A moving tribute found

Despite his unwavering dedication and passion for running, Travis Landreth was not the Michael Jordan of distance running. But the late Newburyport High and University of Connecticut runner now has something in common with Jordan -- they both have signature shoes bearing their names.

This month, three years after Landreth, a former Big East cross-country champion, died at age 24 after collapsing during a routine training run with his post-collegiate running club in Palo Alto, Calif., running shoe manufacturer Asics released the GEL-Landreth running shoe.

While there are already a series of tributes to Landreth in Newburyport -- a scholarship fund, an annual road race, and a granite memorial that graces the cross-country course at Maudslay State Park that also carries his name, those who knew Landreth and recall his contagious enthusiasm for running -- UConn coach Greg Roy referred to him as "a pied piper for running" -- said that having a running shoe with his name is as fitting a tribute as any.

"It's a living legacy to Trav and that is the coolest thing," said Don Hennigar, Landreth's high school cross-country coach. "To have a shoe named after someone like Travis, who is a really important part of the running community here is exciting. It is a huge tribute to him and his family."

Travis's younger sister, Molly, an All-Big Ten cross-country runner at Penn State who credits her brother for introducing her to the sport, agreed with Hennigar. "It really fits the mold of everything he stood for," she said.

The loss of the Newburyport native, whose death was caused by an undiagnosed congenital heart condition called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, on Jan. 12, 2001, stunned and saddened his family, friends, and the local running community. Among those who were devastated was one of Landreth's closest friends, former University of Virginia runner Craig Vanderoef.

Vanderoef, who struck up an instant friendship with Landreth at a Vermont running camp eight years ago, was hired by Asics in July 2002 as an assistant product manager. One of his duties was to designate names for the company's new shoes. He decided to name a running shoe the company had on the drawing board after his late friend.

"Running would have continued to benefit from him if he were still alive, so why not have running continue to benefit from him by having a great shoe that might change the way shoes are made? That way he still has contact with [running]," said Vanderoef, who calls the GEL-Landreth -- a high-performance, cushioned training shoe -- his baby.

Vanderoef, 29, left Asics to take a job with another running shoe manufacturer, Brooks, in December 2002, but Asics decided to keep the Landreth name attached to the shoe.

"We made a commitment to the Landreths and we were going to honor that," said Asics' product development manager for running, Terry Schalow.

Schalow said the company felt Landreth, who according to his mother directed "every waking and sleeping moment toward improving himself as a runner," embodied the spirit of running during his life.

"We make shoes that runners buy, that people that are into running -- running enthusiasts -- buy. We feel Travis exemplified that," said Schalow, who said Asics researched the types of running shoes that Landreth wore while crafting the GEL-Landreth's final design.

Although the shoe was not being sold in stores until this month, Asics sent each member of the Landreth family -- his mother, Ruth, his father Dennis, his older sister, Susannah, and his younger sister, Molly -- a pair of the shoes for Christmas. Ruth Landreth, who still finds it difficult to discuss her son's death and prefers to put her thoughts in writing, said via e-mail that the family is grateful to Asics for allowing the shoe to be produced and hopeful that its production will encourage people to learn about Travis's life.

"All of us . . . as well as Trav's friends will feel honored to wear our GEL-Landreths," she wrote, "and there will be loving thoughts of Travis with every single step."

While the shoe is being rolled out in limited release -- it will only be available at retailers that specialize in running equipment, according to Schalow -- Ruth Landreth said that certain running stores have agreed to donate a portion of the proceeds from the sale of the shoes to the Travis Eliot Landreth Memorial Scholarship Fund. The funds will augment the money raised by the annual road race held in his honor, Trav's Trail Run.

Schalow said Asics is also planning to donate profits from the shoe's sale and made it clear that the company is not trying to capitalize on Landreth's death. "We would never try to tag on to Travis and his family in that way," said Schalow. "We're not selling this shoe to Footlocker or The Sports Authority . . . It's not a shoe we intend to make a great deal of money on. You're not going to see ads for the GEL-Landreth."

Despite that he no longer works for Asics and now competes against the company for customers, Vanderoef said he hopes "they sell a million" of the shoes that immortalize his friend. "I think it speaks to what Travis was about," said Vanderoef. "It's a great running shoe. It keeps his name alive. Every day that he is not here is not as good a day as it would be if he was. If we can make it better by adding this shoe, all the better."

Landreth's sister, Molly, has already worn the shoes for running and said she thinks her brother would have approved of them, but found it strange that they bore his name.

"I definitely think he would chuckle and say, 'What the heck are they making a shoe named after me for?'" said Molly. "But in the back of his mind he would have thought it was cool and been happy about it."

Christopher L. Gasper can be reached at cgasper@globe.com