Let's talk about running shoes

vs.

vs.

Last night I called Karin over to where I was sitting on my laptop to show her a pair of running shoes I was looking at.  I have been looking at running shoes on my laptop for weeks...okay, months.  Last year I wore a pair of Asics GT-2160s, and I consider it the greatest shoe I have ever run in.  So when it was time to get new shoes, I ordered the new version, the 2170.  Well, it was not the same.  And ever since that disappointment I have been searching for the running shoe nirvana I once had.

A few minutes after I showed Karin the shoes, and also told her my new theory that I was wearing the wrong size, our roommate, Daisy, asked me, "So what is it you like about the 2170?"  I was completely flabbergasted!  Daisy has no interest in running.  How did she even know what shoe I wore?  Who cares?! Someone wanted to talk running shoes with me!  I was just about to launch into my full spiel about the differences between my One True Love, the GT-2160, and my Nemesis, the GT-2170, when I thought, "Wait a minute here...why is she asking me about my shoes?"  It felt like a trick.  And sure enough, when I looked over at Karin, she couldn't even hide her evil smile.  She had put Daisy up to it.  Daisy had no clue what the hell she was talking about!  She just repeated what Karin had whispered to her a minute earlier!

So...perhaps I have been talking to Karin about running shoes too much...

So guess what?  Now I will blog about it instead!

In the past I bought running shoes once a year.  It was the highlight of my year, and it went like this:
Go to a sporting goods store.  Try on all shoes that are on sale.  When a pair of shoes is comfortable and has that awesome "bouncy" feeling, purchase those shoes.

That is how I found my previous One True Love, the Saucony Grid Propel Plus which, wouldn't you know, has since been discontinued.  It is also how I found my GT-2160s.

But since then things have changed.  For one thing, I am running more and now buy running shoes twice a year.  Also, the GT-2160 is what is called a "stability shoe," meaning it is designed to correct overpronation (the foot's tendency to roll inward after it strikes the ground).  My track coach in high school told me I was an overpronator, but I never realized that there were shoes specifically designed for that.  So now I am torn between wearing stability shoes exclusively, or just going by feel like I used to, which usually worked out for me.

So this is the issue that has consumed me for months, since it became time to purchase new shoes.  I am currently wearing the men's version of the GT-2170, which I like better than the women's, but it is still not my ideal shoe.  Which brings up a whole other issue: do I really need a "women's" shoe?  I ran in men's shoes up until a few years ago, but again, I ran less then.

The bottom line is this: I stare at shoes constantly on the computer, but I rarely have time to actually go to a real running store and try them on.  So that is what I need to do, just go to the store and try on every shoe!  But until then, all I can do is blabber on and on and on about running shoes to my extremely tolerant girlfriend.


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