"[Ramolefi] Motsieloa told Public Eye the 2010 Commonwealth Games did not only mark his debut in the competition but also saw him compete wearing shoes for the first time in his career.
"According to Motsieloa, he had previously run barefoot in top competitions such as the 2010 IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Poland in March, adding the experience in India had been alien to him.
"'I feel more comfortable running barefoot and I have always been doing it during the Lesotho and regional races in the past. I had to forgo the habit here when my coaches advised me to use my new running shoes, which caused me a lot of discomfort,' the youngster said.
"Motsieloa insisted the outcome in the Delhi races could have been different had he been given the new shoes for his training.
"'I was only given those shoes a day before our departure from Maseru and this denied me the chance to use them in training.
"'I also developed some blisters on one of my toes after putting on those shoes.'
"Apart from sustaining the blisters, Motsieloa said the new shoes were also heavy for him, insisting this had negatively impacted on his tactics.
"'My feet were soaked in sweat because there was a lot of heat generated and I felt uncomfortable in the process. The shoes were also too heavy for me. I know I could have done better had I run barefoot.'
"The experience in India, he said, had taught him a lesson.
"'I will no longer run barefoot in future so as to keep up with international trends. And this will start with the 10km Soweto Marathon in Johannesburg next month.'"
Thus is another barefoot runner crushed under the padded heel of the Sneaker Empire. Darth Vader would be proud.
I can't seem to wear shoes either! Yup my feet sweat, get blisters and they are HEAVY!
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