In reply to galpinos:
> Private Equity firm sells stake to half decent Japanese clothing company, not exactly a disaster?
No, this has been on the cards as soon as the company bought a majority stake a few years back.. they were always looking to sell to a bigger company.
I'm with Simon. I've stopped wearing them generally unless I pick them up in sales as they just change so much, and even the fit. I just cant see why they need so many shoes which are so similar, just make fewer, make them cheaper and get a bigger share of the market.
Add to that concerns over build quality and the elevated price and I just dont wear them anymore. I've had a few which have failed badly in the sole, not just the mesh ripping up, often they've been changed but its still a pain and I want a shoe I can trust.
Salomon have a fairly big range but basically their main shoes are pretty consistent and dont change much. Inov8 should easily focus down to 4 - 6 shoes which cover fell, mountain and trail.
However I'm not sure they will stick in trail and mountain running and it will increasingly be a small part of their business and they will continue with the gym/crossfit line.
