MSCHF’s Big Red Boots are a lot of things. One of them, however, is not a running shoe. That is until they were turned into one by a filmmaker. Heber Cannon is one-half of the Buttery Bros YouTube channel, co-owner of Podium supplements, and behind all of the CrossFit documentaries you’ve seen on Netflix. He’s also one fit dude and a recent convert to the sneaker cult, which has led him to MSCHF’s viral boots. What he’s done in them has become something of legend.
Cannon, known for his zany personality and endless tank of energy, decided the best thing to do in the Big Red Boots was run a half marathon. But not just any half marathon—Cannon decided to run the world’s hilliest half marathon, Hell on the Hill, which is equal parts a race and a backyard barbecue. The event took place on a grassy loop, which helped Cannon pace the run, take breaks to repair his broken body, and soften the blow of the ground as he traversed the 13.1 miles.
The boots are heavy and have zero ventilation, and they tore at Cannon’s shins while he ran. It’s not just that they are a wonky, attention-grabbing piece of footwear. They’re the antithesis of sport, unless you’re going to use them to wade into a rocky river and go fly fishing or something.
Somehow, someway, Cannon was able to endure and documented the whole process (you can watch the whole video here).
“After one lap, I was bleeding from the shins,” Cannon says. “I was fully prepared for the bottom of my foot to be a giant blister and not be able to walk for weeks.”
To find out how arduous the half marathon was for Cannon, why he decided to do it in the first place, and more, read our interview below.
Why did you do it?
We have a weekly show we put out on our Buttery Bros YouTube channel and are always looking to do fun things like this. Our motivation is both personal and external. I’ve done really long endurance events in the past. I wanted to do one that was a different life experience for me, so looking like a comic book character in these big ol' boots was an easy way to make it more memorable. I’ll never forget that for sure. The other bigger reason is I want others to see fitness as fun and approachable. Oftentimes fitness is a punishment or something people “have” to do. It doesn’t have to be; for me it’s fun.
Yes, running 13.1 miles uphill in giant ankle weights was tough, but I was laughing, wanting to cry, dancing, and enjoying the suffering. It was not easy, and I was not prepared, but I can laugh at myself and keep grinding. And if I can have fun looking ridiculous running uphill for four hours, hopefully others can find fun in getting out and finding ways to enjoy fitness. That’s sort of the essence of our channel, just some regular dudes getting fit and enjoying the process.
How did you get the boots?
I hit on the drop during the initial release in the MSCHF Sneakers app.
How'd it feel to run a half marathon in the boots?
The boots are 3.5 pounds each. So beyond looking like a comic book character, it felt simultaneously painful, comical, and fun. When I finished, I felt an overwhelming sense of accomplishment. Any time you finish a big event like this, there's this crazy sense of euphoria that kicks in. This was a good one.
What was the worst part of running in the boots?
What hurt initially was the top rim of the shoe literally scraping the top of my shins. The top of the boots are very rigid and stiff. So they aren't forgiving at all and just dig into your leg. Once I figured a work-around for that, the pain then came from the boot sort of folding in on itself and creating major pressure or “hot points” all along my shin. That caused massive swelling in my shins and calves that left a mark still to this day.
Was there a point where you thought you wouldn't finish the race?
The night before I flew out, I put on the boots and walked up my stairs and thought, “There’s no way.” (I had only worn the shoes and walked 20 feet in them before I started the race.)
The day of the race, I carried them near the start line and put them on. The course was a loop you ran up and down a hill, 60 times. After one lap, I was bleeding from the shins and again I thought, “Nope... I guess I’ll go till I see bone and assess.” My friend Julian happened to have a giant Band-Aid. I put one on each shin, taped my socks higher, and went back to work. The other factor was I wanted to finish the race under the time cap. Four hours is plenty of time. I knew when I had finished 3.5 miles in under an hour I was ahead of pace and probably going to finish.
How much did the socks help?
The socks only helped if they were taped up. I had one initial pair that was thicker. I assumed when I switched at a halfway point, as a “reward” for making it that far, that I’d be good to go. Turns out the second pair of socks was thinner, and the boots were tearing up my shins again. So I did one more lap and came back to put on the original socks over the second pair for more protection. Once I found a first aid station to help re-tape up the socks, we were good to go, aside from the immense pain that never stopped from the boots pressing in on my legs.
How much pain were you in the next day and right now?
My shins and calves were swollen like a balloon for a few days. Weeks later I still have a swollen lump just above my ankle on both legs from where the pressure was the worst. I was fully prepared for the bottom of my foot to be a giant blister and not be able to walk for weeks. However I only had minor blisters on my toes—less than what I would’ve expected wearing actual running shoes actually.
How sweaty did the boots get?
After initially bleeding out from the shin, I expected to be walking in a pool of blood and sweat at the end. The weather was cool and so there [were] mild amounts, but nothing catastrophic. Either the boot absorbed it, or my socks.
How did the boots hold up?
This surprised me. The boots held up awesome. The course was on grass and dirt, which is more forgiving than pavement. But a quick cleaning of the shoes and the only place you’d really tell there’s any wear and tear is on the back heel. Three out of 10 running shoe. (Ski boots and flippers would be worse.)
