Holy bajesus it’s hot, and when I mean hot, I mean that 100 degrees is already flashing on the dash of my car. It’s humid, hot and downright miserable… the perfect summer day to get some inside work done with a cold iced water and lemons!
But enough about today, let’s rewind and go back to yesterday! It was a packed day: grocery shopping, baking, meetings, shoe fittings, snack stops and happy hour!
But most of that stuff is of unimportance, but what is of importance is the running shoe fitting.
Running Shoe Fitting Process
In the past, I always picked my shoes not by how they were designed or how great the reviews were but by how the shoes looked, the colors and how they looked on my legs (I have unusually small ankles!).
But since I have made a bigger commitment to running lately, and I knew my current shoes where on their last “leg” (haha, get it?), I decided it was time to step it up and do it right.
Doing it right for running shoes equates to visiting a high end local running store, having them do some fancy test and measurements for the “shoe specialists” to determine what sort of shoe is best for you.
There are so many choices right now like minimalistic, high support, little support, middle support, uggg, I felt overwhelmed and was excited to be like Goldie Locks looking for just the right fit.
The most popular running store here in Charleston (at least I think) is TRY Sports, so Dan and I drove across town to see what they were all about.
When we walked in I was immediately introduced to one of those “shoe specialist” who was very nice. Introductions are a must before showing someone your feet, right?
Next Up: Beginning The Shoe Fitting
What kind of shoe was I looking for? That means an interview was in order.
We chatted about what my goals were, how many miles I run a week, how long I wanted the shoe to last. What is my current shoe, and was I suffering any aches and pains?
After that interrogation was done we moved on.
Sizing
I have been the same size for over 10 years now so I was pretty happy when she recommended that particular size.
Though it turns out that my left foot is a smidge larger than the right, apparently this is normal though. Same with my hands (just in case you were wondering).
Okay, so we know what I want shoes for and we know what size I should be in, now what?
The fun begins.
Gait/Pronation Test
Next up, I was given a pair of test shoes to slip on and escorted to a treadmill. The treadmill was nothing fancy, but the technology around it was freaking bad ass!
There were cameras and a computer screen which recorded me running (at a 6.0 pace).
Then my specialist was able to measure the angle of impact when I hit the ground. Pretty cool!
This test shows the angle of pronation (turning your ankle inward). I thought I was a slight pronator and again I was right! Nothing crazy, but her measurements did confirm that I am a slight pronator.
I wish I could remember the specific angle bracket but I can’t, sorry.
Moving on.
The Green Screen
This was pretty cool, I stood on a mirror what had some sort of green neon touch reaction. So whatever my feet touched when standing still helped to show my arches.
I have VERY high arches, the only thing that touched the ground were my toes (duh), the pads of my feet and my heels.
This wasn’t as important in picking out actual shoes as it was in showing how having custom made insoles would help.
I was almost sold, but they were expensive and it wasn’t an investment I was willing to make at that time (we’re talking $100 on top of new shoes).
The Verdict
After all that, it was announced that I need medium support shoes. My feet weren’t as picky as I thought.
Because I am a “med-girl” I would apparently do well in almost any shoe, but because of my 1/2 marathon training and the amount I am running already she had some good recommendations for me.
From here it was all about person preference.
Decisions Decisions?
I tried on 4 different shoes, to see which ones felt the best, looked the best, and made me feel like a rockstar on the roads!
I like the fact that with the shoes I liked, my show specialist would recommend a quick run outside to get a feel. There were some shoes I knew as soon as I slipped them on that I wasn’t a fan (the Nikes) while there were others that came down to “do they look good?”.
These are the bad boys that ended up on my feet at the end.
Them Mizuno’s Wave Inspire
I love them, they might not be as pretty as I would like but at least I know I am getting a good quality shoe for what I need.
I tell clients all the time, that if you’re cheap that’s okay (I am cheap) but when it comes to running shoes don’t go for cost, go for quality and spend a bit more money to make sure you end up with a shoe that isn’t going to cause:
- Back pain
- Shin splints
- Knee issues
- Hip problems
- Sore feet
I recommend going for a proper fitting to everyone. Because the shoes you love might not be the ones that will love you back. And trust me, that’s no fun!
Vegan Fun!
After the running store, I wanted to go by one more place… Puree Cafe
My sister-in-law, Julie, had recently noticed that a new organic vegan cafe had opened up. Since it was close to the running place I again dragged Dan along to see what it was all about.
It was so cute! And I was really excited because we don’t have anything like this in Charleston right now. In fact, I have even tossed the idea out there of opening a place up, so I am glad they did it (one less thing on my plate!).
Though the kitchen was closed, they still agreed to whip up some fresh juices for us. Yes please!
Peach, apple and kale for this chick! Pineapple, berries and kale for Dan! I have to say, these are the best juices I’ve ever had. I am normally a bit afraid of them because I had a bad experience once before but these things rocked.
Even though they weren’t open we did see the menu, can’t wait to come back for brunch one morning!
After running around, it was time to slow things down which we did at happy hour with my sister-in-law who is in town from DC! just so happens I am off to do that same thing shortly! Happy Saturday.
Questions:
- What’s your favorite workout/running shoe?
- Have you ever experienced pains from bad shoes?
- What’s on the agenda for the weekend?
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Unfortunately, I think I have a poor-fitting pair of shoes now. I went to the Nike store and was fitted by them, however I think I should have gone to a running store and go through a similar fitting process you did. I’ve been experiencing knee pain in my right knee with my longer runs that I’m hoping can be alleviated with shoe inserts. If not, I’ll be hitting up a running store.
My last pair of shoes gave me some knee and hip issues which I am hoping will be solved as well. Good luck Ali.