1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:02,800 Speaker 1: Guess what, mango, what's that? Well, so I'm gonna bring 2 00:00:02,840 --> 00:00:05,280 Speaker 1: back one of these things that that so many people 3 00:00:05,320 --> 00:00:07,400 Speaker 1: had as kids. Did you ever have a pair of 4 00:00:07,480 --> 00:00:10,719 Speaker 1: Reebok pumps? You remember these shoes? Yeah? No, I didn't. 5 00:00:10,720 --> 00:00:13,440 Speaker 1: I was always super enviously the kids who had them, 6 00:00:13,440 --> 00:00:16,599 Speaker 1: like it was just so indimidating to see them like 7 00:00:16,680 --> 00:00:18,800 Speaker 1: pump up their kicks before walking under the court. Yeah, 8 00:00:18,800 --> 00:00:20,560 Speaker 1: it was pretty cool. I felt pretty cool. I would 9 00:00:20,560 --> 00:00:22,520 Speaker 1: always like, pump up mine before I did, before I 10 00:00:22,560 --> 00:00:24,560 Speaker 1: did anything. Really, I felt like I just could do 11 00:00:24,640 --> 00:00:27,720 Speaker 1: anything better. But it was pretty funny because Reebok really 12 00:00:27,840 --> 00:00:30,560 Speaker 1: leaned into that spirit as well. So Air Jordan's were 13 00:00:30,600 --> 00:00:33,159 Speaker 1: the big rival shoe at the time, and one of 14 00:00:33,200 --> 00:00:36,800 Speaker 1: those commercials they had Dominique Wilkins just taunting Michael Jordan's 15 00:00:36,800 --> 00:00:39,279 Speaker 1: and so what he says is, Michael, my man, if 16 00:00:39,280 --> 00:00:42,680 Speaker 1: you want to fly first class, pump up and air out. 17 00:00:44,640 --> 00:00:47,160 Speaker 1: So I don't even know what air out means. Yeah, 18 00:00:47,240 --> 00:00:49,040 Speaker 1: it's good, right, it's a great I have no idea 19 00:00:49,080 --> 00:00:51,120 Speaker 1: what it means. There there were there were lots of 20 00:00:51,159 --> 00:00:53,800 Speaker 1: these trash talking commercials apparently, and for all of our 21 00:00:53,840 --> 00:00:56,200 Speaker 1: younger listeners that are out there that have never seen 22 00:00:56,240 --> 00:00:58,680 Speaker 1: a pair of these Reebok pumps, it's worth looking up 23 00:00:58,720 --> 00:01:01,440 Speaker 1: some of the videos. They were so ridiculous. But anyway, 24 00:01:01,480 --> 00:01:04,560 Speaker 1: Reebok actually took it one step too far with all 25 00:01:04,560 --> 00:01:07,440 Speaker 1: the trash talking. And I really don't remember this, but 26 00:01:07,480 --> 00:01:09,399 Speaker 1: I was just reading about it recently. But one of 27 00:01:09,400 --> 00:01:11,880 Speaker 1: the big selling points about the pump was that no 28 00:01:11,920 --> 00:01:14,800 Speaker 1: one's feet are shaped exactly the same, so if you 29 00:01:14,840 --> 00:01:17,080 Speaker 1: pump up your shoes, the pumps are supposed to give 30 00:01:17,120 --> 00:01:20,560 Speaker 1: each of your feet this perfectly snug fit. And so 31 00:01:20,640 --> 00:01:23,200 Speaker 1: to sell that idea to kids, they made this commercial 32 00:01:23,240 --> 00:01:26,119 Speaker 1: with these two bungee jumpers jumping off a bridge at 33 00:01:26,160 --> 00:01:28,080 Speaker 1: the same time. You can see that this is not 34 00:01:28,160 --> 00:01:30,880 Speaker 1: going anywhere good, and why they thought this is the 35 00:01:30,880 --> 00:01:33,440 Speaker 1: way to sell their shoes, I'm not sure. Well, anyway, 36 00:01:33,600 --> 00:01:36,080 Speaker 1: one of them ties the cord to his rebox and 37 00:01:36,200 --> 00:01:38,640 Speaker 1: pumps them up before the you know, before they jump, 38 00:01:38,720 --> 00:01:41,600 Speaker 1: so that they're really secure around his feed, and the 39 00:01:41,680 --> 00:01:44,840 Speaker 1: other guy is just then some ordinary nikes, and so 40 00:01:44,880 --> 00:01:48,120 Speaker 1: the commercial shows both dudes leaping off, but then they 41 00:01:48,120 --> 00:01:50,760 Speaker 1: showed the bungee cords bouncing back and the guy on 42 00:01:50,800 --> 00:01:53,760 Speaker 1: the reboxes, of course just happily dangling by his type 43 00:01:53,800 --> 00:01:56,520 Speaker 1: getting shoes in the frame there, So I'm almost afraid 44 00:01:56,560 --> 00:01:58,840 Speaker 1: to ask, like, what happened to the other cord, Well, 45 00:01:58,880 --> 00:02:01,200 Speaker 1: it's just the pair of Nike he's with no guy. 46 00:02:01,240 --> 00:02:04,720 Speaker 1: And then then then the announcer gleefully says, it fits 47 00:02:04,720 --> 00:02:07,800 Speaker 1: a little better than your ordinary athletic shoe. That's so 48 00:02:08,040 --> 00:02:11,280 Speaker 1: warm by and it only aired once before parents complained 49 00:02:11,280 --> 00:02:13,760 Speaker 1: about and that, of course is not at all surprising. 50 00:02:14,160 --> 00:02:17,200 Speaker 1: But today's show is all about shoes, from strange shoe 51 00:02:17,200 --> 00:02:20,480 Speaker 1: patents to a Japanese god of running shoes too. Of course, 52 00:02:20,480 --> 00:02:23,480 Speaker 1: why Kevin Durant can't seem to keep his shoes on? 53 00:02:23,760 --> 00:02:47,000 Speaker 1: So let's dig in. Hey, their podcast listeners, welcome to 54 00:02:47,000 --> 00:02:49,520 Speaker 1: Part Time Genius. I'm Will Pearson and as always I'm 55 00:02:49,560 --> 00:02:52,120 Speaker 1: joined by my good friend Man Guesh Ticketer and sitting 56 00:02:52,120 --> 00:02:55,440 Speaker 1: behind the soundproof glass admiring the goldfish and his fish 57 00:02:55,520 --> 00:02:58,040 Speaker 1: tank platform shoes. I have to be honest, Mega, you 58 00:02:58,080 --> 00:03:01,079 Speaker 1: know I sense in movies. I've actually never seen one 59 00:03:01,120 --> 00:03:03,919 Speaker 1: in person. But right there that's our friend and producer 60 00:03:03,960 --> 00:03:07,000 Speaker 1: Tristan McNeil. But those aren't real fish in those disco shots, 61 00:03:07,000 --> 00:03:09,240 Speaker 1: aren't it? No. I mean, for all you animal lovers 62 00:03:09,240 --> 00:03:11,200 Speaker 1: out there, I'm glad you decided to clarify this mag 63 00:03:11,639 --> 00:03:14,680 Speaker 1: These are goldfish crackers that Tristan loves the store and 64 00:03:14,720 --> 00:03:18,880 Speaker 1: the heel of sho he really is, But somehow this 65 00:03:18,919 --> 00:03:21,799 Speaker 1: guy pulls it off, just like he does everything week 66 00:03:21,880 --> 00:03:24,880 Speaker 1: after week. So mego, I know today's show is kind 67 00:03:24,919 --> 00:03:26,840 Speaker 1: of all over the place. I mean, we've got a 68 00:03:26,880 --> 00:03:29,720 Speaker 1: ton of weird stories about shoes, but I don't know where. 69 00:03:29,720 --> 00:03:32,799 Speaker 1: Where do you think we should start? Um? Not? How 70 00:03:32,800 --> 00:03:35,400 Speaker 1: about with tennis? So I was watching the French Open 71 00:03:35,440 --> 00:03:39,360 Speaker 1: this weekend, just watching Nadal dominate and uh. And then 72 00:03:39,360 --> 00:03:41,320 Speaker 1: I started looking up tennis facts as I do, and 73 00:03:41,440 --> 00:03:44,320 Speaker 1: I found this strange story about the first gold medal 74 00:03:44,320 --> 00:03:46,560 Speaker 1: winner in the Olympics and how he was kind of 75 00:03:46,600 --> 00:03:49,200 Speaker 1: an accidental champion. All right, so I need you to 76 00:03:49,200 --> 00:03:51,720 Speaker 1: explain this. So, so what do you mean accidental? So 77 00:03:51,880 --> 00:03:54,640 Speaker 1: this story is from the eighteen nineties and eighteen nineties 78 00:03:54,640 --> 00:03:57,560 Speaker 1: six specifically, and there's this guy, his name is John 79 00:03:57,600 --> 00:04:01,280 Speaker 1: Pius Boland, who was touring Europe with his college. Basically, 80 00:04:01,360 --> 00:04:04,400 Speaker 1: he befriended a Greek student at school who was trying 81 00:04:04,400 --> 00:04:07,600 Speaker 1: to I guess helped revive the Olympics, and he told Boland, 82 00:04:07,640 --> 00:04:10,080 Speaker 1: if you're coming through Greece, you should absolutely come and watch. 83 00:04:10,280 --> 00:04:12,480 Speaker 1: I mean, this is gonna be the first modern Olympics. 84 00:04:12,480 --> 00:04:14,720 Speaker 1: So so Boland and his pals decided to turn this 85 00:04:14,760 --> 00:04:17,320 Speaker 1: whole visit into a road trip. Like they drank tons 86 00:04:17,320 --> 00:04:20,200 Speaker 1: of beer in Germany, they saw concerts in Vienna, they 87 00:04:20,200 --> 00:04:23,320 Speaker 1: caught some plays along the way, they drank a ton 88 00:04:23,440 --> 00:04:26,680 Speaker 1: of wine. I mean, this is all journaled about by Boland. 89 00:04:26,720 --> 00:04:29,080 Speaker 1: But and then they finally make it to Grease. But 90 00:04:29,160 --> 00:04:31,800 Speaker 1: when they get to Athens, like his friend tells them, 91 00:04:31,839 --> 00:04:33,440 Speaker 1: you know, not a lot of people have entered the 92 00:04:33,440 --> 00:04:36,719 Speaker 1: tennis competition. In fact, there were only like thirteen people playing. 93 00:04:36,800 --> 00:04:38,880 Speaker 1: So he asked Boland, like, why don't you join in? 94 00:04:39,640 --> 00:04:41,080 Speaker 1: And he could just do that, like you could just 95 00:04:41,120 --> 00:04:43,080 Speaker 1: walk up and enter the Olympics. I feel like maybe 96 00:04:43,080 --> 00:04:44,960 Speaker 1: it doesn't work that way today. I don't think it 97 00:04:44,960 --> 00:04:47,160 Speaker 1: works that way today, but I mean this is the 98 00:04:47,200 --> 00:04:49,680 Speaker 1: first modern game, so yeah, I mean, I guess you 99 00:04:49,720 --> 00:04:51,800 Speaker 1: just had to kind of know someone. And Boland wasn't 100 00:04:51,839 --> 00:04:54,640 Speaker 1: actually that good an athlete, Like he played some tennis 101 00:04:54,680 --> 00:04:57,359 Speaker 1: growing up, but he didn't really distinguish themselves in the 102 00:04:57,400 --> 00:05:01,240 Speaker 1: sport or in sports in general. Also, he actually hadn't 103 00:05:01,279 --> 00:05:03,400 Speaker 1: brought any equipment with him, so he didn't have like 104 00:05:03,440 --> 00:05:06,480 Speaker 1: sports clothes or shoes or a tennis racket. But you know, 105 00:05:06,600 --> 00:05:08,719 Speaker 1: his friend convinced him would be fun, so he entered 106 00:05:08,720 --> 00:05:11,760 Speaker 1: on a lark and he borrowed a racket and some clothes. 