With Marathon Day at arm’s length (27th April, to be precise), and many of you putting the final touches on your race-day prep, this special edition of Crep Connect is dedicated to all the sneakerheads who also live for the run.
Up next in the hot seat is Bradley Martinez - Marketing Manager at Footpatrol, London’s go-to sneaker boutique, and a self-proclaimed sneaker encyclopedia. When he’s not lacing up the latest heat for the ‘gram, you’ll likely find him clocking miles around the city. Luckily for us, he hit pause on his training to chat about how he’s gearing up for the iconic race ahead.
Read the full interview below:
Crep Protect: Hey Bradley, thanks for taking time out of your Marathon prep to sit with us here at Crep Protect. We want to kick off this interview by asking how you are!
Bradley: My g, what a brilliant first question! I am great, thank you for asking. I feel honoured to be interviewed by you, can't lie!
CP: For people who are unfamiliar with yourself and what you do, could you please tell us a little bit about yourself?
B: For sure! My name is Bradley Martinez, and I am the Marketing Manager for Footpatrol. I look after everything across sportstyle and performance running from events through to campaigns.
CP: As you know, the London Marathon is this weekend. As an avid runner, Marketing Manager for one of the most hyped and iconic sneaker stores in London, could you give us a little peek into what your everyday routine looks like leading up to the race?
B: Ah, man, my routine is what I like to call a structured mess. With the industry being so fast-paced, you gotta adapt the training plan to cater for any travels, late nights or early mornings to make sure you don’t get burnt out. Most days, though it's a run in the morning, a mix of different types of runs - easy slow jogs, faster sessions and also a track session once a week. Marathon training blocks are always hard graft though! 42km is a serious bop!
I am a firm believer that no matter how busy you are, there is always time to do something you love. Whether it's running or whatever your hobbies are. I am fortunate enough now to have a coach who helps me massively with my overall training, but more so my schedule. You don’t need one, though; there are apps or free online guides you can find to help you.
"The most important thing is the discipline to lock in and get it done; you’ll always feel better after it."
CP: What running shoes will you be wearing this weekend? And what has been your top 3 running shoe releases over the past year?
B: On this occasion, I will be wearing the New Balance FuelCell SuperComp v4. I am running it for Footpatrol and NB so gotta keep on brand. I only recently raced in an NB shoe in Liverpool for the first time, and they felt great!
As for my fave ones. I am lucky enough to get to try quite a few different pairs, but the best ones for me that I have put through their paces are :
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Mizuno Neo Vista: My most used shoe since they launched, underrated and a perfect all-rounder.
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adidas Adizero Evo SL: Don’t get me wrong, they’re not my fave, but you cannot knock how good they are for £130. They are amazing value for money, and I’m already in my second pair. Love them for speed work more than easy runs, though.
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Norda 005: the ultimate trail shoe. My favourite brand, my go-to shoes for ultras and trail runs. Built to last, stable and more responsive than a lot of road running shoes.
CP: You’ve seen both sides — the hype sneaker world and the performance world. How do you think brands can better bridge those two audiences?
B: Blimey! I think it's easier said than done. You need to be able to integrate yourself into the community organically, the same way brands like Norda, Satisfy and Portal have done. We are all guilty of hopping on the bandwagon, but it's hard to be in such a specialist market. In my opinion, you need to understand what you are selling and who that community is to slot in seamlessly.
There’s already a bridge with activewear being worn by a fashion-forward community who also enjoy running. I think leaning into the right figure heads will help brands grow in this space - NSLB x Nike is the perfect example or even the Minted New York x Saucony Collabs.
CP: If you could design a marathon-ready sneaker collab with any brand, who would it be with, and what would it look like?
B: I think I would do an adidas Adios Pro 4 or Pro Evo 1 - would have to be baby pink with teal blue adi stripes. So basic but I am a sucker for a mental looking race shoe and pink never misses for me as a colour. I couldn’t care less if it's already done (which it has many times lol).
CP: You also run (pun intended) the Footpatrol Run Club. How did this opportunity come about?
B: Ah man, we always had a run club from a while back, but it was more of a community project on the side on Sunday morning. As time progressed, I pitched the idea to move deeper into running as a business, broaden our buy, open our marketing up more to it and establish ourselves as a lifestyle / performance retailer. This gave us a bigger platform to push a run club but also work with brands and other London based run clubs. It's been a fun project!
CP: At Crep, we’re always keeping your shoes/sneakers looking box-fresh, no matter the occasion. Could you tell us how you keep your running shoes fresh and race-ready?
B: Oh geez, I am guilty of not doing anything and most look cooked! Some pairs are clean due to only being used on the track, others, but my trail shoes are cooked! Low key, there is no saving them… I try to save the pretty shoe for the nice days to keep them clean though!
CP: After you passed the finish line and secured that victory, how you looking to celebrate post-run?
B: On this occasion, I am pacing one of my best friends through his first marathon, so I'm gonna be celebrating with him more than anything!
CP: For runners or sneakerheads who want to follow in your footsteps, what’s one tip you’d give them?
B: I would say, start 1 mile at a time. There is so much pressure to do a 5k, but there is nothing wrong with starting with less at an easy pace that works for you.
"Times mean nothing, it's all about the distance, and you can grow into going fast later! Just enjoy the sense of achievement and discipline it instils."
CP: Bradley, it’s been a pleasure to find out more about yourself. We wish you the best of luck on your run! To sign off this interview, we would like to ask if there are any lasting words you would like to share with the Crep audience?
B: Thank you, Morgan, so good to chat to you! Hope everyone and anyone reading this has a lovely day! :)
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