Monday, February 25, 2013

I've Done a Bad, Bad Thing

So... about today... I bought a new pair of shoes.

Wait, did I say one pair of shoes? I mean two.

...

Gulp.

I don't know what's wrong with me. I can't control myself.

In my defense, I was planning to return one pair once I had a chance to walk around in them some more. As anyone could have told you would happen, my resolve has weakened considerably since I made that choice.

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Let's start at the beginning.

I love, love, love the shoes I do 95% of my runs in. They are light, they aren't very cushioned, and I feel wicked fast when I wear them.

Love

I trained for a marathon last year entirely in these shoes. The one time I ran in another pair, I got a stress fracture. In all fairness, I had just bought the shoes (another Merrell model) and stupidly ran a half marathon in them without properly breaking them in. My bad. I've run in the shoes a few times since that happened, but I just don't like them that much. So after a brief affair, I went crawling back to my Pace Gloves with promises of eternal love.

Anyway, these shoes got me through marathon training (or at least, up to 20 miles), and while I think they're excellent shoes and would recommend them to anyone, after about 15 miles things get kind of tough. After that much pavement pounding, the skin on my feet starts to ache. Not anything within the foot, just the skin. Imagine repeatedly slapping your bare hand against cement. For 3+ hours. After a while, your palm skin will feel like it's falling off.

This time around, I've decided to experiment with some different shoes. Ideally, they would be identical to my Pace Gloves, only slightly more cushioned. Unfortunately, this ideal doesn't seem to exist. I haven't been very happy with the other Merrells I've tried (*cough* stress fracture), and given all the ridiculous "technology" shoe companies feel obligated to spew all over their shoes, finding a nearly identical model from someone else isn't realistic. It seems I'll have to be content with a totally different shoe.

I hate myself for this, but a certain shoe company's incessant blog campaigning has been massively successful, and the "buy these shoes" message finally worked its way into my head after the umpteeth blogger raved about them. I swear I looked into other options, but I've just heard so many positive things about these shoes that I wasn't seriously considering anything else.

I was convinced I was going to try on the most "minimalist" offering and run out of there with it, but surprisingly when I first tried it on I kind of hated it. Maybe it's because I've been running in "less shoe" for the past two years, but I really dislike arch support. I'm not, like, morally opposed to it or anything; I just hate how it feels. Also, the shoes I was wearing when I hurt my foot had a significant arch bump. PTSD. This shoe's arch bump felt like it was going to poke me in the chin, so I was less than pleased.

Door number one. I really wish they had the other color. Pink + Jeano = puuuuuuke.

So I put these shoes on and wasn't really feeling it. So much for the quick trip I had envisioned. I proceeded to run the salesperson ragged, demanding that he bring me shoe after shoe after shoe and wait patiently as I tried each of them on multiple times. A good forty-five minutes later, I thought I was happiest with the feel of a slightly more cushioned model. The "bumpy" shoe is already so cushioned that the slight increase in cushioning is negligible to me. Most importantly, it doesn't have the pronounced arch bump the other shoe has. 

Door number two.

You would think I would quit while I was ahead and PTFO... but I just couldn't.

I wasn't really able to run in either shoe (note to REI: get a treadmill for your shoe area), and from what I've read the experience of running in the bumpy shoe is very different from that of walking in them. It seems the bump isn't nearly as noticeable once you get moving. Plus, they feel like really fast shoes. I was obviously having a hard time letting go of the shoe I had been so certain I would buy, so like a breakup that just won't seem to take, I decided to give it another shot.

I've had a chance to try the shoes every which way (socks on, socks off, insoles in, insoles out). Conclusions? To me, both feel better sockless (although I think there is major potential for some bad blistering - the inside is nowhere near as seamless/smooth as Merrell's shoes) but with insoles. Sockless, they're both pretty rad. You wouldn't think it would make much of a difference, but it totally does with these shoes.

So what am I going to do? Who am I kidding: I'm probably keeping both pairs.

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I was just shown this video and think you might enjoy it. Unless I'm the last person on the planet to watch this thing. Wouldn't surprise me.

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Post-script: sorry for not using the shoes' real names. They kind of make me gag. It is next to impossible to say them out loud without rolling your eyes at yourself. If you want to ask what they're called, I'll suck it up and tell you. If you ask me about "pod technology," though, I'll probably punch you in the face.

Thanks for putting up with all this shoe rambling. But if I can't talk about it here, I REALLY can't talk about it anywhere, right?
  • What do you run in? Have you tried this company before (I think we all know what company it is)? Are you a convert?
  • Tell me about your terrible shoe-buying habit so I feel better. I swear, all my casual shoes are hideous and were given to me as gifts. I hate spending money on real shoes. Put some running shoes in front of me, though, and I'll buy it all.
  • Watched any funny Youtube videos recently? Send 'em my way!

16 comments:

  1. ahhh, Brooks, eh!?
    Never had a pair, but deeefinitely keep hearing amazing things about them.
    I think I have a terrible working out gear habit. It's the only thing I buy lately!! that can't be a bad problem to have, right?!! lol!

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    1. I've been super thrifty since moving back to Alaska and I was trying to think about non-food items I've bought myself since I moved back in August... All I could think of were hiking boots, Yaktrax, and these shoes. Kind of funny but not that surprising!

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  2. I'm with TR on this one...I always figure that there are MUCH worse habits/hobbies/products that I could be spending money on. At least this way, I'm happy, and fit, and (sometimes) cute...before I get soaked in sweat and red-faced.