107 00:05:12,000 --> 00:05:13,640 Speaker 1: But here's the weird thing, right, Like, the one thing 108 00:05:13,680 --> 00:05:16,800 Speaker 1: he couldn't find in Grease at the time was tennis shoes. Like, 109 00:05:16,880 --> 00:05:19,400 Speaker 1: he raced around the markets and shoe shops and just 110 00:05:19,480 --> 00:05:22,200 Speaker 1: tried to locate a pair, but no one in Athens 111 00:05:22,240 --> 00:05:25,480 Speaker 1: was selling tennis shoes. So he actually decided to play 112 00:05:25,600 --> 00:05:27,760 Speaker 1: in the one pair of shoes he had brought with him, 113 00:05:27,800 --> 00:05:30,880 Speaker 1: which were these leather dress shoes with super thick heels. 114 00:05:31,200 --> 00:05:33,479 Speaker 1: I mean, that seems like a recipe for a disaster. 115 00:05:33,560 --> 00:05:35,880 Speaker 1: But I'm guessing you wouldn't be telling this story unless 116 00:05:35,960 --> 00:05:38,240 Speaker 1: this had worked, Is that right? Yeah, that's right. I 117 00:05:38,240 --> 00:05:40,239 Speaker 1: mean he won his first game, and then a second, 118 00:05:40,320 --> 00:05:43,000 Speaker 1: and and then he just couldn't stop winning. And you know, 119 00:05:43,080 --> 00:05:45,080 Speaker 1: tennis is one of those sports where it really helps 120 00:05:45,120 --> 00:05:48,120 Speaker 1: to have good instruction, and and Boland had played enough 121 00:05:48,120 --> 00:05:50,200 Speaker 1: as a kid that he just pushed people around on 122 00:05:50,240 --> 00:05:53,880 Speaker 1: the court, so I'm pretty sure he was minimizing his running. 123 00:05:53,920 --> 00:05:56,960 Speaker 1: But still he ended up being the first Olympic tennis 124 00:05:57,040 --> 00:05:59,760 Speaker 1: champ and it's actually kind of crazy. He took gold 125 00:05:59,760 --> 00:06:01,760 Speaker 1: in this singles event, but then he also decided to 126 00:06:01,760 --> 00:06:04,640 Speaker 1: play doubles, so he was randomly assigned a partner and 127 00:06:04,680 --> 00:06:08,000 Speaker 1: they won the doubles competition too, So actually, he's the 128 00:06:08,040 --> 00:06:10,839 Speaker 1: first Olympic tennis layer to win both singles and doubles 129 00:06:10,880 --> 00:06:13,520 Speaker 1: and he did it all in these fancy, uncomfortable high 130 00:06:13,560 --> 00:06:16,080 Speaker 1: heeled shoes. I mean, I love that he just walked 131 00:06:16,120 --> 00:06:20,000 Speaker 1: onto the court and then walked away a champions. That's nuts, 132 00:06:20,120 --> 00:06:21,800 Speaker 1: all right. Well, speaking the Olympics, I was watching this 133 00:06:21,880 --> 00:06:24,680 Speaker 1: BBC show on Jesse Owens, you know, who's obviously a 134 00:06:24,720 --> 00:06:28,960 Speaker 1: phenomenal athlete, and he won four gold medals at Hitler's Olympics, 135 00:06:28,960 --> 00:06:32,760 Speaker 1: and as ESPN put it, he singlehandedly crushed Hitler's myth 136 00:06:32,880 --> 00:06:36,400 Speaker 1: of Aryan supremacy. Yeah. I mean, he's obviously a huge 137 00:06:36,440 --> 00:06:39,200 Speaker 1: sports legend, but I feel like I read somewhere that 138 00:06:39,240 --> 00:06:41,039 Speaker 1: he was actually disappointed when he came back to the 139 00:06:41,080 --> 00:06:44,120 Speaker 1: States because you know, for all the fanfare, he still 140 00:06:44,120 --> 00:06:46,120 Speaker 1: had to ride on the back of buses and he 141 00:06:46,160 --> 00:06:48,320 Speaker 1: wasn't even invited to the White House to celebrate when 142 00:06:48,320 --> 00:06:50,720 Speaker 1: he returned. Yeah, and he didn't really speak up much 143 00:06:50,760 --> 00:06:53,200 Speaker 1: about this because that that just kind of wasn't his style. 144 00:06:53,320 --> 00:06:55,599 Speaker 1: But he was definitely hurt by it, and of course 145 00:06:55,640 --> 00:06:58,800 Speaker 1: how could you not. He was honored at the Waldorf Historia, 146 00:06:58,880 --> 00:07:00,920 Speaker 1: but had to take the freight elevator to the event 147 00:07:00,960 --> 00:07:03,800 Speaker 1: because he wasn't allowed to ride the main elevator and 148 00:07:03,839 --> 00:07:06,919 Speaker 1: he couldn't make money with endorsements or speaking tours, so 149 00:07:06,960 --> 00:07:09,760 Speaker 1: he had to perform these spectacles like things like you know, 150 00:07:09,840 --> 00:07:13,600 Speaker 1: racing against horses on tracks, which of course he found humiliating, 151 00:07:13,680 --> 00:07:15,040 Speaker 1: but he had to do this to put food on 152 00:07:15,080 --> 00:07:17,880 Speaker 1: the table. That's pretty heartbreaking. Yeah. I actually feel like 153 00:07:17,920 --> 00:07:20,040 Speaker 1: we should do a whole episode on him in the future, 154 00:07:20,080 --> 00:07:23,280 Speaker 1: because they're all sorts of fascinating things about Jesse Owens, 155 00:07:23,520 --> 00:07:24,880 Speaker 1: you know, starting with the fact that he was this 156 00:07:24,960 --> 00:07:27,760 Speaker 1: super sickly kid. I read that, you know, he has 157 00:07:27,800 --> 00:07:31,200 Speaker 1: had bronchitis and pneumonia as a kid. And actually his 158 00:07:31,360 --> 00:07:34,640 Speaker 1: name is really j C. It's short for James Cleveland. 159 00:07:35,040 --> 00:07:37,080 Speaker 1: But when he was a kid, a teacher misunderstood his 160 00:07:37,160 --> 00:07:39,840 Speaker 1: drawl and he just got called Jesse his entire life. 161 00:07:40,160 --> 00:07:42,840 Speaker 1: That can't be true, it is, but anyway, but back 162 00:07:42,840 --> 00:07:45,160 Speaker 1: to what I was talking about. So this BBC series 163 00:07:45,200 --> 00:07:47,960 Speaker 1: tried to determine how good Jesse Owens would be in 164 00:07:48,000 --> 00:07:51,000 Speaker 1: the modern era. So they took the two thousand sixteen 165 00:07:51,040 --> 00:07:55,239 Speaker 1: bronze medalist Andre de Grass, who's basically own same height 166 00:07:55,320 --> 00:07:57,760 Speaker 1: and a very similar build, and they put the Gross 167 00:07:57,800 --> 00:08:00,880 Speaker 1: in the same conditions that Owen's face. So I'm guessing 168 00:08:00,880 --> 00:08:04,280 Speaker 1: they put him in a stadium full of Nazis. Unfortunately, 169 00:08:04,320 --> 00:08:06,360 Speaker 1: I think it'd be hard to come by that many Nazis, 170 00:08:06,400 --> 00:08:08,640 Speaker 1: So no, that is not what they did. So Owens 171 00:08:08,680 --> 00:08:11,480 Speaker 1: ran the hundred meter dash in ten point three seconds, 172 00:08:11,880 --> 00:08:13,800 Speaker 1: and the Gross won the bronze in the modern era 173 00:08:13,960 --> 00:08:16,920 Speaker 1: with a nine point nine one. But the challenge was, 174 00:08:17,080 --> 00:08:19,520 Speaker 1: what if you took away all the modern advances for 175 00:08:19,600 --> 00:08:22,400 Speaker 1: the Gross. So they put him on a packed dirt 176 00:08:22,480 --> 00:08:24,920 Speaker 1: track and they took away the starting blocks and just 177 00:08:25,040 --> 00:08:27,320 Speaker 1: use a little trial to put some divots in the ground. 178 00:08:27,680 --> 00:08:30,000 Speaker 1: But the biggest change was that they rebuilt the shoes 179 00:08:30,080 --> 00:08:32,600 Speaker 1: Jesse Owens war at the time, which would have been 180 00:08:32,640 --> 00:08:36,000 Speaker 1: super stiff, much heavier, and then they had him race. 181 00:08:36,600 --> 00:08:39,640 Speaker 1: So how did de Grass do? It was pretty rough, 182 00:08:39,679 --> 00:08:41,760 Speaker 1: although I mean, to be honest, it was still fast. 183 00:08:41,800 --> 00:08:43,920 Speaker 1: I mean he ran it in eleven seconds, but that's 184 00:08:43,960 --> 00:08:47,640 Speaker 1: point seven seconds slower than Jesse Owens. Degrass said it 185 00:08:47,640 --> 00:08:49,920 Speaker 1: was the most tired he'd ever been on the track, 186 00:08:49,920 --> 00:08:52,640 Speaker 1: and those shoes against that type of track, it really 187 00:08:52,679 --> 00:08:54,920 Speaker 1: made him work that much harder. Yeah, I mean I 188 00:08:55,160 --> 00:08:57,720 Speaker 1: don't always think about how much shoe technology has changed 189 00:08:57,720 --> 00:09:00,400 Speaker 1: over the years and how light shoes actually are today, 190 00:09:00,440 --> 00:09:02,840 Speaker 1: Like I kind of just take it for granted. So 191 00:09:03,400 --> 00:09:05,960 Speaker 1: you know, Owens was probably a little faster than to Grass, 192 00:09:06,160 --> 00:09:07,640 Speaker 1: at least on that day. But do you have any 193 00:09:07,760 --> 00:09:11,600 Speaker 1: sense of how good Owens would be in the modern era? Yeah? 194 00:09:11,640 --> 00:09:14,000 Speaker 1: There was actually a ted talk that if you just 195 00:09:14,120 --> 00:09:16,520 Speaker 1: look at the times Owens would have been I think 196 00:09:16,559 --> 00:09:19,320 Speaker 1: it was like fourteen feet behind Hussain Bolt, And of 197 00:09:19,320 --> 00:09:22,760 Speaker 1: course Hussain Bolt was just unbelievable as a runners still is. 198 00:09:22,800 --> 00:09:26,000 Speaker 1: But if you actually analyze Owen's body mechanics and look 199 00:09:26,040 --> 00:09:28,839 Speaker 1: at the speed of Owen's joints and how fast they're moving. 