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| Doesn't everybody shop for running shoes on snowy days? |
Here are
some explanations of the three most important running shoe features.
Neutral – No
built in features to correct behavior of the foot and ankle on impact.
Cushioning –
Soft stuff in the sole. Ah, yes!
Stability –
This feature prevents the foot from rolling too much on impact. There are
various degrees of stability available.
Confession:
I have never been fitted for shoes! In fact, I stumbled upon some Asics with a
little stability in them once and I have continued to use a stability shoe
(except for these) ever since. I discovered something yesterday. I don’t need a stability shoe! This is how I know.
I chose to
visit The Pulse for two reasons. First –
They use a treadmill and a video camera.
Second – Location. The owner (I apologize that I didn't catch her name)
first checked my arches and had me walk across the floor in my stocking feet so
she could see what my ankles, especially my Achilles tendon, did when I
walked. It was neutral – it stayed
mostly straight while I walked. (This is important as I have been struggling
with some tendonitis and sciatica.) She began bringing several pairs of
brightly colored shoes for me to try. I
donned a pair and hopped on the treadmill to look for a couple of things. First – how did the shoe feel? Second – what happened
with my Achilles as I ran? The second
purpose was aided by a video camera aimed at the back of my feet that could be
slowed and stopped to evaluate how my feet, ankles, and the shoes behaved
together. She was very patient and allowed me to take as much time as I needed to make the best choice possible. There was no hard sell!
After trying
out five or six pair – I ran in each pair and even ran in two different shoes for
comparison – I chose the Asics Gel-Cumulus. They have some nice cushioning and I
am excited to see how they perform for me. I tried other brands – Saucony, Brooks, and
Mizuno – but I went back to Asics. Now,
if the weather would just warm up so I could take them for a ride!
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| My new shoes! |
Reasons to
visit a running store:
- The owners are runners.
- Treadmills and video cameras.
- A better fit means more success on the run.
- Performance shoes are more comfortable and less likely to promote injury than cheaper models, saving money in the long run.
- Performance shoes wear longer than lesser models.
- Your feet and ankles will thank you!
Do you have a product or service you would like to know more about? Comment below or message me on Facebook and we will see what information we can find.
Happy Running!
