Why I ditched my Airpods for Shokz Earbuds

I have always been a tech-savvy guy who loves to stay active. My daily run is like a ritual, and music is my trusted companion during those moments of solitude on the jogging trail. For years, I had been loyal to my Apple AirPods. They were sleek, they sounded great, and they synced perfectly with my iPhone. But then, one fateful day, everything changed.

I had heard whispers about the Shokz Openfit headphones from a fellow runner at the park. He couldn’t stop raving about their unique open-ear design that supposedly allowed you to maintain situational awareness while running. As someone who had narrowly avoided countless collisions with oblivious pedestrians while sporting my AirPods, this caught my attention. I decided to give them a shot.

The moment I slipped the Shokz Openfit over my ears, I knew I was in for something different. The open-ear design felt liberating, almost as if I had just stepped into the world of cyborgs. As I started my run, I couldn’t help but chuckle at the idea of looking like a futuristic runner on a mission to save the world.

But the real revelation came when I realized that these magical earphones didn’t budge an inch. No more fumbling to adjust my AirPods every few meters; no more worrying that they’d pop out of my ears and get lost in the bushes. The Shokz Openfit hugged my head snugly, and I felt like I was in an episode of some running-themed spy thriller.

Sound quality-wise, there wasn’t much to complain about either. Sure, they might not have had the audiophile-approved acoustics of some high-end headphones, but for my daily jogs, the sound quality was on par with my beloved AirPods. Plus, the ability to hear my surroundings meant I was no longer startled by the sudden appearance of a fellow jogger or a rogue squirrel.

I couldn’t resist a bit of smugness when I shared my newfound discovery with my running buddies. They were still entangled in the wires of traditional headphones or struggling with their AirPods’ tendency to escape at the worst moments. I felt like I had unlocked a secret level in the game of running.

The love affair with Shokz didn’t stop with the Openfit. When I needed to be on the phone for extended periods at home, I turned to my Shokz OpenComm2. They were essentially open-run earbuds with an exceptional microphone. I could have important conference calls while pretending to be outside enjoying the fresh air. Who said multitasking couldn’t be fun?

So, here I am, a tech-loving, 40-something guy who’s traded in his AirPods for the Shokz Openfit during runs and his Shokz OpenComm2 for productive phone calls. My ears are no longer constrained by tiny earbuds, and my situational awareness is on point. It’s a brave new world of running and talking, all thanks to Shokz. Who would’ve thought that my running playlist would be the soundtrack to my tech enlightenment?

Francis Vachon

Based in Quebec and photographer for more than 15 years, I specialize in press photography (photojournalism) and corporate and event photography.

A 2006 graduate of the prestigious photojournalism program at Loyalist College in Belleville (Ontario, Canada), I first distinguished myself by being the first runner up student of the Association of Press Photographers of Eastern Canada (Eastern Canadian News photographers Association) for the quality of my portfolio.

Back in Quebec City after an internship at the Ottawa Citizen and the Edmonton Sun, and a contract at the Windsor Star, I quickly developed a large clientele including some of the most prestigious Canadian newspapers.

In 2018, I published two books: The hidden face of photography and En photo et en Affaires