Part of my "100 pounds lost" celebration was to go to a running store and get fitted for some fancy smancy new running shoes. I usually just get my shoes at Foot Locker or some equivalent.
While I have been looking forward to it, I must have also been nervous about it because I had a dream awhile back that I went into the store, told them that I wanted new running shoes and the skinny-mini clerk said to me, "Ummm... ..you're not a REAL runner. You can buy shoes ANYWHERE. Why don't you try Wal-Mart?"
That certainly didn't happen today. I went to Run-Tex in Austin and the girl helping me out was very nice.
I brought in the pair of Nike's I have been running in.
She checked out the wear on my tread and said I have very even wear. Apparently this means I have a "healthy stride" and an "even transition from heal strike to toe-off". This article will tell you more about your wear pattern.
So, then she asked me to run up and down the length of the store as she watched. She said I don't need any special support because my foot only rolls the normal amount as I run. Basically, I don't need the aforementioned "fancy smancy" running shoes at all. I just need a basic pair of shoes that fit correctly and are comfortable for me. According to her, your running shoes should usually be at least a half a size larger than your regular shoes to account for the swelling that happens during running.
Of course I'm happy that I have a "healthy" stride, but darn it I was hoping for some super special shoes! :)
I got this pair of Adidas Boost. Simple, but cute.
Oh, and a bonus of being boring is that they weren't too expensive. Guess that means I can get two pairs, right? :)
What kind of shoes do you run in? And what does your "wear pattern" say about you?