Video barefoot jschwab beats shod buff guy

[miker]

I can't believe it!! I rant

I can't believe it!! I rant about my local running stores and 20 minutes later this is posted to their FB page!
They are here! Vibram Five Fingers now available at both locations - KingsPointe Village and Blue Dome. Including the new Bikila running model. Limited supplies so don't hesitate if this is the "shoe" you have been looking for!
So...OK, I'll take back "some" of the things I said... :-

 

[Barefoot TJ]

Give 'em hell you guys!  If

Give 'em hell you guys! If you want to see minimalist running shoes in the shoe store, and you want to buy them local, call repeatedly, email corporate, launch a campaign, gather signatures. Like Nike says, "Just do it."

The barefoot/minimalist movement is making a H U G E impact in the running world and on the running shoe manufacturers. Some are bending and creating the footwear "we" desire, so they don't lose a segment of the market; others are running scared preaching propaganda not based on scientific research to those willing to hang on to the familiar way. I LOVE THIS!

We truly are changing the running world... one odd look at a time!

 

[jschwab]

Ooh, I looked up shod buff

Ooh, I looked up shod buff guy on Athlinks - he's my new rival! He was not just being lazy, he's just slow like me. Our times are very comparable for different races we've both done.

 

[Abide]

Haha jschwab you barefooters

Haha jschwab you barefooters are a competitive bunch! I think it is awesome you showed up to a race by a store with that manifesto.

 

[jschwab]

I didn't mean to  taunt them

I didn't mean to taunt them - just worked out that way! I don't go scouting out trouble I actually wanted to wear my water shoes because I didn't want them to think I was looking to prove a point, but they got soaked so I switched.



Around here we have the luxury of choice with running stores. There are tons of running stores that feature minimalist shoes to varying extents, including City Sports which actively promotes barefoot running (most of the salesguys run bare or in VFF's). The only book they sell is Born to Run. If I had to drive 100 miles to a running store and they were like this place, I would be very annoyed. At the race, there was a speedy guy in VFF's who may have had some impact, but, honestly, I think it is the middle-aged mom working it barefoot, though, that is likely to make the most waves in their thinking. When I finished a lady from the water stop who's seen me asked the timing guys if I made it and they said, "oh, she finished way before these people!". It definitely makes waves...

 

[C. Beth Run.]

Wow, jschwab, I looked at

Wow, jschwab, I looked at City Sports' website briefly and they clearly are proponents of BFR! That's so encouraging!!

Hopefully our local running store chain (RunTex) will follow suit.... For now they sell Nike Frees, but their top 10 shoe sale list is full of heavily-padded Brooks, Saucony, Mizuno, & Asics....

However, I found an old article that said that Caballo Blanco (from Born to Run) spoke at one of the store locations awhile back. And in interviews, the owner of the stores has said that he thinks some barefoot training is good to help you have proper form, though most people should be wearing shoes for most of their running. But maybe there are a few little chinks in the store's armor.... We'll see!!

 

[capmikee]

jschwab wrote:I didn't mean

I didn't mean to taunt them - just worked out that way! I don't go scouting out trouble I actually wanted to wear my water shoes because I didn't want them to think I was looking to prove a point, but they got soaked so I switched.

Here they are:




As you can see, they were also pretty worn out.

 

[DavidP]

Nice video jschwab, nice

Nice video jschwab, nice promotion of BFR!

The anti-barefoot manifesto is similar to what I heard a salesman at the Diamond Brand Store in Hendersonville NC tell a running couple who expressed interest in VFFs after talking with my wife and I as she was trying on a pair. He started telling them about Chris McDougal and how Vibram had paid him to write a book promoting their shoes. He then went on to tell them that most people who bought them were subsequently injured. He spoke very authoritatively and the last I overheard he was telling them about their wonderful custom orthotics. These shoe guys seem to (1) never read Born to Run, and (2) feel very threatened by the move to minimalist shoes/BFR.

I expect with City Sports being a proponent he especially feels threatened. I had a recently has a short conversation with the owner of my local Fleet Feet store who started telling about "all the injuries" that were occurring in VFF and other minimalist shoes. I did not bother to tell her that I won't wear mine again for running probably until winter. For me any shoe is really too much now.

Great going!

David

 

[jschwab]

Yeah, I don't get it.

Yeah, I don't get it. McDougall is a complete barefoot purist in the book and in his talks. On the other side of the coin from these folks is the pro-minimalist, totally OK with barefoot editor of Running Times, the Military Times group of papers, not to mention the awesome Men's Health which funded McDougall's initial trip to Copper Canyon, and the New York Times. I mean, there is a lot of stuff going on out there that you would think running store personnel would have to be paying attention to.

 

[HopesMom]

Hijacking, but David P, are

Hijacking, but David P, are you in Hendersonville? I was born and raised there, my whole family lives there!!

 

[DavidP]

 Nope, I wish I lived there!

Nope, I wish I lived there! We are down the mountain in the Morganton-Hickory area. We go to Asheville a lot for fun though.