It took me eight weeks to figure out that the pain in my right IT band, the shin splints, that ache on the ball of my foot, and the pain in my left IT band that appeared when the right IT band got better, were related to the new shoes I got at the end of May. After weeks of feeling old, out of shape, arthritic, whiny, and slow, it finally occurred to me that maybe the new shoes just weren't cutting it. I've been wedded to the same make and model for about five years now, so I had no reason to expect the new pair wouldn't work out. But sometimes the little changes they make year by year do make a difference. Even though the only difference between a 2007 and 2008 Corolla might be the placement of a cupholder, that just might matter to some drivers. My feet did not like where they put the cupholder in my new shoes.
So yesterday I trooped down to our awesome local running store and bought a new pair (pictured above). It's the make I used to wear years ago, and they fit great. After learning about my cupholder problem, Jed, the owner, even cut me a discount on the new ones. Nice! And after this morning's pain-free run, I'm convinced that the shoes really were the problem. Even nicer! Cuz it's depressing to walk around all day feeling old, out of shape, arthritic, whiny, and slow.
Oh the irony! I have actually decided that I need a new pair of running shoes, considering that the pading that was behind my foot is now down in the heal. So, I was thinking I should go to a local running store and get fitted, being I never have before. What I have found is that most runners do this.
What I discovered in doing some feet/running shoe research online is that I do not need to run in my orthotics as long as I get a supportive shoe. Revelation! I never even considered that before. I have also decided that running is a cheap hobby and I need to be more willing to spend money on good shoes.
I still think about Cara's "bigfoot" story of purchasing shoes and laugh...
Posted by: Scott Springman | 17 July 2008 at 03:33 PM
Boy, you are not kidding about the small changes making a huge difference. I have been running in the same shoe for, well, ever. The last "update" widened the toe carriage and now I'm a mess. I can even feel it messing with my stride.
Time to take a trip to a running store...
Posted by: Mindy | 17 July 2008 at 04:31 PM
Boy, you are not kidding about the small changes making a huge difference. I have been running in the same shoe for, well, ever. The last "update" widened the toe carriage and now I'm a mess. I can even feel it messing with my stride.
Time to take a trip to a running store...
Posted by: Mindy | 17 July 2008 at 04:33 PM
Scott: Yes, in a shoe that's properly fitted the orthotic is already built in, essentially, so you don't have to worry about anything but getting the right shoe for your foot. Nice!
Mindy: Get new shoes! Don't delay!
Posted by: caraf | 17 July 2008 at 04:37 PM
I went to said awesome local running store about a month ago to get new shoes. I knew what I wanted: Nike Air Structure Triax, 9 1/2. They assured me that this model hadn't changed, so I bought them without trying them on. The first time I put them on, my first impression was, wow, these shoelaces are really short! That run didn't feel so good. The second time I put them on, I thought, I'm really mad that they're skimping on shoestrings. After that run, I could feel serious problems coming on. My arch was killing me. So I took them back to the local awesome running store...turns out I had been given 9 1/2 NARROW shoes (the N designation shows up only on the box, not on the shoe itself). I do not have narrow feet!
The saleswoman, while sympathetic, could not give me a full refund given the fact that I had run in them twice ("You really wanted these shoes to work, didn't you?" she asked). But she did give me a nice discount.
Draw your own moral here.
Posted by: slatta | 17 July 2008 at 06:27 PM