200 00:09:29,040 --> 00:09:31,560 Speaker 1: If you put him on the same surface as Ussain Bolt, 201 00:09:31,559 --> 00:09:33,640 Speaker 1: he would have actually been within really within like a 202 00:09:33,679 --> 00:09:36,120 Speaker 1: stride of Bolt, which is is incredible to think about. 203 00:09:36,160 --> 00:09:38,080 Speaker 1: That's unbelievable. And you don't even think about like the 204 00:09:38,080 --> 00:09:41,920 Speaker 1: training and technology that's like all that stuff, that nutrition 205 00:09:42,000 --> 00:09:46,000 Speaker 1: that Bolt must have received. Um, you know, one thing, 206 00:09:46,160 --> 00:09:49,160 Speaker 1: and this is totally separate topic, but this is something 207 00:09:49,160 --> 00:09:52,320 Speaker 1: I rarely think about, is how creepy the word sneakers is. 208 00:09:52,480 --> 00:09:54,640 Speaker 1: I'm glad that this is something you rarely think about 209 00:09:54,720 --> 00:09:59,679 Speaker 1: that and so why is it a creepy Yeah? Yeah, yeah, 210 00:09:59,880 --> 00:10:02,000 Speaker 1: I I'm guessing most people know this, but the name 211 00:10:02,040 --> 00:10:05,240 Speaker 1: comes from when shoe manufacturers stopped using these hard souls 212 00:10:05,240 --> 00:10:07,960 Speaker 1: on shoes and they started replacing them with rubber, which 213 00:10:08,000 --> 00:10:11,120 Speaker 1: allowed people to sneak around or even slink away without 214 00:10:11,160 --> 00:10:13,520 Speaker 1: making a scene or clumping about it. I actually did 215 00:10:13,520 --> 00:10:15,440 Speaker 1: not know that that's but it makes sense when you're saying, 216 00:10:15,800 --> 00:10:17,960 Speaker 1: and that is a little creepy, you're right. So I 217 00:10:18,000 --> 00:10:20,520 Speaker 1: was looking at that side today I found out and 218 00:10:20,520 --> 00:10:22,480 Speaker 1: they had all these early quotes about sneakers from the 219 00:10:22,520 --> 00:10:25,640 Speaker 1: eighteen sixties and seventies, you know, when they first became popular. 220 00:10:26,120 --> 00:10:29,160 Speaker 1: Like here's the description from eighteen sixty two and a prison. 221 00:10:29,320 --> 00:10:32,240 Speaker 1: So the night officer is generally accustomed to where a 222 00:10:32,320 --> 00:10:35,440 Speaker 1: species of India rubber shoes on her feet. These are 223 00:10:35,559 --> 00:10:39,120 Speaker 1: termed sneaks by the women at Brixton Prison. So obviously 224 00:10:39,160 --> 00:10:41,400 Speaker 1: the criminals here didn't love them because the people in 225 00:10:41,400 --> 00:10:43,439 Speaker 1: authority could sneak up on them when they were doing 226 00:10:43,440 --> 00:10:47,120 Speaker 1: these illicit things. And here's another one. So it is 227 00:10:47,240 --> 00:10:50,679 Speaker 1: only the harassed schoolmaster who can fully appreciate the pertinency 228 00:10:50,720 --> 00:10:53,640 Speaker 1: of the name boys give to a tennis shoe sneakers. 229 00:10:54,200 --> 00:10:56,200 Speaker 1: I mean, it is kind of strange that this is 230 00:10:56,240 --> 00:10:57,960 Speaker 1: the name that took off. I mean it feels like 231 00:10:58,000 --> 00:11:00,720 Speaker 1: sneakers were either snitches or who were up to no 232 00:11:00,840 --> 00:11:03,640 Speaker 1: good and these shoes only aided them in these, you know, 233 00:11:03,720 --> 00:11:06,480 Speaker 1: very unpopular efforts, I guess. Yeah. I mean it's a 234 00:11:06,480 --> 00:11:08,880 Speaker 1: little disconcerting, but not nearly as weird as some of 235 00:11:08,960 --> 00:11:11,240 Speaker 1: these other crime eating shoes I found online. Oh yeah, 236 00:11:11,240 --> 00:11:12,839 Speaker 1: I knew you would do some digging for this one, 237 00:11:12,880 --> 00:11:15,920 Speaker 1: So tell me about some of them. So there are 238 00:11:15,960 --> 00:11:18,160 Speaker 1: all these amazing shoes I found that may or may 239 00:11:18,200 --> 00:11:20,439 Speaker 1: not help you commit crimes but I like to think 240 00:11:20,440 --> 00:11:23,599 Speaker 1: they do. So there's one we've talked about is from Prohibition, 241 00:11:23,800 --> 00:11:26,280 Speaker 1: and it's that moonshiners. You stid have these shoes that 242 00:11:26,320 --> 00:11:29,480 Speaker 1: had deer hoof for cow hoof souls, so they leave 243 00:11:29,559 --> 00:11:31,640 Speaker 1: these animal prints instead of tread marks when you were 244 00:11:31,679 --> 00:11:33,520 Speaker 1: running through the woods. So that's right. Yeah, I do 245 00:11:33,640 --> 00:11:36,079 Speaker 1: vaguely remember us talking about that. Yeah, but those weren't 246 00:11:36,120 --> 00:11:38,120 Speaker 1: the only trick shoes around, Like, there were these others 247 00:11:38,160 --> 00:11:41,239 Speaker 1: available where you could flip the direction of the soul underneath, 248 00:11:41,559 --> 00:11:44,120 Speaker 1: so you'd actually run in one direction, but anyone following 249 00:11:44,160 --> 00:11:47,120 Speaker 1: you would think that the tracks were going the other way. 250 00:11:47,280 --> 00:11:48,559 Speaker 1: I wou think it would be kind of confusing to 251 00:11:48,600 --> 00:11:51,480 Speaker 1: look down at your own tracks. But well, all these 252 00:11:51,480 --> 00:11:54,080 Speaker 1: tactics kind of remind me of this Night Writer episode 253 00:11:54,080 --> 00:11:56,640 Speaker 1: I watched as a kid, and there was this criminal 254 00:11:56,920 --> 00:11:59,000 Speaker 1: he's trying to get away from the cops and he 255 00:11:59,120 --> 00:12:02,160 Speaker 1: drives his car into a car wash. You probably saw 256 00:12:02,160 --> 00:12:05,760 Speaker 1: this episode you never really watched night anyway, The warm 257 00:12:05,760 --> 00:12:09,160 Speaker 1: water changes the color of the car from orange to purple. 258 00:12:09,720 --> 00:12:11,199 Speaker 1: This is all while least in the drive through, and 259 00:12:11,240 --> 00:12:13,880 Speaker 1: so you actually then see that his license plate is 260 00:12:13,920 --> 00:12:16,400 Speaker 1: also on this rotating wheel that can be flipped to 261 00:12:16,440 --> 00:12:19,480 Speaker 1: a different license So then the cops are racing past, 262 00:12:19,559 --> 00:12:21,600 Speaker 1: and the criminals a will just roll out of this 263 00:12:21,679 --> 00:12:24,840 Speaker 1: car wash. She's got a different colored car, different license plate. 264 00:12:25,080 --> 00:12:27,560 Speaker 1: And I remember watching this and thinking like, why haven't 265 00:12:27,600 --> 00:12:30,719 Speaker 1: all bank robbers and getaway drivers started using this kind 266 00:12:30,720 --> 00:12:33,280 Speaker 1: of technology? It just seems that simple. I know, I 267 00:12:33,280 --> 00:12:35,600 Speaker 1: guess not enough of them were watching Night Rider Wring, 268 00:12:36,440 --> 00:12:39,520 Speaker 1: but I think you're coming off. So there are all 269 00:12:39,559 --> 00:12:41,600 Speaker 1: sorts of other criminal shoes out there too. There are 270 00:12:41,600 --> 00:12:44,959 Speaker 1: these parachute shoes that were invented in eighteen seventy six, 271 00:12:45,400 --> 00:12:49,400 Speaker 1: and they were initially designed for escaping fires. Basically, it's 272 00:12:49,440 --> 00:12:53,280 Speaker 1: a pattern on a heavily cushioned shoe that you accessorize 273 00:12:53,320 --> 00:12:56,480 Speaker 1: with this tiny parachute hat. And the way it works 274 00:12:56,520 --> 00:12:58,000 Speaker 1: is that when you have to jump out of the building, 275 00:12:58,280 --> 00:13:00,679 Speaker 1: the parachute unfurls from the hat on your head, and 276 00:13:00,720 --> 00:13:03,840 Speaker 1: it's intended to slow your fall, but the heavily cushioned 277 00:13:03,840 --> 00:13:06,120 Speaker 1: shoes compress on landing, so the jump is easy on 278 00:13:06,160 --> 00:13:08,360 Speaker 1: your knees. I like it, but but why is that 279 00:13:08,440 --> 00:13:11,480 Speaker 1: a criminal shoe? I mean, it was designed for good obviously, 280 00:13:11,480 --> 00:13:13,199 Speaker 1: but you can see I would be useful if you're 281 00:13:13,280 --> 00:13:15,680 Speaker 1: robbing a bank or jumping from a tall building, and 282 00:13:15,960 --> 00:13:17,880 Speaker 1: it would just be a smart way to escape. I 283 00:13:17,920 --> 00:13:20,400 Speaker 1: also found this patent from a nineteen seventy one for 284 00:13:20,440 --> 00:13:24,120 Speaker 1: a gun shoe, which if that parachute shoe feels a 285 00:13:24,160 --> 00:13:27,240 Speaker 1: little like inspector gadget, this is straight James Bond, but 286 00:13:27,800 --> 00:13:30,160 Speaker 1: it just looks like a nice pair of Oxfords, but 287 00:13:30,240 --> 00:13:33,839 Speaker 1: it can actually shoot projectiles and even tear gas. You know, 288 00:13:33,880 --> 00:13:36,679 Speaker 1: I'd love to see like maybe g Q or one 289 00:13:36,679 --> 00:13:39,240 Speaker 1: of those types of magazines doing a spread of five 290 00:13:39,320 --> 00:13:42,120 Speaker 1: shoes that every criminal should own this season. Can't you 291 00:13:42,200 --> 00:13:45,280 Speaker 1: just picture that? Yeah? I mean that that'd be so great. 