shoes
New Shoes
Last week was the week of the new shoe for me. I got two new pairs of shoes. One pair for basketball and one for running. It seems like all of my shoes are wearing out at the same time... I could use some new dress shoes and casual shoes too. Oh well, those can weight
Anyway, the new running shoes are quite nice, Asics Gel-Kinsei. (Similar to the above image.) I tried looking at two local running shops, (Salt Lake Running Company, Wasatch Running) but couldn’t find something within my price target (<$80). I ended up at Sports Authority and while I didn’t get the same type of service as at a running shop, the sales people were very friendly.
This is my second pair of Asics, but I had to choose a different size because Sports Authority doesn’t carry 12.5. I got 13 instead of 12 because it felt better. Well, I ran on the treadmill this morning with the shoes and liked ‘em till the very end when the heel started to rub the wrong way. I’m going to give it another go on my Wednesday run, but will have to return them if they still rub.
So what? Well, it got me thinking of some of the things I learned at my favorite running shop: The Starting Block (in Missouri). The owners are great and the service is wonderful. They do a video gait analysis then recommend shoes that will best help you on your run. I learned that I am a neutral runner which means I run with pretty good form.
I also learned the importance of actually running (on a treadmill) before you buy the shoes. Once you buy them, you can continue to run on a treadmill to be sure they’re right and return/exchange them for the right fit. Also, running shoes should offer about a thumbnails width between the end of the big toe and shoe when standing. This gives the foot plenty of room to move while running.
Finally, I learned that shoes break down over time (~350 miles). If the shoe is broken down inside, even if it looks fine on the exterior, you increase the risk of injury and it can make you sorer faster.
Anyway, the new running shoes are quite nice, Asics Gel-Kinsei. (Similar to the above image.) I tried looking at two local running shops, (Salt Lake Running Company, Wasatch Running) but couldn’t find something within my price target (<$80). I ended up at Sports Authority and while I didn’t get the same type of service as at a running shop, the sales people were very friendly.
This is my second pair of Asics, but I had to choose a different size because Sports Authority doesn’t carry 12.5. I got 13 instead of 12 because it felt better. Well, I ran on the treadmill this morning with the shoes and liked ‘em till the very end when the heel started to rub the wrong way. I’m going to give it another go on my Wednesday run, but will have to return them if they still rub.
So what? Well, it got me thinking of some of the things I learned at my favorite running shop: The Starting Block (in Missouri). The owners are great and the service is wonderful. They do a video gait analysis then recommend shoes that will best help you on your run. I learned that I am a neutral runner which means I run with pretty good form.
I also learned the importance of actually running (on a treadmill) before you buy the shoes. Once you buy them, you can continue to run on a treadmill to be sure they’re right and return/exchange them for the right fit. Also, running shoes should offer about a thumbnails width between the end of the big toe and shoe when standing. This gives the foot plenty of room to move while running.
Finally, I learned that shoes break down over time (~350 miles). If the shoe is broken down inside, even if it looks fine on the exterior, you increase the risk of injury and it can make you sorer faster.
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Newton's Nature
03/06/09 10:45 AM Filed in: Cardio
I just read another very interesting article regarding mid-foot running. (I posted a few weeks ago about Newton shoes.) This article is again found on the Newton blog. It references an article from Popular Science about how humans are natural long distance runners and can “outrun just about any other creature on the planet”.
I’ve never thought about that before, but think it is a great way to look at how we are designed to run. Before modern transportation, we must have run an awful lot (when we weren’t riding horses).
Have a read of the above links. Pretty interesting stuff. I’m still enthralled by Newton shoes and look forward to trying them someday.
I’ve never thought about that before, but think it is a great way to look at how we are designed to run. Before modern transportation, we must have run an awful lot (when we weren’t riding horses
).Have a read of the above links. Pretty interesting stuff. I’m still enthralled by Newton shoes and look forward to trying them someday.
Newton Shoes
02/17/09 06:53 PM Filed in: Cardio
I was looking through a running magazine the other day (Runners World?) and saw an ad for Newton Running shoes. I thought it’d be pretty cool to have a shoe with my name on it (unlike NikeID), so I looked them up. Take a look... they’ve got a pretty cool and unique technology that allegedly helps runners move with a more natural motion. They claim that too many of us run with a heal strike first whereas we should be running with a forefoot strike.
I’d like to try them out, but am mid-cycle with my current shoes and haven’t budgeted for their $150+ price tag. But I’ll post about them if I get a chance to learn more.
Here’s a (YouTube) video from their website:
I’d like to try them out, but am mid-cycle with my current shoes and haven’t budgeted for their $150+ price tag. But I’ll post about them if I get a chance to learn more.
Here’s a (YouTube) video from their website: