We're Military Spouses. We're Runners. We're Stroller Warriors.
  Stroller Warriors Running Club
  • Home
  • About Us
    • How it all began
    • How it all continues
    • Who we are
    • What we do
    • SW Testimonials
  • Chapters
    • How to join
    • Starting a Chapter
    • Coordinating an Existing Chapter
    • Coordinator lineage
  • Blog
    • Meet the Authors
  • Miles
    • Program History
    • RTW Chapter Videos
    • 2023 Wall of Fame
    • 2022 Wall of Fame
    • 2021 Wall of Fame
    • 2020 Wall of Fame
    • 2019 Wall of Fame
    • 2018 Wall of Fame
    • 2017 Wall of Fame
    • 2016 Wall of Fame
    • 2015 Wall of Fame
    • 2014 Wall of Fame
  • News
    • Videos
    • Awards
    • Photos
  • Gear
  • FAQ
  • Contact Us

A Stroller Warrior's Guide to Buying Shoes

11/8/2018

0 Comments

 
PictureThere are lots of cute shoes out there to pick from!
​Let me tell you a story about a girl named Kelly. She was new to running and didn't know that each person’s feet were different and therefore needed different things. She picked shoes based on their colors and whether they'd match her outfits or not. Do you know what happened? She owned cute shoes and she ran herself right into a serious problem - plantar fasciitis.
 
After she learned her lesson the hard way she started doing things differently. Can you guess what she did?
 
Okay, by now you probably have figure out that I'm talking about myself. . . So what do I do differently now?  

PictureDo you see how the inside sole is darker than the outside sole?
​1. I get opinions on my feet from the experts and I go back and ask again every few years. As my body has grown stronger over the years, the way my feet land has also changed. For example, when I was a beginner runner. I over-pronated majorly. Pronation to some degree is a normal part of running. However, if you pronate too much you can run into other problems. Shoe experts have tried to combat this problem by making the inner part of a shoe of a firmer substance. You can usually tell if a shoe is for an over-pronated just by looking from the outside of the shoe at the inner sole. It will be a different color than the rest of the sole. Now, after years of running and strengthening my body through weight lifting I need a neutral shoe. If I hadn’t gone back to get checked again, I would probably be running in the wrong shoes for me. Most running shoe stores have experts who can watch you run and help you find the right shoes for you. Podiatrists if you know one or go to see one are also great people to ask what kind of shoes your feet need.
 
2. I don't allow myself to look at the color of the shoes or the price. I run in them without looking down and I pick the pair that feels the best. While I don’t ask the price before I run in them, I have been known to ask if they have last year’s model in stock. You can often get last year's model at a much more reasonable price and it’s likely exactly the same as this year's model or the sales person can tell you how it is different. I’ve also been known to try on shoes and like them, but then balk at the price at the store, only to regret not buying them until an online search found them at a different store for a much better price.

PictureMy current shoe lineup. They are all different makes and models! Left to right: Salomon, Newton, ASICS, Reebok, and Brooks
​3. I use my running shoes ONLY for running. I have separate walking shoes I put on if my Mom wants to go on a walk with me or I need to go sight seeing or run errands around town. This saves the soles of my running shoes and helps them to last a lot longer for me.
 
4. I use two pairs of shoes (sometimes 3. Okay fine, truthfully, I currently have 5) and rotate them so each pair of shoes gets 24-48 hours to go back to their optimal shape to take another pounding from me. I’ve heard a few experts swear by this method. I’ve also heard a few experts who think this whole thing is silly and not true. Me? I like shoes! So I really don’t mind having several pairs and alternating between them.
 
5. I am cautious about inserts unless a doctor has prescribed them. This is due to my sister, Kathleen, who was an avid marathoner back in the day. She started having knee problems and a friend recommended she try inserts. She started wearing them and it fixed the knee problem. Fast forward two years later and she can’t run anymore due to terrible back pain. For the next two years she kept trying to rehab herself and get back to running and she couldn’t do it. A chance encounter in the airport while she was traveling for work led her to a family who swears by a ‘miracle doctor’ who fixed their daughter, an elite athlete. He wasn’t taking new clients, but because of his connection to this family, he agreed to see my sister. She flew to his city and stayed in a hotel for two weeks. Every day he’d hook her up to different biofeedback machines and have her run and do various exercises. His verdict? She needed to ditch the inserts. The inserts were changing the way she ran and were not properly activating her glute muscles. When her glutes weren’t firing, her back was trying to kick in to do the work and she was ending up in terrible pain. She had to ditch the inserts and rehab her muscles and she was able to go back to running pain-free. I worry inserts might fix one problem and cause another, so unless it’s recommended by a medical professional, I let the advice to buy inserts go in one ear and out the other. 

PictureThese shoes need to be replaced. Do you see the tread is gone on the heel and the mid-sole?
​6. I try to keep track of how many miles my shoes get, but if I lose track I keep an eye on the tread and/or my body. Typically, any ankle/shin/knee pain I get can be resolved by getting new shoes.
 
7. I listen to my body. If I have a new pair that is causing pain, you can bet your bottom dollar I will not be running in them anymore! They get returned or if I can’t return them, they become my new walking shoes. I’ve dealt with injuries before and I don’t want to deal with another injury, especially if it is avoidable!
 
8. I try my best to shop where they offer a military discount (yay!) or allow you to bring back your shoes if they don’t work out (double yay!). Running shoes can be a huge investment. I have been so disappointed before when shoes didn’t work out for me only to be told that they can’t be taken back because they had been used (even just once!). Places like REI and many shoe stores will let you return the shoes if they didn’t work for you, even if you already went on a run in them (even if that run is a trail run!).
 
So there you have it my tips and guidelines for buying shoes. I hope this helps you on your next shoe buying adventure.
 
Happy Running!
Kelly 

0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Meet the Authors

    Categories

    All
    Community Outreach
    DIY
    Duty Stations
    Founding Stories
    Gifts For Runners
    Inspiration
    Member Spotlight
    Races
    Running Tips
    Running With Your Dog
    Shoes
    Strength Training/Cross Training
    Stroller Warriors By The Numbers
    Trail Running
    Treadmill Running

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    August 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015

    RSS Feed

    Miles>>
Proudly created by Stroller Warriors®, a Registered Trademark