When picking out shoes I find it very difficult to find a pair of shoes that are actually comfortable. I spent the majority of my basketball playing days with what I termed 'perma-blisters'. In other words the backs of my heals were always bloody and in pain. I tried different shoes, different socks etc and no matter what I always had blisters. I find everything can give my feet blisters and they really are big babies no matter what kind of footwear I have on.
So when shoe shopping I anticipated finding the most comfortable shoes and spending a few weeks actually breaking them in and trying to get my feet used to them. I knew that my feet were going to be picky and I would have to pick the best.
It had been a few years since I had bought running shoes and I was shocked by a number of things. First the price. They had shoes that ranged from $60 on sale to over $250. The idea of spending over $200 on a pair of shoes blew my mind. I think I would have to be a pretty awesome runner before I ever considered that. The second thing that shocked me was the amount of technology and design that has gone into running shoes in what seams like a very short amount of time. There are shoes for every type of runner based upon your own feet. So I knew I have a somewhat flat foot, but can be comfortable in shoes with or without arch support, if I roll my foot is is outwards, I can live in ballet flats with little to no difficulty and my feet do not need much to be happy as long as I do not get blisters.
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| My new shoes. |
I tried on a few different pairs of shoes and immediately knew which ones I wanted. I had never before had a pair of shoes feel perfect immediately. They shoes were New Balance Minimus w3090v2 which are shoes that are supposed to mimic running barefoot. They also have no interior stitching which results in no blisters. You are even able to wear them without socks if you wish because of the no interior stitching and also they have an antibacterial component that makes it not super gross. I have not yet worn them without socks, but come the summer I just might give it a try. These shoes are light weight and flexible and overall a wonderful shoe. Part of my love affair started because they were on a shelf marked $69 and it was not until I checked out that I found out it was on the wrong shelf and actually were almost double, but I actually loved them that much that I was willing to pay that.
After buying what is sometimes called a barefoot running shoe I then went home and did a bit of research about them. It was advised that I wear them in and get used to them in short wears a few times a week. So although they were already super comfortable, my muscles needed time to adjust to not having the support and cushion that they were sometimes used to in other running shoes. I started wearing them about 3 times a week for under an hour each time. The only downside to the shoes that I can tell is in boot camp they do no aid in balance like a normal running shoe might, they are also not really made for side to side movement as much as straight forward (but this is true about almost all running shoes) and my arch on the left foot is starting to hurt. I cannot tell if this is from the shoes or simply from an increase in exercise.
I love my shoes. I would recommend people give them a try. They look a little weird and are not recommended if you suffer/are prone to shin splints, but I think they are worth the try. I however am not an expert by any means. I simply did a bit of research and know what is currently working for me and I am hopefully that I will not suffer any of the long term side effects that are possible from barefoot running. Seriously some of the research is very against it, but at the same time, some is for it. So who knows. All I can say is I am blister free and currently my abs hurt the most on my body so that is not shoe related.
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