Christopher McDougall: Born to Run

Christopher McDougall, the author of Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen, talks about the shoes that have helped him maintain the perfect running form he first discovered when visiting a tribe in the remote canyons of Mexico. (It's in the book. READ IT.)

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Sports

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• christopher
• mcdougall
• born
• to
• run
• vibram
• fivefingers
• running
• shoes
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• health
• fitness
• interviews

[ronhoganbooks]

I have to confess, I'm not the best source to talk about the environmental impact on the shoes -- but as for going back to shoes as opposed to sandals, I wouldn't be surprised if the Northeast climate had a part to play in that...

[tallisonii]

This is a little disappointing and seems to me like a retrospective attempt to tie the amazingly good reception of his book to a product. From a business perspective, who can really blame him -- but from everything else I've seen him say, it doesn't really seem to make sense. Why would he have "gone back" to wearing shoes? What about the sandals he's running in in the vid on Amazon? Isn't it a little odd to tie a move away from complicated gear to more complicated, hyper-manufactured gear...

[ronhoganbooks]

If you look at the post date up above, you'll see that this video was put online well before "the amazingly good reception" was underway. And, for the record, he didn't push the shoes -- I saw them during the interview and asked him to tell me the story.

[Vo2maxProductions]

@tallisonii yes! someone finally gets it. Why pay $90 for a pair of rubber foot gloves (Vibram Five Fingers) to run "barefoot." Ironic. Marketing power. It's all business.

[elementz1986]

Those shoes look goofy as fuck. I think barefoot running is cool but I wouldn't wear those.

[hottotty89]

@tallisonii If you read the book then you'd know how skeptical he was of them in the first place. Barefoot Ted got him interested and it's just an easier way for most people to get into barefoot running. While going completely barefoot is obviously the cheapest and easiest, once you come across some broken glass, sharp rocks, or other hazards, I'm sure you'd be glad to have something on your feet. They also talk about the Nike Free too.

[MrUnclemuncle]

I just finished reading "Born to run " and let me tell you, If you haven't read it yet, you will be missing out on some very crucial lifesaving information! I'm not a runner myself yet but reading this book really opened my eyes to the world of ultra-running. I feel like I've been given this wonderful privilege to have a peek inside, not only the lives of the Tarahumara and the Mas Locos, but into how to be a simpler-better human being. QUE ViVA EL CABALLO BLANCO!

[HitTheTrailRunning]

A few days ago I uploaded a video of me running barefoot through the Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas. It's on my channel if you want to check it out

[ThatOneGuy1027]

SPOILER ALERT



[maximum411]

@tallisonii

Actually, I don't know if this was true when you made this comment, but now they have a Vibram FiveFingers "Smartwool" model which is made of recycled material. Isn't that great? Good for the environment, good for your body.

[tildyc]

@WhyBeBullet Vibrams- they can save your running life! Just DO NOT go and run a long distance at first or you WILL GET INJURED. Walk around in them until your feet get stronger first (weeks) and then start on very very short runs. Your feet need time to get strong. They most likely have been in shoes all ur life and have lost their strength and flexibility. If you are a natural forefoot striker then you will probably need less time to get use to them. Heel strike is BAD! BAD! BAD! Good luck!!

[tildyc]

@WhyBeBullet I am not a doctor. In fact, I really don't trust doctors very much anymore. But- the most likely reason you have bad arches is because ever since you a baby you have had shoes on ur feet. over the years nike and other big shoe comp have stabilized, cushioned and motion controlled our feet. Now our feet are weakened and injury prone. Ur arch is suppose to collapse when you run. Nature designed it that way. But now ur feet are too weak. Vibrams will strengthen ur feet.

[arsenal12a]

@WhyBeBullet

I'm an avid runner who also has collapsing/falling arches. In 20 years of wearing motion control and stability shoes, I found nothing but pain and injury. About four years ago I transitioned into a "barefoot" stride and haven't looked back. The secret to minimalist shoes (i.e. Five Fingers or Newtons) is that they let the foot work the way it should. You should be landing on your forefoot, not your heel. Just take your time moving to the barefoot stride and you're fine.