Once upon a time, Benjamin Franklin had a rival of some sort who was calling him out. Rather than fight the guy (intellectually, not fisticuffedly), Benji Boy instead asked to borrow a book. “You are well known as a learned man with an impressive library,” said Benaroo, “and I have need of one of your books to study this thing I’m studying.” Not the actual quote. The rival, now an ally, was flattered and sent Benjamina the book. He became an ally not because he was flattered; rather, the human brain cannot handle the dissonance of hating someone you were just nice to. Slicker than Willie Pep, BF won the fight without throwing a single punch.

Have running shoe companies employed The Benjamin Franklin Effect on barefoot runners? Could this be why barefoot runners don’t run barefoot all that often?

For the record, I still run barefoot most of the time, but don’t think any less of barefooters who have gotten more shoey. It does baffle me a bit, though. I would have thought that once a runner (ha!) figures it out, they wouldn’t want to go back.

Having said that, I’ll be wearing a new pair of Merrell (I was Franklinized!) Trail Gloves for The Scream. I actually bought them. Well, Iris did, but money is fungible, and so on and so forth. Any of the shoes I own would have done the trick on that dirt road with rocks spread out at just the right density level to be a real pain education, but I’m going to wear what ac is going to wear to even up the playing field. I might even shave and give myself a goofy haircut.