292 00:13:45,320 --> 00:13:48,400 Speaker 1: But I've got to say the creepy issue I found 293 00:13:48,600 --> 00:13:52,240 Speaker 1: wasn't even one for criminals. It was this two patent 294 00:13:52,320 --> 00:13:55,480 Speaker 1: for a foot powered neck massaging shoe. I love that 295 00:13:55,520 --> 00:13:57,400 Speaker 1: there's a patent for something like this, but I actually 296 00:13:57,400 --> 00:13:59,760 Speaker 1: have no idea what that really means. What what do 297 00:13:59,800 --> 00:14:03,319 Speaker 1: you describing? Yeah, it's super weird. Basically, the shoes had 298 00:14:03,360 --> 00:14:05,280 Speaker 1: these tubes that come up from the heels of your 299 00:14:05,280 --> 00:14:08,520 Speaker 1: shoes and attached this rubber hand that just rests on 300 00:14:08,600 --> 00:14:11,280 Speaker 1: the back of your neck. So every time you step forward, 301 00:14:11,320 --> 00:14:14,480 Speaker 1: the compressed air forces this rubber hand to squeeze, and 302 00:14:14,520 --> 00:14:17,280 Speaker 1: then as your foot goes up, it releases. So basically 303 00:14:17,280 --> 00:14:20,480 Speaker 1: it's supposed to be this walking massage. I'd really love 304 00:14:20,520 --> 00:14:22,280 Speaker 1: to see that shoe take off. I don't know, I 305 00:14:22,320 --> 00:14:24,880 Speaker 1: wouldn't hold your breath. Well, all right, well, there's a 306 00:14:24,920 --> 00:14:26,720 Speaker 1: bunch more shoes that I want to talk about. It. 307 00:14:26,920 --> 00:14:29,760 Speaker 1: I do want to talk about Japanese running shoes and 308 00:14:29,840 --> 00:14:33,120 Speaker 1: Kevin durant sneaker problem, and of course the unusual way 309 00:14:33,200 --> 00:14:35,520 Speaker 1: Kenneth called built his business. But before we get to 310 00:14:35,520 --> 00:14:51,200 Speaker 1: any of those stories, let's take a quick Break's welcome 311 00:14:51,200 --> 00:14:53,400 Speaker 1: back to Part Time Genius, where we're talking shoes. So 312 00:14:53,640 --> 00:14:55,440 Speaker 1: will I think you're gonna tell us a little bit 313 00:14:55,480 --> 00:14:58,600 Speaker 1: about this Japanese shoemaker who's kind of the Yoda of 314 00:14:58,720 --> 00:15:01,360 Speaker 1: marathon shoes. But before we get into that, can I 315 00:15:01,440 --> 00:15:03,080 Speaker 1: tell you a little bit about a shoe brand name 316 00:15:03,160 --> 00:15:06,160 Speaker 1: that's been very problematic at least here in the States. Sure, 317 00:15:06,280 --> 00:15:09,280 Speaker 1: what is it? Atheist shoes? Oh? I could see how 318 00:15:09,320 --> 00:15:12,040 Speaker 1: that might be problematic, But honestly, I've actually never heard 319 00:15:12,080 --> 00:15:14,080 Speaker 1: of this. Yeah, I mean, of course you haven't, because 320 00:15:14,120 --> 00:15:16,360 Speaker 1: like we live in the South and our shoes are 321 00:15:16,520 --> 00:15:20,760 Speaker 1: very very religious. So Atheist is this super stylish German 322 00:15:20,800 --> 00:15:24,440 Speaker 1: shoemaker that produces these minimalist shoes under the label atheist. 323 00:15:24,560 --> 00:15:28,120 Speaker 1: Then also the souls of the shoes read um ik beIN, 324 00:15:28,320 --> 00:15:33,400 Speaker 1: I'm atheist and super big letters, so everyone knows that. Anyway, 325 00:15:33,520 --> 00:15:36,000 Speaker 1: they made a splash in Germany and they started getting 326 00:15:36,040 --> 00:15:39,440 Speaker 1: some attention abroad, and then the companies started getting complaints 327 00:15:39,440 --> 00:15:41,520 Speaker 1: from customers in the US that the shoes were taking 328 00:15:41,560 --> 00:15:44,040 Speaker 1: too long to get to them and sometimes the packages 329 00:15:44,080 --> 00:15:46,840 Speaker 1: weren't even arriving. So what was happening to they know? 330 00:15:47,560 --> 00:15:50,360 Speaker 1: Um well, atheists had no idea, right, but some of 331 00:15:50,400 --> 00:15:52,760 Speaker 1: the customers had this theory that maybe it was the 332 00:15:52,920 --> 00:15:55,600 Speaker 1: name atheist that was being stamped on the packages. So 333 00:15:56,000 --> 00:15:58,680 Speaker 1: the company actually ran this little experiment. They sent out 334 00:15:58,720 --> 00:16:01,720 Speaker 1: a hundred seventy eight pages to people in forty nine states, 335 00:16:02,160 --> 00:16:05,000 Speaker 1: and to every address they sent two pairs of shoes, 336 00:16:05,600 --> 00:16:08,160 Speaker 1: one in a package that was branded atheist and another 337 00:16:08,240 --> 00:16:11,520 Speaker 1: that was just totally planed packaging. And so what happened, 338 00:16:11,680 --> 00:16:13,560 Speaker 1: I mean, the results were pretty shocking. So all the 339 00:16:13,640 --> 00:16:16,600 Speaker 1: shoes left Berlin on exactly the same day, but the 340 00:16:16,720 --> 00:16:20,200 Speaker 1: atheist brand shoes that actually arrived took three days longer 341 00:16:20,320 --> 00:16:23,160 Speaker 1: on average to get to people, and one package in 342 00:16:23,200 --> 00:16:25,880 Speaker 1: Michigan actually got their thirty eight days after all the 343 00:16:25,960 --> 00:16:29,080 Speaker 1: other packages. Alright, So I noticed you said all the 344 00:16:29,160 --> 00:16:32,680 Speaker 1: ones that arrived, So did some of these also get lost? Yeah? 345 00:16:32,800 --> 00:16:36,720 Speaker 1: I mean nine atheists packages went completely missing, and the 346 00:16:36,800 --> 00:16:40,680 Speaker 1: company basically concluded that the USPS was biased against atheists. 347 00:16:41,040 --> 00:16:44,120 Speaker 1: So the company switched to shipping their shoes and unbranded packaging, 348 00:16:44,360 --> 00:16:47,040 Speaker 1: and as they reassured their customers in a press release, 349 00:16:47,080 --> 00:16:50,880 Speaker 1: they wrote, our delivery times are already improving. So order 350 00:16:50,960 --> 00:16:56,120 Speaker 1: and confidence are godless American friends, So strange. Alright, Well, 351 00:16:56,160 --> 00:16:57,960 Speaker 1: moving on from a name you don't want on your 352 00:16:58,000 --> 00:17:00,320 Speaker 1: shoes to one that you definitely do. I to talk 353 00:17:00,320 --> 00:17:03,520 Speaker 1: a little bit about Hatoshi Mimura, and he sometimes referred 354 00:17:03,520 --> 00:17:06,520 Speaker 1: to as the god of shoes. So Remura worked for 355 00:17:06,680 --> 00:17:09,240 Speaker 1: years at A six as a master shoe craftsman, and 356 00:17:09,640 --> 00:17:12,000 Speaker 1: he had a ton of success kind of reimagining what 357 00:17:12,200 --> 00:17:14,720 Speaker 1: running shoes could be, and then he was forced out 358 00:17:14,760 --> 00:17:17,920 Speaker 1: because of the mandatory retirement ages in Japan. So we 359 00:17:18,000 --> 00:17:20,399 Speaker 1: decided to strike out on his own. He started doing 360 00:17:20,480 --> 00:17:23,359 Speaker 1: consulting for a bunch of different shoe companies, one of 361 00:17:23,440 --> 00:17:25,480 Speaker 1: them Adidas or I don't know if you've ever been 362 00:17:25,520 --> 00:17:28,000 Speaker 1: corrected on this from someone who actually works their Audi 363 00:17:28,080 --> 00:17:31,680 Speaker 1: Das the way he pronounced it, and then for New Balance. 364 00:17:31,760 --> 00:17:34,600 Speaker 1: But he also began flourishing with this bespoke shoe company 365 00:17:34,680 --> 00:17:36,920 Speaker 1: that he launched. And as he told The New York Times, 366 00:17:37,200 --> 00:17:39,879 Speaker 1: a samurai cannot fight without his swords. It is the 367 00:17:39,960 --> 00:17:43,439 Speaker 1: same for runners and their shoes, which sounds both very 368 00:17:43,560 --> 00:17:46,680 Speaker 1: Japanese and also artisanal, like he takes a ton of 369 00:17:46,720 --> 00:17:49,800 Speaker 1: pride in his work. But how do these like customs 370 00:17:49,800 --> 00:17:53,560 Speaker 1: shoes work. Well, they're incredibly customed. Like there's this profile 371 00:17:53,600 --> 00:17:56,480 Speaker 1: at high where he describes his process, and here's how 372 00:17:56,560 --> 00:17:59,760 Speaker 1: elaborate it is. So he says, I take thirteen measurements 373 00:17:59,840 --> 00:18:02,440 Speaker 1: of a foot. Each foot has to be measured separately. 374 00:18:02,840 --> 00:18:06,240 Speaker 1: I only trust hand measuring. Currently, each shoe takes about 375 00:18:06,280 --> 00:18:09,760 Speaker 1: three weeks to make, mainly due to determining which materials 376 00:18:09,880 --> 00:18:13,320 Speaker 1: to use for World Championships or Olympics. I checked the 377 00:18:13,400 --> 00:18:17,040 Speaker 1: course once or twice. I went to Beijing three times, 378 00:18:17,640 --> 00:18:20,240 Speaker 1: and so whatever high profile race running, he actually takes 379 00:18:20,320 --> 00:18:23,800 Speaker 1: that into account. Elite runners refer to them as magic shoes. 380 00:18:24,000 --> 00:18:26,840 Speaker 1: One marathon winner sleeps with her shoes next her pillow 381 00:18:26,920 --> 00:18:29,560 Speaker 1: before big races. I mean, people are crazy for these things. 