(Photo courtesy of Pierce Footwear)
After 40 years, Bend’s most iconic event, the U.S. Bank Pole Pedal Paddle (PPP) – a race with no less than five transition areas – finally has a shoe sponsor that fits the bill: Pierce Footwear. The local brand’s signature shoe, the T1, was designed by former world-champion duathlete George Pierce to not only provide outstanding lightweight comfort on the course, but far superior performance in the transitions.
The T1 (which stands for “Transition”) was designed without shoelaces and tongues, which allows the athlete to step in and achieve a glove-like fit virtually on the run.
“We couldn’t be more excited to have Pierce Footwear as the official Footwear Sponsor of the Pole Pedal Paddle,” said Molly Cogswell-Kelley, financial development and events director for the Mt. Bachelor Sports Education Foundation (MBSEF), the event’s benefactor. “These are perfect shoes for a quick transition since they have a really cool buckle!”
That “really cool buckle” is the revolutionary latchet introduced a year ago by Pierce,the company’s founder and CEO, just before moving to Bend to launch the business.
“As an ultra-competitive triathlete and duathlete, I knew that I could shave minutes off my time if I didn’t have to fumble around with shoelaces and tongues in the transition areas,” said Pierce. “The T1 effectively replaces both with an upper that wraps snugly over the top of the foot and secures it like a sock with an adjustable rubberized latchet.”
Pierce’s innovation wasn’t driven purely by his competitive nature. It was actually a solution to a serious physical challenge he was facing at the time. While training on his bike in 2010, Pierce was hit by a truck and nearly killed. He was left with fractured vertebrae in his back and neck, which, after getting back on his feet, made it painful to bend over and tie shoes.
As it turned out, by creating a faster entry/exit system for races, he stumbled upon a better fitting shoe that was easy to get in and out of for people recovering from back problems,trauma and strokes; people with arthritic, dexterity and maneuverability issues; and people with physical and mental disabilities. The latter is what led to a relationship with Special Olympics that has Pierce heading to Graz, Austria this month to outfit all 2,000 athletes at the World Winter Games.
“Creating a special shoe for Special Olympians has been both an enormous honor and a challenge for a small company like ours,” says Pierce. “But we pulled it off. And as soon as we get back from Austria, we’ll literally hit the ground running to gear up for both the Pole Pedal Paddle and the Kids PPP.”
Yes, Pierce not only has plans to outfit Bend’s multi-sport and uber athletes with his lightweight, high-performance T1s, he has designs on its next generation of athletes as well.
“Kids and teens, by nature, hate shoelaces,” observes Pierce. “They don’t want to waste a minute tying, re-tying and tripping over them. So this spring, we’re introducing the T2, a more rugged mesh shoe with the same latching feature and the same bright orange color kids love.”
Winners at both PPP events will be given certificates for a free pair of Pierce shoes and all participants will be given a special discount code for purchasing shoes before and after the events. Plus, everyone, including spectators, can stop by the Pierce Footwear booth at both events to purchase with a professional fitting. The shoes are available to try on and purchase at Footform Performance Orthotics on SW Century Drive in Bend and they can be purchased directly on the web at piercefootwear.com.
“Needless to say, I can’t wait to experience my first PPP, both as a competitor and a sponsor,” said Pierce. “Right down to the ‘P’ in our logo, it promises to be a match made in heaven.”
Pierce Footwear
Pierce Footwear is THE new technology standard of performance footwear.The company was founded in 2012 by world-champion duathlete George Pierce in Palo Alto, California and moved to Bend, Oregon in 2016. With a management team that includes competitive multi-sport athletes, cyclists, trail runners and former executives with New Balance and Dexter Shoes, Pierce is driven to create footwear that helps people change their lives.
