Fiesta de San Fermín is not a place where you want to be figuring out your footwear on the fly. We sat down with Encierro founder Dennis Clancey, an active bull runner who has been briefing first-timers in Pamplona for years, to get the real, unglamorous rules on what to actually wear, from the opening chupinazo to the run itself.
What shoes should women avoid wearing at Fiesta, and why?
Dennis Clancey: I generally don’t recommend that women wear heels at Fiesta, and no open-toed shoes. The streets are filthy, and there’s trash everywhere. The streets are constantly wet, that wetness is a mix of water, some of that might be shampoo water, but often it’s the detritus of the street and trash.
Can women wear heels at all, or is it a hard no?
Dennis Clancey: I think heels are a hard no. I’ve talked to some females that say in certain circumstances, if you’re going to dinner outside of town, you might wear a block heel or a wedge, but generally you don’t see it that often. There are traditional shoes from that region that sometimes people will wear, but the easiest solution for this is to wear comfortable shoes, and by shoes, I mean sneakers.
What’s your actual advice on footwear for people planning to run?
Dennis Clancey: My usual advice is they need to run in something that’s very comfortable. I’ve seen all sorts of things on the run route, I’ve seen people attempting to show up in flip-flops and Crocs. Those people get kicked off the run route very quickly by the police, they get pointed out by other runners. Don’t show up on the run route with anything less than shoes that make you feel confident running away from a bull. That can be running shoes, tennis shoes, flats, CrossFit shoes, whatever you feel most comfortable in.
What’s important about the faja and the pañuelo? Should someone wear one for the run, and why?
Dennis Clancey: Locals most prefer that you wear white, so a white shirt and white pants or shorts during the run. It’s also very common in Fiesta to have the neckerchief, the pañuelo, that needs to be tied in a slipknot. Some runners will opt to also wear the faja, that would also need to be in a knot that would come out if snagged by a bull. There are photos and videos of runners getting snagged by both their neckerchief and their sash. There’s a very well-known incident of a runner being dragged for 60 meters by his neckerchief, that occurred on July 7th, 2012.
What are the rules for how to dress for the chupinazo?
Dennis Clancey: The rules for dressing at the chupinazo are simple. If you’re not on a balcony, you want to wear clothes that you feel comfortable throwing out after the event, because you will be drenched in sangria, water, and in some cases eggs. Your shoes need to be tied very tight, because in the force of the crowd someone will step on your heel and your shoe will come off if it isn’t. I often recommend that for chupinazo, people bring a pack of Hanes undershirts to throw out afterward, and buy white pants once they get to town, since they typically cost about 12 euros in the shops adjacent to the run route.
Do runners wear knee protection, and why?
Dennis Clancey: Some runners do wear knee protection. I wear hex pads underneath my pants to protect my knees, because when I’m running very quickly, if I’m tripped, my knee is often the first thing to hit the ground, and it’s hitting cobblestone. That is the most frequent injury I’ve gotten during the running of the bulls.