Chick Chat: Hey, Sole Sister

Shopping for shoes is one of my favorite ways to spend, well, any day. I love all kinds- flats, sandals, heels, higher heels, and boots. Shoes can make you feel taller, they can complete your outfit in the best way, and you know what? You’re always the same size in a pair of shoes. (Unlike jeans. AMIRITE?) Sneakers aren’t my favorite type of shoe, but they’re probably the most important. The wrong running shoe can make your knees hurt, your feet blister and basically, ruin your run.

Today, we’re sharing our sneakers with you. (I argued for talking about high heels too, but I guess you all care more about this running stuff. Okay.)

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Vic

I’m still searching for the perfect sneakers, but have recently fallen in love with the Adidas Supernova, which I was able to take on a test run before purchasing. They don’t feel clunky or heavy and don’t wear unevenly, which was so much of what I was looking for.

For years, I swore by Asics. I still like them, but my favorite style was discontinued a few years back and the newer models just don’t feel right to me. I’ve tried and tossed aside a few popular brands, but these Adidas Supernovas look AND feel great!


Cam20130318_073824

I have shoe issues. I have extremely flat feet which means any shoe with arch support feels like I’m running on tennis balls.  This might sound awesome but I assure you, it is not. I’m constantly at odds with my shoes. I’ve talked to countless shoe experts, had my feet and gait evaluated twice, have tried inserts and many brands of shoes.  And I’ve yet to fall in love.

Right now, I’m running in Saucony and while they’ve been okay on my feet, for the first time ever, I’m having shin splints. Le sigh. I’m going to do what the experts say and let my body adjust but sometimes I wish I had a fairy godmother who would conjure up a running shoe that was the perfect fit. At least they’re cute!

Jessimage

If I took a picture of every running shoe I have, this post would be ridiculous. Hey, I have to have shoes for every outfit possibility, right? At least, that’s what I tell myself (or Mr. Jess) when I see a new pair of kicks I. Must. Have.

That said, I most often reach for my trusty Nike LunarGlides. They fit like a glove, give great support, keep me light on my feet, and they’ve got some sweet neon accents. They’re functional AND cute, two of my favorite things.

photo-1Meri

There is a certain date that I remember distinctly when it comes to my running (and surprisingly, it’s not a race date!).  March 15, 2012, the date that I got fitted for my Mizuno Wave Inspire 8s.

Before that, to say I was floundering when it came to shoe choice would be an understatement.  It was a year long, expensive struggle trying to figure out what would work best for my feet. I don’t know why I was so hesitant to get fitted, other than a bit of new runner’s shyness on my part.

To quote Pretty Woman, “Big mistake!  Big. Huge.”

I don’t know if I got over my shyness or just wanted my feet to finally stop hurting, but I finally visited Haddonfield Running Company and got my first pair of Mizuno running shoes. Fitting was nothing to be nervous about; I spoke with the sales associate regarding my mileage. She looked at my arch, my gait, and my pronation. When I run, I tend to point my toes out slightly, which is known as overpronation. After trying three different shoes, I felt that the Mizunos were the best for me.

I haven’t regretted that decision and neither have my feet!

becshoeBec

Brooke and I have loads in common; hopeful romantics, lovers of feta cheese, SHOES. I love shoes. A lot. I have way too many and I’m always buying more. The cuter, the better. So, I  want to be able to post a picture of cute, adorable, PINK running shoes.

Alas, I can’t.

I wear Nike Dual Fusion ST running sneaks. Size 12. Men’s.

SIGH.

Finding running shoes that fit my size 13 Wide Women’s foot is a challenge. I hunted around for HOT PINK running shoes in my size and found that the only options were online. Zappos is great and will ship for free both ways, but I didn’t want to go through shipping a bunch of shoes back and forth. For running sneakers, it’s all about the feel.

So I got over myself and gave in to shopping in the Men’s department. I love my sneakers. They are the perfect combination of lightweight and supportive. They feel so good, I want to wear them everywhere, but I don’t because A) all my other (i.e. prettier) shoes would feel bad and B) I don’t want these to wear out too fast. Still, I love them.

And, as Brooke and I discussed the other day, socks are of equal importance when it comes to running. Turns out we have one more thing in common. We’re both fans of the Balega Hidden Comfort socks. You guys, these socks are so darn comfy. And I just found out, they come in colors!! INCLUDING PINK!

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I have narrow feet and a high arch, and I’ve been happily wearing Nike Pegasus sneakers for the past three years. They’re lightweight, supportive and they come in some great colors.

I was recently refitted at my local running store, Track Shack, to see if my foot had grown during my pregnancy and picked up these pretty (if a little plain, for my taste) gray kicks.

Every 400 miles or so, I change my shoes. I’m already eyeing the bright green on Nike’s website!

What type of shoes do you wear? Have you been fitted at a specialty store? Do you prefer neutral or bright colors? Let us know in the comments.

8 thoughts on “Chick Chat: Hey, Sole Sister

  1. Like Cam, I have a super flat foot. She’s right, running on tennis balls is not fun. I also have a wide foot, which limits my options at a lot of brick and mortar places. (Stop telling me to shop online, world!) I thought going to the running store would be pointless, but they were amazing! They put me in a pair of Brooks Adrenaline GTS 12s that I love, and I say a little “thank you” to the heavens every time I put them on.

    • And what color are they, Anne?

      It’s a shame more brick and mortar stores don’t cater to different widths. I’ve run into this problem already with my oldest girl, who has very narrow feet.

  2. I’m a Brooks girl. I wear the Adrenaline GTS 12 and 13. (I alternate my shoes so they last longer). My first pair of running shoes were Mizuno Wave Riders. I ran my 1st half marathon in them and I couldn’t walk for a week afterward… turns out I do not have an neutral stride. I needed a stability shoe and my Brooks offer me that support. I’ve also ran long distance in Pearl Izumi Isoshift shoes and they are awesomeness.

      • I really alternate days. If I run in my pink Adrenaline 12’s on Monday, my Wednesday run I will be wearing my Blue Adrenaline 13’s. I don’t run 2 consecutive runs in my shoes. Really it helps the inserts last longer more so than the shoes… at least that’s my theory.

        And yeah,recovery from GO!STL last year was miserable, but even then I didn’t really learn my lesson. I thought it was the insert that caused me pain, so I ran a 10K about 3 weeks later in the Mizuno AND then figured out I should probably try a different shoe. 🙂

    • They are light blue and bluish grey. To be honest, when I walked in, I was drawn to the very cute, very pink shoes. And I even pouted a little when the shoe choices were presented and none of them were pink. Or purple. Or even a nice, springy green. At which point, the sales lady gave me a very awesome talking to. It amounted to “Oh. I’m sorry. Did you want the shoes that fit right and helped you be a better runner? Or did you want the cute shoes?” Not only did I appreciate her candor but she was right. I get envious of the cute, bright shoes that other people have all the time, and then I remember how sad my feet were before I wore the right shoe.

  3. A friend of mine told me that she had to get fitted in the store and then order online because they didn’t carry wide. I think it’s a shame that the smaller chains don’t have the ability to carry wider/narrower widths as well.

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