382 00:18:29,720 --> 00:18:32,639 Speaker 1: That's pretty incredible. So I don't know much about running, 383 00:18:32,720 --> 00:18:35,879 Speaker 1: but I'm guessing in different weather conditions like rain or whatever, 384 00:18:36,359 --> 00:18:39,520 Speaker 1: you might want something like different treads. But why does 385 00:18:39,800 --> 00:18:43,000 Speaker 1: where race is taking place actually matter for a customer shoe. Well, 386 00:18:43,160 --> 00:18:44,880 Speaker 1: part of the reason these shoes are love so much 387 00:18:44,920 --> 00:18:48,639 Speaker 1: is that Murmura takes everything and consideration. He truly believes 388 00:18:48,640 --> 00:18:51,280 Speaker 1: that for a marathon running to become a champion, they 389 00:18:51,440 --> 00:18:54,000 Speaker 1: have to believe in their shoes. And he adjusted for 390 00:18:54,080 --> 00:18:57,400 Speaker 1: all sorts of conditions, like he actually uses rice husk 391 00:18:57,440 --> 00:18:59,680 Speaker 1: grains and his shoes. And it's crazy because when the 392 00:19:00,000 --> 00:19:03,200 Speaker 1: ain gets dislodged, the shoes soul ends up with this 393 00:19:03,400 --> 00:19:06,200 Speaker 1: tiny little hole that's supposed to create I guess, like 394 00:19:06,280 --> 00:19:08,680 Speaker 1: a little bit of suction and then that grips a 395 00:19:08,720 --> 00:19:11,760 Speaker 1: wet surface even better. And he picked up on this 396 00:19:11,880 --> 00:19:15,040 Speaker 1: idea from some technology that was being used in Japanese tires, 397 00:19:15,480 --> 00:19:17,040 Speaker 1: and so he also thinks a lot about how your 398 00:19:17,080 --> 00:19:20,520 Speaker 1: foot dissipates heat. So he uses different types of uppers 399 00:19:20,640 --> 00:19:23,720 Speaker 1: on the shoes to increase that ventilation. And for the 400 00:19:23,800 --> 00:19:26,159 Speaker 1: Beijing Games, he made these shoes that worked for a 401 00:19:26,280 --> 00:19:30,680 Speaker 1: slightly harder concrete but also somehow resisted dust, which could 402 00:19:30,760 --> 00:19:33,520 Speaker 1: irritate a runner's feet. I don't know exactly how that works, 403 00:19:33,560 --> 00:19:35,960 Speaker 1: but was reading about that and it sounded interesting and 404 00:19:36,119 --> 00:19:38,240 Speaker 1: very detailed, and that he thinks about all these things, 405 00:19:38,640 --> 00:19:41,440 Speaker 1: but he takes into consideration other things as well. Because 406 00:19:41,800 --> 00:19:44,440 Speaker 1: marathon runners tend to pour water on their heads, he 407 00:19:44,560 --> 00:19:48,280 Speaker 1: decided to engineer this inner soul that wicked moisture from 408 00:19:48,359 --> 00:19:51,080 Speaker 1: sweat and that water and and then it's somehow cools 409 00:19:51,119 --> 00:19:53,960 Speaker 1: your feet in the process. Is a total genius and 410 00:19:54,040 --> 00:19:58,680 Speaker 1: thinks about everything. So I'm guessing everyone wants right, well, 411 00:19:58,760 --> 00:20:00,560 Speaker 1: yes and no. I mean, you've got other shoe companies 412 00:20:00,640 --> 00:20:03,879 Speaker 1: that have their own gurus, and different athletes want different things. 413 00:20:03,960 --> 00:20:07,080 Speaker 1: But there's certainly a band of marathon champions who are 414 00:20:07,160 --> 00:20:10,240 Speaker 1: Memorial loyalist. And actually there's this great story from the 415 00:20:10,280 --> 00:20:13,080 Speaker 1: Times where he tried to convince this former marathon champion 416 00:20:13,200 --> 00:20:16,040 Speaker 1: to use shoes with different sized souls, and he did 417 00:20:16,080 --> 00:20:18,400 Speaker 1: this because her legs were actually a little bit uneven. 418 00:20:18,920 --> 00:20:21,000 Speaker 1: But I think she tried that kind of thing before. 419 00:20:21,160 --> 00:20:24,000 Speaker 1: And she responded to him and said absolutely not. But 420 00:20:24,560 --> 00:20:26,960 Speaker 1: Mura thought he knew better. So what he did was 421 00:20:27,040 --> 00:20:29,320 Speaker 1: he crafted her a pair of uneven shoes to even 422 00:20:29,359 --> 00:20:31,400 Speaker 1: out her legs. But he didn't tell her that he'd 423 00:20:31,440 --> 00:20:33,480 Speaker 1: done this. I mean, it's pretty risky. And so what 424 00:20:33,560 --> 00:20:36,080 Speaker 1: he did was he then writes this resignation letter because 425 00:20:36,280 --> 00:20:38,480 Speaker 1: if she lost the race, it would be this great 426 00:20:38,560 --> 00:20:41,399 Speaker 1: dishonor and he'd have to fess up, quit the shoe business, 427 00:20:41,480 --> 00:20:45,840 Speaker 1: probably leave the business entirely. So she won. I'm guessing, 428 00:20:46,200 --> 00:20:48,080 Speaker 1: of course you want, I mean, you want. The one 429 00:20:48,240 --> 00:20:50,119 Speaker 1: rule that I've learned in all this research is you 430 00:20:50,240 --> 00:20:52,720 Speaker 1: don't doubt a shoe got And so he actually still 431 00:20:52,800 --> 00:20:56,000 Speaker 1: keeps this letter on his desk. That's so. It is 432 00:20:56,000 --> 00:20:58,119 Speaker 1: funny how much shoes have changed over the years. Like 433 00:20:58,440 --> 00:21:01,680 Speaker 1: it's unimaginable if you think about the earliest rubber shoes 434 00:21:01,760 --> 00:21:04,360 Speaker 1: that didn't even come in like left and right shapes, 435 00:21:04,560 --> 00:21:06,520 Speaker 1: like you just had one shoe that fit both feet, 436 00:21:07,119 --> 00:21:09,280 Speaker 1: and then over the years you get these shoes that 437 00:21:09,359 --> 00:21:11,439 Speaker 1: are more and more snug right, Like like you get 438 00:21:11,480 --> 00:21:14,080 Speaker 1: the Reebok pump which we talked about, which admitted in 439 00:21:14,200 --> 00:21:16,399 Speaker 1: its campaigns that your feet aren't the same and you 440 00:21:16,520 --> 00:21:18,800 Speaker 1: might actually need more pumps for one side than the other. 441 00:21:19,280 --> 00:21:22,840 Speaker 1: Memori is clearly measuring both feet, and I think that's 442 00:21:22,840 --> 00:21:25,480 Speaker 1: part of what makes the promise of three D printing 443 00:21:25,600 --> 00:21:28,840 Speaker 1: so amazing, Like it's that shoes won't just be custom 444 00:21:28,880 --> 00:21:31,639 Speaker 1: fit for your body, but also if you're an athlete 445 00:21:31,720 --> 00:21:34,840 Speaker 1: or worker, for your very specific needs and how you work. 446 00:21:35,840 --> 00:21:37,520 Speaker 1: So I I read about this guy at the Royal 447 00:21:37,600 --> 00:21:40,200 Speaker 1: College of Art in London and he's building these custom 448 00:21:40,280 --> 00:21:43,320 Speaker 1: fitting sprinting shoes that way just nine grams, and the 449 00:21:43,400 --> 00:21:46,640 Speaker 1: hope is that they'll actually maximize the runners particular strengths, 450 00:21:46,760 --> 00:21:49,399 Speaker 1: Like they're so personalized that they're built to have you 451 00:21:49,480 --> 00:21:52,160 Speaker 1: get to your top speeds. And it's exactly that same 452 00:21:52,200 --> 00:21:54,800 Speaker 1: idea but also totally contrary to me Moore as like 453 00:21:55,359 --> 00:21:59,400 Speaker 1: handcrafted and also measured style. Yeah, I mean, what's funny 454 00:21:59,440 --> 00:22:01,960 Speaker 1: is that even when companies make shoes that are specific 455 00:22:02,080 --> 00:22:05,920 Speaker 1: to a player's very specific style, it doesn't always work. 456 00:22:05,960 --> 00:22:08,080 Speaker 1: I mean I've I've teased this, I guess twice now. 457 00:22:08,160 --> 00:22:10,240 Speaker 1: But you know you've got to take Kevin Durant for instance. 458 00:22:11,200 --> 00:22:14,080 Speaker 1: But to be clear, Durant loves his shoes, right, I'm 459 00:22:14,119 --> 00:22:16,480 Speaker 1: not ready to talk about That's my third tease that okay, 460 00:22:16,520 --> 00:22:18,840 Speaker 1: we will talk about it. But but definitely he loves 461 00:22:18,880 --> 00:22:20,840 Speaker 1: his shoes. But the big problem with them is that 462 00:22:20,920 --> 00:22:23,439 Speaker 1: they slip off all the time. Like if you'd watched 463 00:22:23,480 --> 00:22:25,560 Speaker 1: any of the basketball playoffs this year, you would see 464 00:22:25,600 --> 00:22:28,680 Speaker 1: this happening over and over and eight did this amazing 465 00:22:28,720 --> 00:22:31,720 Speaker 1: analysis of his shoes, and they seem to fall off 466 00:22:31,760 --> 00:22:34,840 Speaker 1: more than any other players. So sometimes they'll come off 467 00:22:34,920 --> 00:22:37,439 Speaker 1: twice in a game. I think on average he loses 468 00:22:37,480 --> 00:22:40,080 Speaker 1: his shoe once every eight games. I believe it is. 469 00:22:40,480 --> 00:22:42,440 Speaker 1: There's even a manager who used to make it his 470 00:22:42,600 --> 00:22:44,800 Speaker 1: job to run on the court and run the errant 471 00:22:44,800 --> 00:22:47,159 Speaker 1: shoe to the sideline. I don't know why this was 472 00:22:47,200 --> 00:22:48,760 Speaker 1: such an emergency. I guess he doesn't want toy other 473 00:22:48,800 --> 00:22:51,400 Speaker 1: players playing keepaway with Durant shoes or I'm not really 474 00:22:51,480 --> 00:22:53,399 Speaker 1: sure what the issue is. But the funny thing is 475 00:22:53,480 --> 00:22:56,560 Speaker 1: that there's all these theories and speculation as to why 476 00:22:56,720 --> 00:22:59,359 Speaker 1: these things fall off so much. Because in all his 477 00:22:59,440 --> 00:23:02,120 Speaker 1: games in high school, his shoes actually never came off. 478 00:23:02,640 --> 00:23:05,720 Speaker 1: That's crazy. So what are some of these tears. Well, 479 00:23:05,760 --> 00:23:07,919 Speaker 1: one is that it's just his feet. So Durant has 480 00:23:07,960 --> 00:23:11,399 Speaker 1: these super skinny and flat feet, and people describe them 481 00:23:11,440 --> 00:23:14,159 Speaker 1: as being like blades on a hockey stick, so you know, 482 00:23:14,240 --> 00:23:16,520 Speaker 1: they're so skinny. He often has to wear two pairs 483 00:23:16,600 --> 00:23:19,359 Speaker 1: of socks. I mean, while some people blame the shoes 484 00:23:19,440 --> 00:23:21,840 Speaker 1: that he helped design, like he likes to be able 485 00:23:21,880 --> 00:23:24,600 Speaker 1: to slip his foot in without tying, so you know, 486 00:23:24,680 --> 00:23:26,400 Speaker 1: there's no tongue in some of the models of these 487 00:23:26,440 --> 00:23:29,520 Speaker 1: shoes and a looser top lace and that that kind 488 00:23:29,520 --> 00:23:31,480 Speaker 1: of helps him get his feet in more easily. And 489 00:23:31,760 --> 00:23:33,879 Speaker 1: all this comes in handy when the shoes go flying. 