Interbike 2013: Specialized's Used Shoes...

Specialized produces some pretty tantalizing gadgetry, from bikes to helmets to shoes, and quite a bit in between. They have had, and continue to have, some pretty serious athletes who use some of that gadgetry to great success. When I walked through the Specialized booth, got past the bikes, wondered about the wind tunnel wasted space, and saw the used shoe display I thought "hmm". While other cobblers of leather and carbon showed row upon row of pristine, fresh from the factory foot coverings, Specialized showed a couple used shoes worn by well-known people. I first saw them as separate - the shoes, and the photo wall. But then I walked around the display case to the angle shown above, and it all made perfect sense. It may have been the most clever design display of the show. A single used product backed by a panoply of champions shown using that product - it says everything you want an exhibit to say.