Founder of Altra Running, Golden Harper, joins us to talk about how running injuries motivated him to innovate a different shoe and then begin a new shoe company that is competing against the giants in the business. Golden knows something about running. Between the ages of 10 and 14, Golden ran 5 marathons, debuting with a State Record 3:08 performance. He followed that up with a 2:57 performance that was good for a National Best for age 11. At age 12, he ran the St. George Marathon in 2:45:34, setting a world best. In addition to competitive running, Golden grew up working in the family's specialty running store where he educated other runners on proper gait and fitting them in the correct running shoes. Golden continued his passion by earning a degree in Exercise Science: Fitness & Wellness with a Business Management emphasis from BYU. Golden tells his story of how he used his home toaster oven to delaminate traditional shoes and re-engineer them to help others prevent injuries. Today Altra is one of the top shoes in the trail and ultra community.
Some of the first modified shoes they made:
