New Running Shoes

I mentioned in the post about the 10K that I need new running shoes and have been needing them for quite some time. The ones I currently have are about 4 years old, and do bad things to my toes. But getting new ones is just so hard...first of all, I hate spending money on them. I've realized that good running shoes can't be bought at Payless (darn it), and will likely cost (much) more than $50. (Or more than $100.)

About 2 years ago I tried to get new running shoes. It was a bit spontaneous. I was at DSW looking for shoes for a different occasion and found a pair of New Balance shoes on the clearance rack. They seemed to fit, so I bought them. My first attempt to run in them gave me blisters on the backs of my heels. I kept them around, but they were never promoted to my "official" workout shoes. (Those are the shoes that live in my locker in the gym and are only used when I'm there working out. With the exception of times like races or something.)

But seriously people. I need new shoes. I've decided this is especially crucial right now with the triathlon training I'm embarking on this summer. I finally broke down Tuesday and started looking. My first stop was Kohls, my favorite store. I looked around for a bit, feeling extremely picky about how each pair fit, etc. I'd even run up and down the aisles to try them out. Finally, I did find a pair that seemed to do a good job. Not only that, they were on sale. Those are the magic words. They were marked down from $60 to $30. Wahoo!

They are made by Avia, model 6675. The funny thing is, the shoes are kind of purple. Not overwhelmingly purple, but purple. At a distance they look gray with purple highlights. Anyway, I'm primarily concerned with how they fit my feet, not how they look. (Not that I have anything against purple.)

I had a chance to try them out right away, as I went running that afternoon. Here's a picture of me and my new shoes after our first (of many, I'm sure) run together:

How did it go? Pretty good, actually. I was glad. They could use a tad more arch support, but that's not an insurmountable issue. (I could try athletic inserts or something.) All in all, I'm pleased. A few more workouts are in order for it to be official, but they seem to fit the bill. I'm a bit sad to part with my old shoes (they've been with me for so long!), but it must be done.

I know there are places like Run Tex that will do free shoe fitting sessions for you and tell you just the right shoe to buy (and how they will sell it to you for $125). I keep meaning to do that so I at least know better what to look for. But problem is, I've just never gotten myself in there to do it. Maybe one day. In the meantime, my new shoes and I are going to spend the next few weeks getting to know each other better.