Catching Up With Greg Feucht

Athlete With Mayville Roots Named To Inov-8 Elite Team

by Joel Nisleit

Greg Feucht of Albuquerque, New Mexico, a 1996 graduate of Mayville High School, caught a sweet and unexpected deal when he complained to shoe maker Inov-8 three years ago.He had ordered a certain pair of shoes but it wasn’t delivered when it was supposed to be. Frustrated, he promptly wrote to the customer service department, which said it wanted to send him a pair of shoes right away.Inov-8 caught onto Feucht and asked him if he believed in the shoe and the company, and then invited him to be on Team Inov-8 Elite. He’s been on the team since 2005 and was invited to join again this year.Inov-8 develops innovative, breathable performance trail footwear based on a minimalist philosophy guided by the mechanics of the human foot for athletes like Feucht, who can expound on their benefits.He says he likes the Inov-8 shoes for their minimalist design and cushioning.“For soft dirt you don’t need much cushioning. The lower your feet are to the ground, the lower your center of gravity, and you’re really going to be able to feel the terrain and feel that root coming up,” he says.The shoe design also helps strengthen muscles for injury prevention, he says. His favorite models include the Mudroc 280 and Flyroc 310.Inov-8 selects athletes for their outstanding performance, genuine excitement about extreme outdoor activities and their enthusiasm. Inov-8 says its athletes are some of the finest outdoor ambassadors in their respective disciplines and include US National Team members competing at the world level. They represent the brand by wearing Inov-8 shoes and gear and sharing their stories and adventures along the way on the team blog at http://team.inov-8.us.“I think what Inov-8 really looks for is not only ability and placing high at events but someone that’s an ambassador of the sport that can go to events and really believe in what they’re doing and the company,” says Feucht.He enjoys off-road ultra, trail, and mountain running, usually up to 50 kilometers. The rougher the terrain, the better, he says.Before he had experience in ultras, he did a 100k race in Mongolia, where he had a couple of rough spots in the middle of the race and considered it an early lesson about energy management and electrolyte replacement.He next plans to run the Ice Age Trail race in Wisconsin in May. His ultimate goal is to qualify for the 2019 Olympic ultra team trials.His deal with Inov-8 isn’t a runaway endorsement.“It’s not like a sponsorship deal with Nike. I don’t get paid,” says Feucht.And he’s not exactly swimming in new pairs of shoes or apparel. He gets seven pairs of “production-ready” shoes a year.“Additionally, on occasion they send out prototype pairs for testing purposes as well. Also, they give me training clothing, hydration packs that they sell, as well as pro-deals with five different partner companies,” Feucht says.Still, not bad. One pair of Inov-8 shoes can cost anywhere from $85 to $125.“Also, the Inov-8 team has many talented and gifted athletes and really is a great network, kind of a support network that gives people an edge in a sport that’s geared to the individual a little more,” says Feucht.A control engineer for Altella in Albuquerque, Feucht finds running to be a rewarding hobby.“I like the comradeship, the fact it’s something I can do well at, and setting and achieving goals. The process of constant improvement is something I really draw from,” he says.His advice is “reach for your goals and don’t settle for second best, and see what’s out there.”His former high school coach is Bob Berry, who coaches cross country and track at Mayville High School.“He’s a great guy and my passion for running started with him really,” says Feucht.