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Saturday, October 29, 2011

The Shoe Wars Saga Continues.

In a galaxy far, far away….

It is a period of civil war.  Rebel spaceships, striking from a….. WAIT that’s not right!

A few months ago I mentioned that the owner of my local fleet feet said I was in wrong fitting shoes.  Since then, I’ve had my form checked out a couple of times, from various stores.  Each one seemed to say something different.  One said I’m supinating, another I over-pronate.  One suggested a neutral shoe (which I was currently in), another said I needed support. 

I didn’t post it here, but I decided to try a third store, explain the situation, and see what they had to say.  This store was patient, they heard both stores suggestions, and walked me through an extensive analysis.  The results:   I tend to supinate while walking, but once I start running, I start pronating, and the faster I go, the more I over-pronate.  Their recommendation, a support shoe.  I tried several and made a mental note of the ones I liked.  Being that I’m  a cheap bastard bargain hunter, I didn’t buy one at that time.  I also was finishing my half marathon training and did not want to change shoes right before a race.  So I waited.  It’s worth mentioning that my current pair had gotten me through all my running since Christmas of last year, including marathon training, the marathon, and everything since, without any complaints (minus the orthotic incident).

Last week I decided to order the model that seemed to be the best according to the third shoe store, ASICS GT-2160.  I got them through Runners Warehouse using the remaining gift card money I had and spent a whopping $35 total. The shoes came in on Thursday and yesterday I got in a decent 2 mile run. They felt pretty good at first, but by one mile, I could feel some tension along the outer shin, about 3-4 inches above my ankles.  I’m hopeful that I just need to get used to wearing support shoes since I’ve been wearing neutrals for nearly two years.  Slow and steady with alternating between the two is my goal.  Are these going to be the “right” shoe for me?  No clue.  The more I’ve researched and dealt with the realm of running shoes, the more I’m learning that it’s not a simple matter of finding the right shoe for me, but it’s more about finding what works for the current situation.  And so, the saga continues….

5 comments:

Unknown said...

I always get that outer shin pain for the first 2-3 runs of a new shoe, unless it's the exact same shoe that I was running in previously. Even then, I sometimes will still get it. I just bought new shoes that were the exact same size/brand/model as the last pair and had the laces too loose. I kept getting the shin pain until I tightened the laces. I dread running in new shoes, because that pain sucks so much. That's why they say not to run in new shoes for races.

James said...

Thanks Kim, I didn't think about the laces being too lose.

J said...

i always alternate shoes when I get new ones, that way i can slowly break them in. Especially when they are a new type or brand of shoe I am not used to. Hopefully you found something you like. I used to run in asics, but recently switched to Brooks.

Anonymous said...

I would get your form checked out by someone who doesn't have a stake in what Credit Card you pull out of your wallet. Make sure they have high speed video and an actual degree.

Lacey Sue said...

I swear by saucony's progrid 4 guides... they are a mild support shoe and I love them!! Let me know how these shoes work out!