Getting the right running shoes
I have always thought that going to a store like Footlocker, Meijer, Kohl’s and getting the type of shoe you needed(dress, boots, running) was a pretty simple matter. For that matter I thought a shoe was a shoe and that all these specialty stores were a reason to raise the price and make a little better profit. Or a place for the elite to hang out and talk amongst themselves. Oh was I a wrong.
I have been doing plenty of reading on runnersworld.com and listening to some fellow runners I know and they all said the same thing: get fitted for the proper running shoe. Not doing so could possibly lead to injury, discomfort, or inefficient running. I thought about this for a little bit, I had just purchased some running shoes at a department store and thought they were “perfect” for me. The first couple of times running, I felt discomfort and something not “right”. I brushed those thoughts off thinking it was just a result of breaking in the new shoes. After a few more times running and the same feeling, I decide to take the advice and go get fitted.
I went down to Gazelle sports and stood there feeling a little out of place. I was surrounded by obvious hard core runners and wall full of shoes by manufactures I never heard of before. So I stood around the shoe area until a worker named Jeff ask if I need help. I explained why I was there and before long, he was having me do all sorts of things to figure out what kind of shoes I needed. In the end I walked out with some Saucony running shoes and some different insoles. I was beyond impressed with the service I received.
My first day running with my new shoes was a little short do to some cold weather induced asthma. But outside of that, my feet felt a little different for the first 5 or 10 minutes, which I figured was more a break-in period. After that I felt better and better as the run went on. I feel I did the right thing getting fitted for the proper shoe and highly recommend it to anyone going make running a part of their life. With around 10 weeks left before my first 5k I need to stay focused and injure free!