"I asked Galahad Clark, the brand's creator, if he thinks the general public's shoe-coddled feet will be able to handle running with such little support. "Yes," says Clark, "but it will be a big transition for people accustomed to wearing highly cushioned, inflexible shoes. The foot muscles are weak and need to time to adjust." Not such a bad thing, he believes. "Trainers artificially allow unfit people to run longer than their bodies are conditioned for. It's rather like hitting yourself over the head while wearing a crash helmet: it might not hurt immediately but the long-term harm is obvious."