented, and the data shows how they increase or decrease runners’ speeds. I wonder how they gathered the data for this graph but am impressed with how many runners they tested. What were the running conditions, and were there other variables that could have affected the running speeds?
“Running off the Charts” is my headline.
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Good morning, @Richard Comet --
Nice headline, Richard. Nice and short with a double meaning. Thank you!
The thing that I notice is that just from one pair of Nike Vaporflies, this dude is waaaaayy ahead, not behind, but ahead, all from one pair of shoes, that is impressive. Maybe I can get those shoes for Christmas, because I run slow. Anywhozles, that's cool.
Good morning, @Sean --
Vaporflys are impressive, but are also in short supply and rather pricey at $250. Hover over other points on the graph and see what other shoes may decrease your running time. A quick search online will determine if they are available and less expensive. Let us know what you find.
A New Training Replacement: Shoes in 2018
Many of the highest finish times are being aided by Nike shoes, like the Nike Vaporfly. But are they really cutting down time, or is it because these shoes are being represented by more people? Perhaps running times are being cut because of the excitement of a pair of new kicks, or maybe training just is aiding the time improvements. I noticed that the highest ranking shoes, like the Vaporfly, among others, have a very different look. Shoes that are taking more time have a higher quantity of different material: for example, the fastest shoes are more of a "mesh" fabric. In addition, they have more of a smooth curve for soles: they might aid the "push" of a runner's feet against the pavement. Slower shoes also have more "ridges" on the bottom, I noticed.
Overall, I think the design plays a key role in faster shoes and faster times. I would be interested to see a study finding the impact of material and cushioning on running, with the same number of people for each shoe, and over a longer period of time.
HI, @Isabella Vesely
You bring up several variables that affect running time – “excitement of a pair of new kicks”, training, shoe materials, sole ridges, and cushioning. What other variables would affect running time? Tomorrow afternoon, we’ll reveal the article and you can read what variables the journalists identified.
Something that I noticed was that shoes that were usually on the tail ends of the graph were a higher price than shoes in the middle of the graph. I also noticed that some of the shoes in the middle were not from well known brands. This makes me wonder are the brands in the middle trying to imitate the materials used in higher end shoes?
HI, @Aditya --
Very interesting wondering about whether “the brands in the middle trying to imitate the materials used in higher end shoes.” How could you test this hypothesis?
Are shoes replacing training in 2018?
If there's a 4% increase in speed for certain shoes, do people need to train as much? Could Nike's strong improvement in running times be because they're more popular than other brands? In my personal experience, I see a lot of people wearing Nike shoes for sprinting and running purposes. I wonder if the popularity could impact the results. Is it really the shoes' design, or is it that the shoes are more highly represented?
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HI, @Margot --
Would you explain to us your logic behind “Could Nike's strong improvement in running times be because they're more popular than other brands?”
Thanks for the headline “Are shoes replacing training in 2018?” I wonder, though, would runners still train but want the faster time with a new shoe?
You will be penniless after buying Nike shoes
I observed that there is a large cluster of shoes between the 1% and 2% mark. The question of how they were designed permeates in my mind. When thinking about improvement, was it due to the shoes, or was it due to their training or possible excitement of acquiring new shoes? The thought of bias also pervades in my mind. Do more people own Nike shoes? Is the Nike brand better represented?
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HI, @Jordan --
You bring up many reasons for the faster times – shoe design, training, and “excitement of acquiring new shoes”. But, you also mention that there may be bias in the analysis since Nike may be better represented. Run through your thinking for us about why this would result in bias.
I observed that most of the shoes appeared in between the 1 and 2% marks. This leads me to the question of how much training had to do with the gain in percent. Does the majority of the percent increase or decrease have to do with the runner's training program more than the shoe itself?
HI, @Nathan --
Training is one of the variables that the studies looked at. Come back tomorrow afternoon when we reveal the article that discusses this variable and others that could affect running times.
Are shoes replacing training in 2018?
I noticed that the Nike Vaporfly is reported to make your run 4% faster whereas the Hoka One One Bondi reportedly makes your run 3% faster. I noticed that Nike, Adidas, and New Balance are some of the shoes that supposedly make runners faster, but these brands of shoes are also the most popular brands. I wonder if some runners ran faster after wearing a new brand due to the excitement of trying something new? How many people represent each dot on the graph? Does the improvement in speed have to do with the design of the shoe? Is there bias towards Nike?
