Check out his shoes at around 4:52 of this video, the first in a fascinating series on Youtube titled Lasse Viren Annat vain kaiken osa.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojh0k83QavI&feature=related
They may be the old Tiger Cortez's, but they look even thinner than those. And he ran 150 miles/week in them.
Here's to the only distance runner ever to achieve the Olympic double-double.
So it was Shorter who tripped Viren! I never knew that.
Looking at the video again, it looks like Viren caused his own problem by running up Puttemans back, hand checking him, taking a stutter step and causing Shorter to run up on him from behind.
Good observation but have you thought about what else was available back then? Cortez was, I'm sure, trademark of Nike and I don't think those were called Cortez. I have the old ad from Runner's World but I can't remember what they were called--I think HRE knows it. He used to train in Karhu in the early years and later switched to Tiger (ASICS). You are right though; they were equivalent of Nike Cortez and he trained in them quite extensively even though newer models came out--it was like Gebrselasie racing in more of a middle of line spike shoes instead of the adidas' top model. Viren loved to race (road races) in Tiger (ASICS) Ohbori and raced in Spartan (I believe was the US name) and so did Shorter. Ohbori was the earlier version of Sorties. You mentioned Viren training up to 150 miles a week in those but same thing can be still said with most top level Japanese marathon runners. All these minimalist "fad" is nothing new in Japan.
la la land wrote:
So it was Shorter who tripped Viren! I never knew that.
He also killed Pre.
Mr. Obvious wrote:
la la land wrote:So it was Shorter who tripped Viren! I never knew that.
He also killed Pre.
Note to lawyers: You said it, not me. I only once started a thread asking IF he did it. (under the pseudo-pseudonym, Ted-D )
Those are probably like the Tiger Bostons w/leather upper. Pretty minimalist, as were all shoes before the Cortez.
NobbyH wrote:
Good observation but have you thought about what else was available back then? Cortez was, I'm sure, trademark of Nike and I don't think those were called Cortez. I have the old ad from Runner's World but I can't remember what they were called--I think HRE knows it. He used to train in Karhu in the early years and later switched to Tiger (ASICS). You are right though; they were equivalent of Nike Cortez and he trained in them quite extensively even though newer models came out--it was like Gebrselasie racing in more of a middle of line spike shoes instead of the adidas' top model. Viren loved to race (road races) in Tiger (ASICS) Ohbori and raced in Spartan (I believe was the US name) and so did Shorter. Ohbori was the earlier version of Sorties. You mentioned Viren training up to 150 miles a week in those but same thing can be still said with most top level Japanese marathon runners. All these minimalist "fad" is nothing new in Japan.
No, I'm certain the Tiger model was called the Cortez too (and first). I ordered them from Blue Ribbon Sports, a mail-order operation run by, I believe, Phil Knight. In fact, here's a pic:
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_-mgueK2cm6s/SHtRLlr2uhI/AAAAAAAAAGE/lHU1hEshong/s400/tiger_cortez-1968.jpg&imgrefurl=http://classicsneakerslegends.blogspot.com/2008/07/1968-tiger-cortez-made-in-japan.html&usg=__jUOfBl8K_eBHGwzBHEq0d539x8s=&h=325&w=300&sz=29&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=bWVcEE16YFUdWM:&tbnh=167&tbnw=142&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dtiger%2Bcortez%26hl%3Den%26biw%3D1403%26bih%3D749%26gbv%3D2%26tbs%3Disch:1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=128&vpy=178&dur=6962&hovh=234&hovw=216&tx=146&ty=84&ei=2DEATczeBML98AawndXzBw&oei=2DEATczeBML98AawndXzBw&esq=1&page=1&ndsp=18&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0Then one day along came these nearly identical shoes with a funny looking swoosh-type logo, and they were also called the Cortez. Odd, I thought. . .
Check out this one at around 3:17. Looks like even two-time double gold medalists sometimes have to hop the fence train on the track.
la la land wrote:
Looking at the video again, it looks like Viren caused his own problem by running up Puttemans back, hand checking him, taking a stutter step and causing Shorter to run up on him from behind.
Yeah, I remember reading a Kenny Moore piece, I think it was, in which Viren admitted the fall was his own fault. Poor Gammoudi.
ALL HAIL VIREN
No, I'm certain the Tiger model was called the Cortez too (and first). I ordered them from Blue Ribbon Sports, a mail-order operation run by, I believe, Phil Knight. In fact, here's a pic:
Yes, indeed they were. I had several pairs of Tiger leather Cortex from '75 thru '77. They weren't bad shoes at all. I used to order from Blue Ribbon Sports as well. My first pair were the Nike Marathon flats I believe.
As for Viren's racing shoes, he had custom designed Tiger distance spikes with elevated heels to alleviate his achilles problems.
[/quote]
1) Viren blood-doped
2) Which current model is most like those shown?
They might be Tiger Jayhawks.
When did the Nike Finland Blue (and accompanying Kenya Reds) come out? They looked a lot like the top shoes in the '72 link
He makes Pre seem like Richard Simmons. Cow moose killer who made his wife shovel the driveway.
Tiger had the Cortez first then changed the name to Corsair when Nike was awarded the name. There were leather and nylon versions. The Boston also changed its name but I can't think what it became. Tiger followed the Corsair with similar trainers. Next came the Montreal and after that they had a shoe called the Moscow. I've seen several pictures of Viren in Moscows and they are thinner soled than either the Montreal or Corsair. The Moscow made a comeback several years ago when retro shoes were big. I stocked up and still use them.
I don't have time to look at the video but will give it a look tomorrow.
HRE beat me to it. It's Corsair:
Ah, can't believe I actually found the ad!! One of the shoes, not THE, was called ASICS Tiger Pam Am TM43; white with dark blue ASICS lines with shoe lace rings.
Hooves wrote:
1) Viren blood-doped
Rubbish.
