“The natural shape of our foot is asymmetrical,” explains Sebastian. The physiology of toe freedom starts with the shape of the foot. That better way is what Joe Nimble call “toe freedom”. Those shoes were a product of Sebastian’s family, who have been creating functional footwear for over four decades, ever since his father realised there had to be a better way. And the race director of that race, Chris Kostman, told me at the finish line that nobody had ever completed Badwater in just one pair of shoes before.” “Most crazy? Our runner went from start to finish in only one pair of shoes, he didn’t even have to take the shoes off. “So they used a sharp knife and, from the ball to the front of the foot, cut away the complete upper so that the toes or the front of the foot would have more space.” “They had to cut open the front of the shoe, basically the toe box,” he explains. Most common of all was complaints of pain at the front of the foot, with a shocking and unorthodox solution. When speaking to runners after the race, they explained to Sebastian that their shoes had become misshapen, and were causing the foot to tire. “What amazed me was that each of these runners need 8 to 12 pairs of shoes from start to finish of that race. “I saw a lot of the runners who participated in the race, and these are the top ultra marathon qualifiers from all over the world, people who are the best of their kind in ultra running come to that race,” says Sebastian. Runners battle 50 degree air temperature and 80 degree temperatures on the road. The race runs 217 kilometers nonstop through Death Valley in July, which at that time of year is the hottest place on earth. Over a decade ago, Sebastian was leading a support crew at the world’s toughest ultra marathon, the Badwater 135. Now, he’s a shoe pioneer and inventor of the functional footwear design concept.Īnd he’s leading a functional footwear revolution.Īs Joe Nimble steps into a bold new partnership with Michelin, on a mission to free our feet from the constraints of modern footwear design, we talked to Sebastian about “toe freedom” and how functional footwear is transforming the running experience forever. Sebastian Bär has successfully coached three ultra athletes in his life.
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