Passage Content
運動会の季節になると速い子はもっと速く、遅い子も遅いなりに何とか速く走りたいと思うものだ。その子供達の願いを叶える靴がある。重さ約170ｇ、「瞬足」と言う。値段も平均2500円で決して高くない。2009年に630万足も売れてヒット商品になった。日本の小学生は約700万人いるそうだから驚異的な数だ。 開発した会社は高級品は有名ブランドに、一般の子供靴は安い海外製品に押されて苦境に陥っていた。だから画期的な新製品が必要だった。「速く走れる靴」を目指したのは子供達の真の要求に応えたかったからだ。運動会の（注1）徒競走でコーナーを回るときに転ぶ子供が多かったので、転ばないように靴の裏の右足の内側と左足の外側にスパイクをつけた。左右が全く違う靴だ。普段歩くときにも違和感がないようにスパイクに柔らかいゴムを使用した。また足形の調査から、幅と甲の周りを細い靴にして素材も通気性の良い物に変えた。 この新製品は発売当初期待したほど売れなかった。しかし確実なデータを元に作られた靴はやがて（注2）口コミでその良さが伝わるとあっという間に人気商品になった。そして今では超人気ブランドになった。 常識で考えると左右が違う靴はあるまじき存在だ。あり得ないことを考えつく人がいることとその開発を許す会社がある。そこに成功の鍵があったのだと思う。
Reference translation
English
When the season for school sports festivals arrives, fast children want to run even faster, and slower children wish they could run a bit quicker in their own way. There is a shoe that fulfills these children's wishes. Weighing approximately 170 grams, it is called "Shunso" (Instant Foot). Priced at an average of 2,500 yen, it is by no means expensive. In 2009, it sold 6.3 million pairs, becoming a hit product. Given that there are approximately 7 million elementary school students in Japan, this is a remarkable number. The company that developed it had been facing difficulties, as the high-end market was dominated by famous brands and the general children's shoe market was squeezed by cheaper overseas products.
Therefore, a groundbreaking new product was needed. The goal of creating 'shoes that run fast' was to meet the true demands of the children. Since many children fell while turning corners in the foot race (Note 1) at the sports day, spikes were added to the inner side of the right sole and the outer side of the left sole to prevent falling. These are shoes that are completely different on the left and right sides. To ensure there is no discomfort during everyday walking, soft rubber was used for the spikes. Additionally, based on foot shape surveys, the width and the area around the instep were narrowed, and the material was changed to a more breathable one.
This new product did not sell as well as expected at launch. However, the shoes, crafted based on reliable data, gradually (Note 2) spread their quality through word of mouth and quickly became a popular item. Today, it has become a super-popular brand. By common sense, shoes with different left and right sides should not exist. The fact that someone thought of the impossible and a company allowed its development was, I believe, the key to success.
Multiple Choice Questions (3)
Question 1問1 瞬足の説明と合っているのはどれか。
Question 2問2 瞬足の売れ行きはどうだったか。
Question 3問3 瞬足が成功した理由と違うのはどれか。