Yeetus Skeetus I like your cleanness
I think that this graph while interesting, is not a big enough scale to show a difference that would affect a long distance time. I wonder if the results would show on a sprint. I think that this is interesting to know but should not influence your average runner's run. I think it's not worth dishing out a extra cash for a 4% faster time.
HI, @Emery --
Good catch. Nope, this analysis does not include sprint times, only marathons and half-marathons.
Why do you think the journalists did not include the data from sprinters who changed their shoes?
I notice that many of the shoes that show running time improvement are Nikes, which raises the question of bias. Because of this trend, I speculate that many of the runners in the pool were Nike owners. I also noticed that many of the shoes below the zero improvement mark were Asics and Brooks, which makes me wonder what exactly makes them worse running shoes.
@Alexandra I totally agree with you. I wondered about bias as well. The best couple of shoes were Nike and I know many people with Nike shoes. I think that Brooks and Asics might be less well known. Nike is the name brand for running shoes. I think if someone was to buy a Brooks or Nike, most people would buy the Nike shoes.
HI, @Alexandra--
Tomorrow afternoon’s reveal will give you the article that included this graph. It will also tell you how the data was collected. After you read the explanation, let us know if you think there is bias.
what I noticed about this graph is that each dot repersents a different shoe.There are no negatives numbers on this graph, usually on the left side they would be negative numbers but instead their are positive numbers. Also Vaporfly is the fastest shoe and Hoka one one Bondi. Also most of the shoes are in between 1 percent and 2 percent.
HI, @Ben Moalusi --
Yes, there are no negative numbers on the graph. Maybe slower times are represented in a different way. Take another look at the graph and share with us what you notice about slower times.
Skeetin' n' Eatin'
I noticed that all of the Nike shoes improved the runners' speed so were found on the positive side of the chart. How do we know that running conditions, or the person, or the route they ran didn't have an effect on the results? How can we isolate the brand from other variables?
I also noticed that the majority of all of the shoes on the graph were around the 1.5-2% improvement mark. The scores were self submitted, so I wonder if they increased their run time because they had a good attitude and enjoyed the new shoes.
HI, @Michael --
Your questioning variables other than which shoe is used is very meaningful. The source information notes that the data comes from 4,000 runners. How might this sample size affect the statistics?
What are the best Sneaks for Running Geeks?
I notice that I haven't heard of a lot of the shoes. I would not consider myself a runner, but I still thought I would know more. I wonder how the tested shoes were picked, was their any bias toward certain brands? I also wonder how accurate the runners' speed was. Did the runners have any breaks in between their running sessions? This graph is very cool, and I think it would be helpful to runners trying to find new shoes. "What sneaks are best for running geeks?"
In the chart, there are different kinds of shoe brands with many different kinds of shoes. I noticed that on the chart there are multiple different brands of running shoes represented, and the data shows how they increase or decrease runners’ speeds. I wonder how they gathered the data for this graph but am impressed with how many runners they tested. What were the running conditions, and were there other variables that could have affected the running speeds?
“Running off the Charts” is my headline.
@Nate, I love your headline quite a bit. I agree that the shoe might not be the only influencer.
In this graph, I noticed that most of the brands mentioned I do not recognize. I wonder, who conducted this research and what their motivations were? Could they be bias to Nike? Also, how did the researchers select each shoe? Were the shoes selected the best from their brand or was it at random? A catchy headline for this graph could be The Better the Shoe the Faster the Run.
@Alyssa I agree with your statement, however one could argue that, since NY Times is a professional organization, their info would be without bias. Also, Nike is a very well known brand, so more people might own the shoe. The data is self-reported as well, so some runners may have wanted to make themselves look better for the public by lying about their time, but it is unlikely. There isn't enough info to make a conclusion, so we'll just have to keep speculating.
The Better the Shoe the Faster the Run
In this graph, I have noticed that many of the fastest shoes are Adidas and Nike. Also, I noticed that there are many shoes that I do not recognize, such as Hoka One One Bonci. Many of the big brand shoes are in the 1-2% faster area, with the execption of Nike's fastest Vaporfly. I wonder, what different variables were in play during testing these different shoes. Also, how does the brain affect these results because of possible excitement of being given new shoes? Overall, I believe this graph is extremely interesting and could possibly change many runners views on what shoes to purchase.
Looks like it measures increase of speed after runners shift to Vaporfly shoes during a long run?
@Jonathan Baron good thoughts