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00:00MARKET WITH A LOT OF GREAT RANDS, MARKETERS AND SPACE. BUT WE HAVE A DIFFERENT PHILOSOPHY. WE BELIEVE IN A MORE NATURAL RUNNING EXPERIENCE AND THAT SETS US APART. SOME OF OUR FEATURES ALLOW YOUR BODY TO WORK AND MOVE IN A MORE NATURAL WAY, SO WE ARE NOT RELYING ON TECHNOLOGY OR CHEMISTRY. CORY: EXPLAIN A LITTLE MORE. WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THE MINIMALIST MOVEMENT? TONY: THE MINIMALIST MOVEMENT REALLY STARTED IT. IT GOT PEOPLE TO THINK ABOUT THEIR RUNNING SHOES DIFFERENTLY. WHAT WE TRIED TO DO IS CREATE A MORE NATURAL EXPERIENCE BY ALLOWING THE FIT OF OUR SHOES -- THEY ARE VERY ROOMY IN THE TOE BOX. CAROL: YOU ARE RIGHT. THEY ARE VERY DIFFERENT FROM WHAT YOU SEE AT NIKE OR OTHER PLAYERS. TONY: NOT ONLY IS IT IMPORTANT FOR COMFORT, BUT FOR BALANCE, AGILITY, AND CONTROL. OUR SHOES FIT VERY SNUG SO THE IDEA IS IT IS CONNECTED TO YOUR BODY. IN THE MINIMALIST MOVEMENT, -- CORY: AND THEY LOOK GREAT WITH A BLOOMBERG KEYBOARD. TONY: IN A MINIMALIST MOVEMENT, THERE WERE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO MOVED QUICKLY INTO THIS TYPE OF FOOTWEAR AND SOME OF THE SHOES DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH CUSHIONING. WE KEPT SOME OF THE PRINCIPLES AROUND THE FIT AND FEEL OF THE SHOE BUT ADDED A LITTLE MORE CUSHIONING. CORY: ISN'T THAT PART OF THE POINT? THAT YOU SHOULD BE RUNNING ON YOUR FEET AND NOT A CUSHIONED SNEAKER? ONCE YOU ADD CUSHIONING, IS IT NO LONGER A MINIMALIST SHOE? TONY: THERE ARE A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT INGREDIENTS. THERE'S NOT A LOT OF HEEL TO TOE DROP OR OFFSET. OUR SHOES ARE ON A MORE LEVEL PLAYING WHICH ENCOURAGES YOU TO LAND ON THE FOUR FOOT OR BALL OF THE FOOT. PEOPLE TEND TO LAND ON THE OUTSIDE FOUR FOOT AND, WITH A LITTLE BIT OF CUSHIONING, IT'S A VERY NATURAL WAY TO ONE -- NATURAL WAY TO RUN. CAROL: I THINK OF PLAYERS LIKE NIKE AND A LOT OF COMPANIES IN THE SPORTSWEAR SPACE. DO YOU WANT TO BE A NICHE PLAYER ? YOU HAVE SOME VENTURE CAPITALISTS INVESTING. DO THEY WANT IT TO BE A BIG BRAND OR IS THIS ENOUGH TO BE A NICHE PLAYER? TONY: I'VE BEEN A RUNNER FOR 40 YEARS AND INVOLVED IN FOOTWEAR FOR 30 YEARS. IT'S ABOUT TRYING TO FILL A NEED I SEE IN THIS SPACE. I'M NOT SURE HOW BIG THAT OPPORTUNITY REALLY IS. IT'S A REALLY DYNAMIC MARKETPLACE. BUT IF YOU BELIEVE IN SOMETHING AND YOU ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT THIS -- I HAD KNEE SURGERY ABOUT 10 YEARS AGO AND WENT THROUGH AN EXPERIENCE THAT CHANGED MY LIFE. LIKE A LOT OF ENTREPRENEURS, IT STARTS FROM A PERSONAL EXPERIENCE AND THEN YOU DEVELOP A SOLUTION AND FIND THAT THIS WORKED FOR ME, THERE ARE OTHER PEOPLE WHO MIGHT BENEFIT AS WELL. CORY: WHAT'S THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE BASKETBALL SHOE MARKET AND A RUNNING SHOE MARKET? TONY: RE: TALKING ABOUT THE PRODUCT? CORY: I'M TALKING ABOUT THE BUSINESS. I IMAGINE IT'S VERY DIFFERENT IN TERMS OF THE WAY CUSTOMERS REACT TO BRANDS. TONY: THE BASKETBALL CONSUMER BASE IS A YOUNGER CONSUMER BASE, PROBABLY A LITTLE MORE CONCERNED WITH THE PAID ENDORSEMENTS AND ATHLETES INVOLVED. WITH RUNNING, THAT'S LESS LIKE CASE. IT'S EASIER TO BREAK THROUGH IF YOU HAVE A SOLUTION OR IDEA THAT PEOPLE FIND TO BE MEANINGFUL. CAROL: ARE YOU THE FASTEST GROWING MARKET IN THE U.S. RIGHT NOW? TONY : WE HAVE EXPANDED INTO SEVEN INTERNATIONAL MARKETS, SO WE WILL START SELLING EUROPE, CHINA, THAILAND AND CANADA OF COURSE. CAROL: TONY POST IS THE FOUNDER AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF TOPO FOOTWEAR. ALIX: STILL AHEAD, IT IS THE LAST GOP DEBATE OF THE YEAR AND

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These Shoes Can Help Amplify Your Body's Abilities

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