490 00:23:34,440 --> 00:23:38,000 Speaker 1: But you know, Nike's a sophisticated company. I'm sure they've 491 00:23:38,040 --> 00:23:40,000 Speaker 1: factored all that in right, like, like they wouldn't design 492 00:23:40,040 --> 00:23:43,159 Speaker 1: a loose shoe, and it's certainly measure and taking an 493 00:23:43,160 --> 00:23:45,679 Speaker 1: account his narrow feet, right, I mean, of course they 494 00:23:45,720 --> 00:23:48,480 Speaker 1: did that. They're very conscious of keeping Durant and his shoes, 495 00:23:48,600 --> 00:23:51,440 Speaker 1: and it's it's better for their marketing, of course. But 496 00:23:51,840 --> 00:23:54,080 Speaker 1: there's another theory that it's because Durant is one of 497 00:23:54,119 --> 00:23:57,200 Speaker 1: the few players who likes his shoes worn in. So 498 00:23:57,280 --> 00:23:59,360 Speaker 1: you'll see a lot of these NBA players that get 499 00:23:59,480 --> 00:24:02,480 Speaker 1: fresh shoes for every single game. I mean, there is 500 00:24:02,600 --> 00:24:05,040 Speaker 1: so many pairs of shoes. Some of them will actually 501 00:24:05,119 --> 00:24:08,680 Speaker 1: change pairs multiple times, and like these really big playoff games, 502 00:24:08,760 --> 00:24:11,800 Speaker 1: I mean that's insane considering how many games the NBA plays, right, 503 00:24:12,359 --> 00:24:15,119 Speaker 1: But I'm sure some of that has to be mental, right, Like, 504 00:24:15,240 --> 00:24:18,320 Speaker 1: like if you can blame the shoe and then switch 505 00:24:18,400 --> 00:24:20,640 Speaker 1: them out, I'm sure you can change your mindset about 506 00:24:20,640 --> 00:24:22,480 Speaker 1: the game. I mean that's part of it. But you know, 507 00:24:22,600 --> 00:24:25,359 Speaker 1: some players swear the grip is just that much better 508 00:24:25,600 --> 00:24:28,400 Speaker 1: or the new shoes work harder for them. But according 509 00:24:28,440 --> 00:24:31,440 Speaker 1: to five thirty eight, Durant only changes his shoes three 510 00:24:31,560 --> 00:24:34,639 Speaker 1: or four times per season, and he actually practices in 511 00:24:34,720 --> 00:24:36,560 Speaker 1: those same shoes, I would imagine they would get really 512 00:24:36,640 --> 00:24:39,399 Speaker 1: really worn out as much as he's playing. Yeah, and 513 00:24:39,520 --> 00:24:43,000 Speaker 1: he plays hard, obviously. Um. You know, I read this 514 00:24:43,080 --> 00:24:45,600 Speaker 1: fact about the Queen that she employs someone to break 515 00:24:45,640 --> 00:24:47,560 Speaker 1: in all her shoes for her before she wears them, 516 00:24:47,720 --> 00:24:50,320 Speaker 1: which is kind of funny, Like you wouldn't expect the 517 00:24:50,400 --> 00:24:53,120 Speaker 1: queen to have someone else's feet in her shoes. Maybe 518 00:24:53,160 --> 00:24:55,200 Speaker 1: it's Durant, maybe that's what these are. Maybe he's testing 519 00:24:55,200 --> 00:25:00,200 Speaker 1: out her shoes. And then so did the sports writer 520 00:25:00,359 --> 00:25:03,560 Speaker 1: ever like solved this question of what was happening with 521 00:25:03,680 --> 00:25:06,040 Speaker 1: Durant's shoes, Like what was the mystery? Yeah, I know, 522 00:25:06,160 --> 00:25:08,040 Speaker 1: I ran you through all of those theories. It turns 523 00:25:08,040 --> 00:25:10,919 Speaker 1: out it's actually none of those things. I mean, basically, 524 00:25:11,040 --> 00:25:13,600 Speaker 1: it's pretty simple. He likes playing in Loue shoes, so 525 00:25:13,680 --> 00:25:16,280 Speaker 1: he started wearing them a size bigger than what he 526 00:25:16,400 --> 00:25:18,880 Speaker 1: had been wearing. And I guess Durant feels like he's 527 00:25:18,920 --> 00:25:21,920 Speaker 1: already super skinny and tall, and he doesn't like wearing 528 00:25:21,960 --> 00:25:25,480 Speaker 1: anything tight because he feels more aerodynamic when he isn't restricted. 529 00:25:25,880 --> 00:25:28,240 Speaker 1: So it's really just that he's more comfortable in these 530 00:25:28,280 --> 00:25:32,040 Speaker 1: bigger shoes. But here's the weirdest part about this whole story, 531 00:25:32,400 --> 00:25:35,200 Speaker 1: and that's that Durant is actually better at basketball when 532 00:25:35,240 --> 00:25:38,040 Speaker 1: he's lost a shoe. That maybe a little bit of 533 00:25:38,080 --> 00:25:41,920 Speaker 1: a stretch, but the statistics are pretty amusing. I don't know. 534 00:25:42,000 --> 00:25:44,600 Speaker 1: I guess his focus goes into overdrive. Here's how five 535 00:25:44,680 --> 00:25:47,119 Speaker 1: thirty eight puts it. They said he's averaged a hundred 536 00:25:47,119 --> 00:25:50,520 Speaker 1: and fourteen points per one possessions when occupying the court 537 00:25:50,640 --> 00:25:53,960 Speaker 1: without a shoe, which is more than triple the thirty 538 00:25:54,080 --> 00:25:56,639 Speaker 1: six points per one hundred possessions he posted in the 539 00:25:56,760 --> 00:26:00,040 Speaker 1: past season. I mean, he basically shoots seventy five and 540 00:26:00,160 --> 00:26:03,919 Speaker 1: when he's only wearing one sneak. I mean, I'd love 541 00:26:03,960 --> 00:26:05,600 Speaker 1: to see him play a full game and once she 542 00:26:05,880 --> 00:26:09,560 Speaker 1: just to test this theory out. It's pretty incredible. Anyway, 543 00:26:09,720 --> 00:26:11,480 Speaker 1: I still want to talk about Kenneth Cole and how 544 00:26:11,520 --> 00:26:13,520 Speaker 1: we started to shoot business. But before we get to that, 545 00:26:13,640 --> 00:26:29,119 Speaker 1: let's take a little break. Welcome back to Part Time 546 00:26:29,160 --> 00:26:31,879 Speaker 1: Genius where we're talking shoes. All right, Mago, you were 547 00:26:31,880 --> 00:26:33,920 Speaker 1: going to tell us about Kenneth Cole. I know you 548 00:26:33,960 --> 00:26:36,639 Speaker 1: found a great origin story of how his brand really 549 00:26:36,720 --> 00:26:39,440 Speaker 1: got started in New York. That's right. And I feel 550 00:26:39,440 --> 00:26:41,640 Speaker 1: like there's so many great business stories that are inspiring 551 00:26:41,680 --> 00:26:44,399 Speaker 1: because you realize just how hard people had to hustle 552 00:26:44,520 --> 00:26:46,920 Speaker 1: to make their dreams come true. Right, Like I was 553 00:26:46,960 --> 00:26:49,040 Speaker 1: listening to How I Built This over the weekend and 554 00:26:49,359 --> 00:26:52,879 Speaker 1: I heard this episode about Fooboo, which was incredible, and 555 00:26:53,200 --> 00:26:56,000 Speaker 1: how Damon John learned to look at p M L 556 00:26:56,080 --> 00:27:00,159 Speaker 1: sheets it was by waiting tables at Red Lobster, Like 557 00:27:00,240 --> 00:27:04,000 Speaker 1: he learned business by observing managers and the public information 558 00:27:04,160 --> 00:27:06,439 Speaker 1: that the company was putting out, and and just by 559 00:27:06,480 --> 00:27:09,840 Speaker 1: studying it. It's pretty incredible. But there's also this incredible 560 00:27:09,880 --> 00:27:12,879 Speaker 1: part where he's way behind on his payments. He managed 561 00:27:12,960 --> 00:27:15,560 Speaker 1: to get Sam Sung as his investor for the brand 562 00:27:16,119 --> 00:27:19,480 Speaker 1: by placing a classified ad in the newspaper. Yeah, it 563 00:27:19,600 --> 00:27:21,680 Speaker 1: isn't crazy, like his mom came up with the idea. 564 00:27:21,760 --> 00:27:24,359 Speaker 1: They spent two thousand dollars on classified ads and then 565 00:27:24,480 --> 00:27:27,760 Speaker 1: um like forty people wrote in and and one of 566 00:27:27,800 --> 00:27:32,359 Speaker 1: them happened to be Samsung. Yeah, so obviously, like now 567 00:27:32,440 --> 00:27:34,680 Speaker 1: he's on Shark Tank. But there's just so many good 568 00:27:34,840 --> 00:27:37,879 Speaker 1: entrepreneurs stories and Kenneth Cole is definitely one of them. 569 00:27:38,119 --> 00:27:41,920 Speaker 1: So back in a young Kenneth Cole decided he wanted 570 00:27:41,960 --> 00:27:43,960 Speaker 1: to start a shoe company. So we got ahold of 571 00:27:44,040 --> 00:27:47,440 Speaker 1: like a bunch of leather he made on forty pairs 572 00:27:47,480 --> 00:27:50,240 Speaker 1: of shoes. Right, it really worked on this, but he 573 00:27:50,320 --> 00:27:52,360 Speaker 1: didn't exactly know where he was going to go from there. 574 00:27:52,840 --> 00:27:56,320 Speaker 1: He tried renting space in Manhattan, but that was too expensive, 575 00:27:56,440 --> 00:27:58,840 Speaker 1: and and then he heard about this big fashion show 576 00:27:58,920 --> 00:28:01,480 Speaker 1: called market Week, where you buy boots and exhibit in 577 00:28:01,560 --> 00:28:03,920 Speaker 1: one of thousands of rooms in h in some big 578 00:28:04,000 --> 00:28:06,880 Speaker 1: midtown hotel. I like that to get started. He made 579 00:28:07,000 --> 00:28:09,760 Speaker 1: forty thousand pairs of shoes, and then he was like, oh, 580 00:28:09,840 --> 00:28:11,879 Speaker 1: I don't exactly know where to go from here. But 581 00:28:12,000 --> 00:28:13,600 Speaker 1: yet you were saying he went to market Week, which 582 00:28:13,600 --> 00:28:15,320 Speaker 1: I'm guessing is like, I've never been to that, but 583 00:28:15,359 --> 00:28:17,600 Speaker 1: we've been to things like Toy Fair, which of these 584 00:28:17,680 --> 00:28:21,080 Speaker 1: just huge, chaotic things, and and it's really hard to 585 00:28:21,160 --> 00:28:23,840 Speaker 1: stand out in a place like that. Yeah, And I 586 00:28:23,920 --> 00:28:25,600 Speaker 1: mean that's always the hope for I. Like all these 587 00:28:25,640 --> 00:28:28,359 Speaker 1: small entrepreneurs go there thinking they could stand up because 588 00:28:28,359 --> 00:28:30,760 Speaker 1: the pronic is not good, and he has forty products, 589 00:28:30,840 --> 00:28:33,360 Speaker 1: but it ends up the booths are too expensive for him. 590 00:28:33,480 --> 00:28:35,040 Speaker 1: So then he starts thinking out of the box. He 591 00:28:35,160 --> 00:28:37,560 Speaker 1: borrows a friend's truck. It's like this massive truck with 592 00:28:37,640 --> 00:28:40,080 Speaker 1: a forty foot trailer, and he thinks, I'll just get 593 00:28:40,080 --> 00:28:42,120 Speaker 1: a vending license and sell my shoes right outside the 594 00:28:42,200 --> 00:28:44,959 Speaker 1: Hilton where everyone's exhibiting. But then when he went downtown 595 00:28:45,000 --> 00:28:47,240 Speaker 1: to get a license, not only was that too expensive, 596 00:28:47,560 --> 00:28:50,400 Speaker 1: he realized that they weren't letting vendors anywhere close to 597 00:28:50,440 --> 00:28:53,400 Speaker 1: the exhibition, and in fact, they were only letting utility 598 00:28:53,480 --> 00:28:57,440 Speaker 1: companies and film production crews get closer. So he registered 599 00:28:57,520 --> 00:29:00,520 Speaker 1: as a film company and he claimed he was filming 600 00:29:00,560 --> 00:29:03,000 Speaker 1: this movie called a Birth of a Shoe Company. He 601 00:29:03,080 --> 00:29:05,000 Speaker 1: borrowed a bunch of cameras, many of them never had 602 00:29:05,040 --> 00:29:07,880 Speaker 1: film in them. He uh, he hired some fake directors. 603 00:29:08,000 --> 00:29:10,560 Speaker 1: He got people to model the shoes and sell them 604 00:29:10,600 --> 00:29:13,280 Speaker 1: for the shoot. And there were salespeople obviously, but he 605 00:29:13,360 --> 00:29:16,040 Speaker 1: called them actresses. And he set up right outside the 606 00:29:16,080 --> 00:29:18,600 Speaker 1: hotel and in two and a half days he sold 607 00:29:18,640 --> 00:29:22,080 Speaker 1: out his entire inventory and that left him with enough 608 00:29:22,120 --> 00:29:23,960 Speaker 1: cash that he was ready to start his business. That 609 00:29:24,200 --> 00:29:26,760 Speaker 1: is incredible. I love the dedication to that, Like just 610 00:29:26,920 --> 00:29:29,360 Speaker 1: how the termine this guy was to sell these shoes. 611 00:29:29,400 --> 00:29:31,760 Speaker 1: That's that's really incredible. Yeah. I mean he obviously got 612 00:29:31,920 --> 00:29:34,160 Speaker 1: like massive buzz off this a lot of cash. But 613 00:29:34,520 --> 00:29:36,600 Speaker 1: the best part is that the company is still called 614 00:29:36,720 --> 00:29:39,840 Speaker 1: Kenneth Cole Productions Incorporated. Yeah, I mean that's the name 615 00:29:39,880 --> 00:29:41,720 Speaker 1: he had to use to get his fake film perfit 616 00:29:41,840 --> 00:29:44,840 Speaker 1: to shoot his fake film to start a very real business. Yeah, 617 00:29:44,840 --> 00:29:46,920 Speaker 1: I'd say that's that's pretty great. All right. Well, we're 618 00:29:46,960 --> 00:29:48,680 Speaker 1: running out of time, I know, but what we we 619 00:29:48,800 --> 00:29:50,840 Speaker 1: definitely need to do a follow up with more focus 620 00:29:50,920 --> 00:29:53,520 Speaker 1: on great stories of how to hack your ballet shoes 621 00:29:53,760 --> 00:29:57,160 Speaker 1: and why high heels are terrible for budget grocery shopping, 622 00:29:57,240 --> 00:29:59,200 Speaker 1: and other things like this that I know we we 623 00:29:59,320 --> 00:30:01,640 Speaker 1: did come up in some of our research, but that'll 624 00:30:01,680 --> 00:30:04,600 Speaker 1: be great for before another episode. But wait, before we 625 00:30:04,640 --> 00:30:06,080 Speaker 1: take this home with the fact off, I did want 626 00:30:06,080 --> 00:30:08,360 Speaker 1: to mention a pair of shoes that somebody invented back 627 00:30:08,400 --> 00:30:10,959 Speaker 1: in two thousand and twelve. This was a British designer 628 00:30:11,000 --> 00:30:14,360 Speaker 1: named Dominique Wilcox invented a pair of shoes inspired by 629 00:30:14,440 --> 00:30:16,680 Speaker 1: the Wizard of Oz. And so when you click the 630 00:30:16,720 --> 00:30:20,160 Speaker 1: heels together, the GPS in the shoe actually guides you home. 631 00:30:20,920 --> 00:30:23,360 Speaker 1: I love that, but how does it actually work. So 632 00:30:23,480 --> 00:30:25,640 Speaker 1: they look like dress shoes and they have you know, 633 00:30:25,720 --> 00:30:28,560 Speaker 1: these red souls and them that's of course to honor Dorothy. 634 00:30:28,720 --> 00:30:31,440 Speaker 1: But once you click your heels together, the little holes 635 00:30:31,480 --> 00:30:34,840 Speaker 1: in the front, those beautifully decorated designs you see on wingtips, 636 00:30:34,880 --> 00:30:37,400 Speaker 1: they light up and so the light show you which 637 00:30:37,520 --> 00:30:39,760 Speaker 1: directions to turn, like if you have to take a 638 00:30:39,920 --> 00:30:42,440 Speaker 1: left on a road a strip of lights that will, 639 00:30:42,560 --> 00:30:44,680 Speaker 1: you know, kind of face left. They might start blinking 640 00:30:44,760 --> 00:30:47,760 Speaker 1: at you, and then the number of lights actually decreases 641 00:30:47,880 --> 00:30:50,640 Speaker 1: as you get closer and closer to your next turn. 642 00:30:50,760 --> 00:30:53,160 Speaker 1: And it's it's pretty ingenious. And when the GPS function 643 00:30:53,280 --> 00:30:55,760 Speaker 1: is off, they just look like these beautiful classic shoes. 644 00:30:56,160 --> 00:30:58,520 Speaker 1: I love that. But you know, I hope you have 645 00:30:58,680 --> 00:31:00,320 Speaker 1: more of where that comes from, because the fact of 646 00:31:00,360 --> 00:31:03,040 Speaker 1: its about to get heated. And also I do wish 647 00:31:03,080 --> 00:31:04,520 Speaker 1: I had some rebox here so I could pump them 648 00:31:04,560 --> 00:31:15,200 Speaker 1: off right now, I'm gonna get mine out. Yeah, So 649 00:31:15,480 --> 00:31:18,040 Speaker 1: have you ever heard of a gym shoe sandwich? You know, 650 00:31:18,360 --> 00:31:20,920 Speaker 1: I'm guessing this doesn't involve a real shoe, but now 651 00:31:21,040 --> 00:31:24,480 Speaker 1: I haven't. Yeah, it's nothing like that time when Herzog 652 00:31:24,680 --> 00:31:26,600 Speaker 1: lost a bet and showered down on the shoe. Right. 653 00:31:27,440 --> 00:31:30,360 Speaker 1: Apparently it's a Chicago Southside thing where you take this 654 00:31:30,520 --> 00:31:34,160 Speaker 1: hardy Italian sub roll or some thick bread and and 655 00:31:34,600 --> 00:31:36,640 Speaker 1: then you shove in a bunch of Greek eura meat 656 00:31:37,040 --> 00:31:39,200 Speaker 1: and a ton of roast beef which I guess is 657 00:31:39,280 --> 00:31:42,160 Speaker 1: English or French, and and corn beef as well. Which 658 00:31:42,280 --> 00:31:45,880 Speaker 1: is Irish or Jewish, and and then of course there's 659 00:31:46,000 --> 00:31:51,000 Speaker 1: a ton of Greek yogurt, sauce, lettuce, tomatoes, sometimes Swiss cheese, onions, 660 00:31:51,160 --> 00:31:55,280 Speaker 1: hot and sweet peppers. It's like a thick Yeah, it 661 00:31:55,400 --> 00:31:58,280 Speaker 1: ends up being so massive, and also I guess this 662 00:31:58,400 --> 00:32:01,160 Speaker 1: delicious homage to all the Immer groups that settled the area. 663 00:32:01,320 --> 00:32:04,640 Speaker 1: But it's also really really hard to chew and so 664 00:32:04,960 --> 00:32:07,280 Speaker 1: hard to finish. That's referred to as a gym shoe. 665 00:32:07,920 --> 00:32:10,200 Speaker 1: You know what, I've never heard that before. All right, well, 666 00:32:10,240 --> 00:32:12,600 Speaker 1: this year there's been an outrageous criminal or group of 667 00:32:12,640 --> 00:32:17,920 Speaker 1: criminals in Japan's Kyoto Prefecture that are just stealing people's shoes, sandals, 668 00:32:18,040 --> 00:32:20,880 Speaker 1: gym shoes, whatever. They were all being plucked from these 669 00:32:21,040 --> 00:32:24,880 Speaker 1: entryways and temples and all sorts of places. And eventually 670 00:32:24,920 --> 00:32:26,920 Speaker 1: it became such a problem that the police were called 671 00:32:26,960 --> 00:32:29,280 Speaker 1: them to figure out who the band it was. And 672 00:32:29,320 --> 00:32:31,800 Speaker 1: you're wondering, why why are the yukuza or the street 673 00:32:31,880 --> 00:32:35,160 Speaker 1: kids stealing everybody's shoes. So they decided to you know, 674 00:32:35,240 --> 00:32:37,800 Speaker 1: put together a steak out, and then the police realized 675 00:32:37,840 --> 00:32:41,280 Speaker 1: the culprits were actually a pair of foxes. So for 676 00:32:41,400 --> 00:32:43,960 Speaker 1: some reason, foxes love shoes, like they just have this 677 00:32:44,120 --> 00:32:47,000 Speaker 1: instinct to stock up on what's around and put it 678 00:32:47,080 --> 00:32:49,200 Speaker 1: in their burrow. And so their din was like this 679 00:32:49,400 --> 00:32:53,040 Speaker 1: storehouse of other people's shoes. Like it's so funny. But 680 00:32:53,120 --> 00:32:55,960 Speaker 1: what's interesting is that it isn't peculiar to these foxes. 