“Some guys eat sneakers”

An ad touting the durability of the New Balance 850.

The 850 used carbon rubber, cordura for the upper, a high density footbed, and a strong heel counter to resist breakdown from runners who were hard on their shoes. Apparently runners in this era had a fair amount of trouble finding a shoe that would last; most buyers today are not overly concerned about durability since modern shoes rarely have that problem. Leave a comment!