Saturday, April 16, 2011

These Shoes Were Made for Runnin

Poor Rose really hasn't been up for running lately.  She's still gone with me but she isn't very nice by the end!  So I decided to let her have her way and let her retire.  We logged A LOT of miles Rose & I.  About 600 of them.

Wasn't she just gorgeous back in her day? 

I was in denial for quite awhile that I needed new  shoes.  They really don't look THAT bad!  I didn't WANT new shoes!  But those Asics Kayano 16's were worn so badly on the bottom, the tread is all but gone in areas.  The inside is tearing.

But worst of all, I could feel it when I ran that the support was gone, my shins started hurting, the bones top of my feet killed & my arches were sore.  So even though they looked like they had miles and miles left in them.  I had to get new shoes!


So started my search a few months ago.  Not an easy thing in these parts; shopping is NOT a quick jaunt in to town.  You've got to drive 1 1/2 hours!  Don't get me wrong, I actually LOVE that about this place.  It poses scheduling conflicts that make actually GOING nearly impossible for us right now.   

So I looked online.  Hoping to find another Kayano; whether it was the 15, 16 or 17 I didn't really care!  I knew I loved that shoe!  But I was having a hard time convincing myself that I should spend that much money on a pair of shoes!  Especially when I'm not training for a marathon.  I wasn't willing to buy a DIFFERENT pair of shoes online though.  I will NEVER buy a pair of shoes that I don't try on!

We DID make the drive on one occasion but despite my best efforts, I could not find a pair of shoes that I liked enough to spend that amount of money on.  FRUSTRATING!

It comes down to this though.  I KNOW what I WANT in a running shoe.  I KNOW what kind of SUPPORT I need.  I KNOW how I want it to FEEL on my toes, around my ankle, under my arch.  I KNOW how IMPORTANT it is to have a GREAT running shoe.  I am NOT willing to compromise.  So if it means I have to pinch pennies a while longer in order to get a more expensive shoe, then so be it.  Or if I'm lucky and it's less money, lucky me!  But the FIT itself is more important than the dollar sign.   

I ended up at the PX 3 different times, trying on shoe after shoe after shoe!  And those first two times I came out empty handed.  DISAPPOINTING!  But yesterday. Yesterday I finally found her!  After trying on SO many pairs of shoes! They even had the Kayano 17s this time. In PINK!  But they didn't have my size!  So I tried on more shoes.  And then.  It happened.  I FINALLY found the pair that FIT exactly how I wanted them to fit! 

Meet Liberty.  My new running partner.  Isn't she a ROCK STAR?!  She is an Asics Nimbus 12 in Titanium/ Maui Blue/ Lightning.  {I'm pretty sure that the 12 is last years model, but I sure don't care about that sort of thing, just as a reference for those of you who might be looking for shoes.}
Normally I go for Stability shoes, for overpronation.  The Kayano is one of those shoes.  The Nimbus is a Cushion shoe.  I hesitated even trying it on but I was trying EVERYTHING!  She fit like a glove!

I did some research on the Nimbus 12.  Runner's World gave is the "Best Update" award in the May 2010 shoe guide.  Saying " There's cushioning and then there's swaddling your feet in soft foam and Gel, which is what the Nimbus does. The cushioning provides excellent impact protection, and the foam-lined interior is soft and squeezy in all the ways our testers wanted. They praised the shoe's fit and feel, and many also had good things to say about the shoe's offset lacing pattern. Recommended for runners with normal to high arches looking for a neutral-cushioned shoe with a bit of added stability."

The Nimbus weighs in at 10oz vs. the Kayano's 11oz; which Runner's World called a "hefty" shoe, recommended for bigger runners.  Not sure how much 1oz difference will make.  But I'd rather it be 1oz lighter than heavier!

The Nimbus 11 got the Runner's World "Editor's Choice" award.  Not sure what changed from the 11 to the 12.  But either way this shoe has a proven history that's good.  Customer reviews are high.  The Nimbus is a good running shoe, that I am sure of!

I'm excited.  I came home and gave Travis a big hug and said, "THANK YOU for my new running shoes".  He laughed and came up with all kinds of "Happy second week of EBOLC anniversary" er "Happy more than a month until your birthday day". No matter the occasion, made up or not, it definitely is a HAPPY DAY!  

So, if you'll excuse me.  Maui and I are going to go on our first run together!

1 comments:

sara mae said...

i totally know what you mean about running shoes! i am extremely picky and very attached to the pair i'm in right now.

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