As I began training I went to my local Kohls, bought a pair of New Balance "running" shoes and hit the road (well the trails at Beaver lake) The experience was, shall we say, less than fulfilling. My feet hurt, my ankles hurt and I might have decided that running wasn't going to be my thing, but I had a larger purpose nagging at me and so I decided that perhaps I needed professional assistance. In the course of reading about running I came across Fleet Feet, a national chain of stores dedicated to running shoes and gear. We are fortunate enough to have a Fleet Feet store here in Syracuse and so I headed down to see if they could help me choose some shoes that worked for me.
I must say that the process is pretty thorough. Depending on the intentions of the runner, and the issues with arch, gait, etc., there are many steps that the crew at Fleet feet go through to evaluate and choose a pair of shoes. Everything from a careful sizing, running on a treadmill while being video taped or running on the indoor mini track while an associate carefully assesses your form is used to find the best shoe for your training and competition running goals. My original pair of Brooks Adrenaline shoes where comfortable and stable ( I have an over pronation problem..that is my ankles roll to the inside due to the absence of a natural arch..yup I have flat feet!) and they managed to help me organize my sloppy shuffle into something that at least resembles a running form. Part of the Fleet Feet secret are the custom inserts which are each designed (and color coded) to correct the various over/under/neutral pronation states. My inserts have an extremely stable inside arch support which consists of a plastic "base" with a substantial lift. I paired these with Injinji socks (toe socks
yay!) and thus far not only does slipping into my running shoes feel great, I have had no blisters, no "black" toes and really no foot issues to speak of.The thing about putting miles on running shoes is they are going to wear out quickly and need to be replaced. The typical range is 300-500 miles total. This means my original running shoes should have been replaced about 2 months ago. So I headed out to Fleet Feet yesterday and after talking with the associate about what I liked about my previous Brooks and what I wanted from my next pair I tried on 4 different pairs and finally arrived at the shoes above the Trance 9. They are more stable than the Adrenalines but not chunky. They are light but offer nice midfoot "squeeze" which tends to keep my foot straighter and the cushioning seems to be an improvement. I took them out for 6 miles today (not the best approach day one with shoes but time is ticking!) and they were fantastic. There is a break in period during which the sock liner, or the part that your foot contacts inside the shoe, forms to your foot. I made a mistake that lots of people make when they get new shoes...I tied them way too tight right off the bat and I did have to stop and loosen them up a bit. There was also a little discomfort for the first mile or so where the ball of my foot was trying to "sink" into the footbed but it did eventually warm up and allow more room. This will no doubt improve with more mileage. Running shoes are such a personal item. I am beginning to understand that buying new running shoes is akin to starting a torrid teenage love affair. You start out really excited. Any excuse will do so long as you can spend sometime together. There's the awkward learning about each other, break in period followed by the honeymoon "how did I ever live without you!?" phase. Ultimately things settle into a routine and then romance begins to fade..."You don't support me anymore!" Finally one day you find yourself ogling a sexy new pair of clean, shiny shoes that make you feel all giddy at the prospect of taking them out for a quick spin. Trouble is it is hard letting go. I spent a lot of time with my Adrenalines. They were there for so many of my firsts. First 5k, first 10k, first Trail run, and a slew of PR's (personal records- every run is the chance for a PR when you are just starting!) As I learned to love this sport my first "real" running shoes took all the real abuse and rain or shine, trails or blacktop they never said "not today" or "sorry I didn't really get into it like usual." Those shoes helped me to change me and though I know they are inanimate objects I have an attachment to them that defies logic and reason and will make it hard to let them go. So they will become my favorite walking shoes for now and who knows, maybe they'll be made into a lamp later. In the meantime I am looking forward to falling in love with my new shoes and I am excited to see where we will go...together...on this long strange trip.