681 00:32:56,000 --> 00:32:58,800 Speaker 1: Apparently foxes in Germany and I think England they've been 682 00:32:58,840 --> 00:33:02,560 Speaker 1: caught doing the very same thing. So here's a weird one. 683 00:33:02,840 --> 00:33:05,960 Speaker 1: Scientists in India is trying to determine whether smelling someone's 684 00:33:06,000 --> 00:33:09,880 Speaker 1: shoes can reduce or control epilepsy attacks. And from his 685 00:33:09,960 --> 00:33:12,240 Speaker 1: preliminary study, and he wants you to know these are 686 00:33:12,320 --> 00:33:15,040 Speaker 1: just early findings, the subjects in his study who smells 687 00:33:15,080 --> 00:33:18,040 Speaker 1: shoes seem to have shorter attacks than those who abstained 688 00:33:18,120 --> 00:33:21,080 Speaker 1: from spelling their shoes. Yeah, I mean that's interesting, but 689 00:33:21,200 --> 00:33:23,400 Speaker 1: I have to know, like why was he even testing this? 690 00:33:23,760 --> 00:33:27,040 Speaker 1: I know, I have so many questions like how smelly 691 00:33:27,120 --> 00:33:28,920 Speaker 1: do the shoes have to be? And how long do 692 00:33:28,920 --> 00:33:31,160 Speaker 1: you have to smell him for? And apparently it comes 693 00:33:31,280 --> 00:33:33,480 Speaker 1: from this old wives tale he was testing out. But 694 00:33:33,880 --> 00:33:36,480 Speaker 1: he's hoping to do more neuroimaging studies in the future 695 00:33:36,520 --> 00:33:38,800 Speaker 1: to better understand the story here. All right, Well here's 696 00:33:38,800 --> 00:33:40,760 Speaker 1: a quick one. So I know we've covered the Adidas 697 00:33:40,800 --> 00:33:43,680 Speaker 1: and Puma rivalry years ago, and you probably remember that 698 00:33:43,760 --> 00:33:46,800 Speaker 1: the firms were built by these two hyper competitive brothers. 699 00:33:47,280 --> 00:33:49,640 Speaker 1: But at one point the antagonism between the brands got 700 00:33:49,760 --> 00:33:52,440 Speaker 1: so bad that their German town became known as the 701 00:33:52,600 --> 00:33:55,920 Speaker 1: town of bent Necks. Apparently there was such a crazy 702 00:33:56,080 --> 00:33:59,120 Speaker 1: rivalry and such hostility between the brothers and their employees 703 00:33:59,200 --> 00:34:01,960 Speaker 1: that you would look down at another person's shoes to 704 00:34:02,040 --> 00:34:04,320 Speaker 1: see what brand they were wearing before you decided to 705 00:34:04,480 --> 00:34:07,320 Speaker 1: engage them in any sort of conversation. That's pretty crazy. 706 00:34:07,920 --> 00:34:09,880 Speaker 1: So I want to know a life hack that doesn't 707 00:34:09,920 --> 00:34:13,399 Speaker 1: work that well? I mean, I guess so it sounds 708 00:34:13,400 --> 00:34:16,520 Speaker 1: like you're gonna tell me either way. Yeah, so try 709 00:34:16,719 --> 00:34:21,200 Speaker 1: using pork chops for shoes. Okay, So this guy Ross 710 00:34:21,320 --> 00:34:25,279 Speaker 1: Lucoq and Australia somehow won this pub raffle where he 711 00:34:25,360 --> 00:34:27,400 Speaker 1: got a meat tray, you know how you win to 712 00:34:27,440 --> 00:34:30,279 Speaker 1: meat t everywhere and then, and he's been drinking for 713 00:34:30,360 --> 00:34:33,439 Speaker 1: a long while and that's obviously when all the great 714 00:34:33,480 --> 00:34:35,920 Speaker 1: ideas hit you. And somewhere along the way he decided 715 00:34:35,960 --> 00:34:37,560 Speaker 1: not to wear his shoes. So the people at the 716 00:34:37,600 --> 00:34:39,279 Speaker 1: bar tell him, you know, if you want to win 717 00:34:39,440 --> 00:34:41,279 Speaker 1: this meat tray, you've got to put some shoes on. 718 00:34:41,719 --> 00:34:43,360 Speaker 1: So that's an all saying, right, if you want to 719 00:34:43,400 --> 00:34:47,120 Speaker 1: win the meat tray, you gotta put so ross. Being 720 00:34:47,160 --> 00:34:50,319 Speaker 1: an ideas guy, obviously he finds some duct tape. He uh, 721 00:34:50,680 --> 00:34:52,920 Speaker 1: he strapped some pork chops from his meat trey on 722 00:34:53,080 --> 00:34:55,560 Speaker 1: his feet, and then he uh, and then he claims 723 00:34:55,600 --> 00:34:58,520 Speaker 1: his prize, and then he goes about continuing his night, 724 00:34:58,680 --> 00:35:01,480 Speaker 1: just playing pool and drinking more. But here's why you 725 00:35:01,560 --> 00:35:05,120 Speaker 1: don't just slat meat shoes on, because meat shoes cats 726 00:35:05,200 --> 00:35:09,360 Speaker 1: on the floor, Okay, and obviously people can slip on 727 00:35:09,440 --> 00:35:11,440 Speaker 1: this and a few games of pool later, like the 728 00:35:11,520 --> 00:35:14,240 Speaker 1: floors were so greased up that his best friends slipped 729 00:35:14,239 --> 00:35:16,360 Speaker 1: on the juice and broke his arm. I mean, I 730 00:35:16,440 --> 00:35:18,320 Speaker 1: know we share a lot of interesting facts here on 731 00:35:18,400 --> 00:35:19,840 Speaker 1: Part Time Genius, or I like to think we do. 732 00:35:19,960 --> 00:35:22,000 Speaker 1: But it's good to know that sometimes we give these 733 00:35:22,200 --> 00:35:25,480 Speaker 1: meaningful life lessons. And now you know it's best not 734 00:35:25,640 --> 00:35:28,480 Speaker 1: to wear meat shoes in a pool. Halso A, well, 735 00:35:28,520 --> 00:35:30,800 Speaker 1: here's a good story that I learned about from futility 736 00:35:30,880 --> 00:35:35,640 Speaker 1: closet in This actor named Conrad Canson passed away and 737 00:35:35,719 --> 00:35:38,280 Speaker 1: he left behind about a quarter of a million dollars 738 00:35:38,320 --> 00:35:41,920 Speaker 1: in this trust, and the trust was specifically dedicated to 739 00:35:42,000 --> 00:35:44,839 Speaker 1: buy shoes for down on their luck actors, so, as 740 00:35:44,840 --> 00:35:46,839 Speaker 1: he put it in his will, many times I've been 741 00:35:46,880 --> 00:35:49,080 Speaker 1: on my uppers and the thinner the souls were, the 742 00:35:49,160 --> 00:35:51,720 Speaker 1: less courage I had to face the managers and looking 743 00:35:51,800 --> 00:35:54,279 Speaker 1: for a job. And what's crazy is this fund still 744 00:35:54,360 --> 00:35:58,720 Speaker 1: exists from today. So you have to be unemployed, belonged 745 00:35:58,760 --> 00:36:00,879 Speaker 1: to a performing art tune in and you can only 746 00:36:00,920 --> 00:36:03,440 Speaker 1: apply once every few years. But if you need shoes, 747 00:36:03,480 --> 00:36:06,640 Speaker 1: they'll give you forty dollars to reimburse towards any pair 748 00:36:06,960 --> 00:36:09,000 Speaker 1: as long as it is in over a hundred dollars. Oh, 749 00:36:09,080 --> 00:36:11,640 Speaker 1: I really love that. So I've never heard of the 750 00:36:11,719 --> 00:36:14,120 Speaker 1: Empathy Museum before, but I'm kind of in love with it. 751 00:36:14,520 --> 00:36:17,080 Speaker 1: It's in London and one of their exhibits is all 752 00:36:17,080 --> 00:36:21,440 Speaker 1: about empathizing with other people, whether that's prisoners or refugee children, 753 00:36:21,640 --> 00:36:23,600 Speaker 1: or people who are trying to rediscover love in their 754 00:36:23,640 --> 00:36:25,680 Speaker 1: eighties and and one of the ways they've tried to 755 00:36:25,760 --> 00:36:28,919 Speaker 1: foster empathy is with this exhibit called walk a Mile 756 00:36:28,960 --> 00:36:32,200 Speaker 1: in someone Else's Shoes. You're literally handed someone else's shoes, 757 00:36:32,280 --> 00:36:34,800 Speaker 1: but you also get this audio recording and as you 758 00:36:34,920 --> 00:36:38,239 Speaker 1: walk a mile, you hear and feel someone struggle. And 759 00:36:38,760 --> 00:36:40,680 Speaker 1: I just think that's such a moving idea and I 760 00:36:40,800 --> 00:36:42,680 Speaker 1: think our world could use a little more empty. That 761 00:36:42,880 --> 00:36:45,239 Speaker 1: is a great story. Yeah, and and that is why Mango, 762 00:36:45,360 --> 00:36:47,480 Speaker 1: I think I'm gonna give you today's prize. I know 763 00:36:47,600 --> 00:36:49,160 Speaker 1: it's been hard for you, losing so many of these 764 00:36:49,200 --> 00:36:51,320 Speaker 1: in a row, and I feel bad for that, but 765 00:36:51,600 --> 00:36:53,680 Speaker 1: but I'm not giving you the trophy for that reason. 766 00:36:53,760 --> 00:36:56,959 Speaker 1: You've actually earned it today, So congratulations. Well, I guess 767 00:36:57,000 --> 00:37:00,200 Speaker 1: I'll accept it then. I know we've talked a lot 768 00:37:00,239 --> 00:37:02,279 Speaker 1: about shoes today and shared a lot of different facts. 769 00:37:02,320 --> 00:37:04,120 Speaker 1: I'm sure there's some great ones that we forgot, and 770 00:37:04,200 --> 00:37:06,200 Speaker 1: we would love to hear those from you, as we 771 00:37:06,360 --> 00:37:08,560 Speaker 1: always do. You can email us part Time Genius at 772 00:37:08,560 --> 00:37:10,719 Speaker 1: how stuff Works dot com or call us on our 773 00:37:11,280 --> 00:37:14,200 Speaker 1: seven fact hot line that's eight six six pt Genius, 774 00:37:14,640 --> 00:37:16,240 Speaker 1: or as always, you can hit us up on Facebook 775 00:37:16,280 --> 00:37:31,680 Speaker 1: or Twitter. But thanks so much for listening, very thanks 776 00:37:31,680 --> 00:37:34,000 Speaker 1: again for listening. Part Time Genius is a production of 777 00:37:34,040 --> 00:37:36,800 Speaker 1: How stuff works and wouldn't be possible without several brilliant 778 00:37:36,800 --> 00:37:39,200 Speaker 1: people who do the important things we couldn't even begin 779 00:37:39,320 --> 00:37:42,560 Speaker 1: to understand. Tristan McNeil does the editing thing. Noel Brown 780 00:37:42,640 --> 00:37:44,839 Speaker 1: made the theme song and does the MIXI mixy sound thing. 781 00:37:45,400 --> 00:37:48,359 Speaker 1: Jerry Rowland does the exact producer thing. Gay blues Yer 782 00:37:48,440 --> 00:37:50,799 Speaker 1: is our lead researcher, with support from the Research Army 783 00:37:50,840 --> 00:37:53,839 Speaker 1: including Austin Thompson, Nolan Brown and Lucas Adams and Eve. 784 00:37:53,920 --> 00:37:56,360 Speaker 1: Jeff Cook gets the show to your ears. Good job, Eves. 785 00:37:56,520 --> 00:37:58,440 Speaker 1: If you like what you heard, we hope you'll subscribe, 786 00:37:58,440 --> 00:38:00,319 Speaker 1: And if you really really like what you've for maybe 787 00:38:00,360 --> 00:38:02,200 Speaker 1: you could leave a good review for us. Did we 788 00:38:02,360 --> 00:38:04,040 Speaker 1: did we forget Jason? Jason who