    Anyway - I just bought a pair of the pink ones. Like, 2 weeks ago. Been testing them out/easing into them. Heck, don't be ashamed of the name/hype - you can buy into the shoe without the hype. They've been out..what...2 years now? And you've been running more minimalist for...what...how many years now? Be proud of what you wear, and let the band-wagon-jumpers do/think what they will. In another year, they'll all be off barking up some other tree anyway. :)

    If it makes you feel any better, I'm a sucker for both running shoes AND "regular wear" shoes. When I'm doing science, I'm on my feet a lot, so I insist on decent quality shoes, too - so they aren't exactly the $9.99 Wal-Mart shoes. My preference is for cute flats. And nowadays, I wear a lot of sandals. Good thing I stocked up before moving. And I have this addiction to Adidas nubbley sandals, for my "inside shoes" (no shoes inside around here). Oh, and if they are red, it's twice as likely that I'll purchase them. And while Cole Hahn is currently out of my budget, they have some awesome sparkly women's wingtip style shoes. *ahem* Anyway, right...no problem with shoes here, none at all...nothing to see...just keep moving... :)

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    1. Ahaha, you just made me realize they ARE pink. Totally thought they were red. I guess I'll really have to get over my aversion to pink now...

      I'm pretty sure I would LIVE in sandals if I lived where you do. I can't imagine it being cool enough to wear anything else! I used to have a pair of the "nubbley sandals" (didn't everyone?!), but thinking back, I feel like the nubs kind of hurt my feet.

      Going on 2 years in these strange shoes of mine ;).

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    2. No wonder. I was a bit confused about how the photos fit with your text. Pink? Those aren't pink (except for one tiny spot). The ones BELOW are pink....???

      I think a lot of people feel that way about the nubs...but I love them! And after awhile, they nubs get all mushed down and start falling off. But I force myself to wait until LOTS of them are off before I'll commit to buying a new pair...

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    3. I'm STILL confused. I keep staring at them and just can't make up my mind about what color they actually are.

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  3. Shoes at REI kill me every time. Almost all of my non-running shoes come from REI and they are always at least $100, but tough enough to last a while.

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    1. I always feel so happy shopping there, like it's better I give THEM my money than, like, Wal-Mart or something. And I always get a ton of use out of them! If I were to calculate "per use" cost, it would be EXTREMELY low.

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  4. I LOVE Brooks! I actually converted over to them on sheer accident. After two years of desperately trying to make all different kinds of barefoot shoes work for me (FiveFingers, Merrel Gloves, NB Trail Minimus), and suffering horrible, debilitating blisters in the process, I finally gave in to the fact that it was time for something different. I snagged a pair of the PureFlow's at an REI Garage sale for $15 just because I thought they were comfy and ended up falling in love. I found some PureGrits at the next garage sale for my trail running and it's been a love affair ever since.

    I finally just retired both of my original shoes and picked up the original PureFlows at DSW for like $65 (instead of the regular $100) and splurged on the new PureGrit2's because they have a MUCH better traction system than the originals. Took them out on their inaugural trail run on Sunday and they performed wonderfully in muddy conditions.

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    1. Are you kidding me?!?! $15?! That's nuts! I am SO bad about finding sale items. I guess I just like being conned.

      Depending on how these babies work, I'd definitely be interested to try some of their trail offerings. We definitely get our share of mud up here!

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  5. I refuse to run in anything besides my beloved asics. I am totally brand loyaly and won't run in anything else, even though I am sure there are better shoes out there.

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    1. I can totally understand that! I felt a little guilty trying something other than Merrells. I haven't tried Asics before, though. I feel like I recently saw a really funny but very bizarre commercial for them on t.v....

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  6. I really like Ascis and have a pair of Nikes that I will never buy again (but they're cute!). I REALLY want to try out some Brooks though. Running shoe buying is SUCH a science...and one that I fail at every time!

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    1. Yeah, Nike's really got the aesthetic part down (at least if you love bright colors like I do!). I haven't actually run in their shoes before, though. The Frees kind of freak me out (something about how the sole layers separate when you flex the shoe?) and I don't think I even know what their other shoes are like.

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  7. You know, I love Brooks clothing (their jackets and tech shirts are great) but I've never been a fan of their shoes or 'technology' that they go on and on about in all of their psychadelic ads. I'm a Mizuno girl. They have the right arch supports for my feet and I won't run in any other brand. I have yet to try the minimalist shoes but I have a feeling, since I'm so attached to a certain type of shoe, I will hate them too.

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    1. Funny you should mention their clothing - when I was trying the shoes on I happened to glance over at some REALLY awesome shorts I was too afraid to try on because I thought I might buy them (I go months and months without spending money but when I finally do, I get kind of out of control). Then, because REI knows me too well, they gave me a $20 gift card that has to be used all at once and within a specific 5-day period. Somehow I think I'm going to end up going back there and buying those shorts (which DEFINITELY cost more than $20)...

      I agree, all this "technology" is so annoying. I just want the basics, not a "split toe" or a "pod" or a "nav band."

      I actually used to run in Mizunos when I first started running but they gave me really terrible hip pain (to the point where I walked with a pretty bad limp - I was new to running and didn't realize I wasn't supposed to feel like that!), but unfortunately had to try something else.

      My advice to people thinking about trying minimalism is, "If what you're currently doing is working, you should probably just stick with that."

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