Actual date for this post was 4/24/2014
Finally got my running shoes today! Thanks to HAWC and the awesome professionals at Outdoor Rec I now have a decent, beginner's grasp on the basics of a good shoe and how to pick the ones right for me. As it turns out, I am what's known as a "forefoot striker" which means when I run (or walk) my toes hit the ground first. So I need a shoe that has good support in the front. I'm also pigeon-toed and have a low arch. My husband keeps joking that I have "special feet" because it took two evaluations to determine all this. That's only because after looking at the way I walked, the fellow at OR wasn't sure he agreed with HAWC's assessment and wanted to do his own to be absolutely certain he could accurately place me in the right pair of shoes. The two assessments had similar tests, but OR's took longer since they have more tests that they do for a shoe evaluation. In the end, he did find the same results as HAWC, but with one small difference. He did ultimately agree with HAWC's assessment that I go with a neutral shoe though.
Now, all this sounds pretty complicated for a simple pair of shoes to go running in....but it's actually really important to have the right shoes for exercise of any kind. Think of it this way: our feet are just like the tires on our cars; and as most people know bad tires can increase the chances of you having an accident. I'll admit, I've never been much of a shoe girl. My husband has more pairs than I do and that's not even including all his military footwear! I am also a major cheapskate when it comes to my clothing and shoes....that pair of sneakers I've been wearing daily for the last few years came in a free bag of clothes someone gave me. It's only been recently ( and with some strong armed encouragement) that I bought myself some really nice, brand new clothes. I don't know why this is, but I always feel so guilty when I spend a lot of money on just myself. That said however, after all the things I've learned about shoes and their impact on my overall health, I have decided that I am going to swallow my guilt and start investing a little more into my shoes. No way am I going to allow my footwear to screw up my goals. I'm not saying I'm going to go nuts and buy twenty pairs of $100 running shoes (even if we could afford it that would be insane) but I am tossing out my tired old sneakers and buying a NEW (not used) pair to replace them. I have my running shoes for fitness, and I will have another supportive and good pair to run errands in. Have to take good care of myself in order to meet my goals right? ^_^
(EDIT)
So, I know this post is several days late, but I was having some trouble with the Weebly website. Sorry about that guys. Also, I've tried out my new shoes a few times now and I am LOVING them! I can really feel a difference wearing them vs. my old, falling apart, sneakers.
There was also supposed to be a picture going along with this post. But the page kept crashing, so I am trying without the picture. I will post pictures later when I get some feedback on the issue from weebly.
Finally got my running shoes today! Thanks to HAWC and the awesome professionals at Outdoor Rec I now have a decent, beginner's grasp on the basics of a good shoe and how to pick the ones right for me. As it turns out, I am what's known as a "forefoot striker" which means when I run (or walk) my toes hit the ground first. So I need a shoe that has good support in the front. I'm also pigeon-toed and have a low arch. My husband keeps joking that I have "special feet" because it took two evaluations to determine all this. That's only because after looking at the way I walked, the fellow at OR wasn't sure he agreed with HAWC's assessment and wanted to do his own to be absolutely certain he could accurately place me in the right pair of shoes. The two assessments had similar tests, but OR's took longer since they have more tests that they do for a shoe evaluation. In the end, he did find the same results as HAWC, but with one small difference. He did ultimately agree with HAWC's assessment that I go with a neutral shoe though.
Now, all this sounds pretty complicated for a simple pair of shoes to go running in....but it's actually really important to have the right shoes for exercise of any kind. Think of it this way: our feet are just like the tires on our cars; and as most people know bad tires can increase the chances of you having an accident. I'll admit, I've never been much of a shoe girl. My husband has more pairs than I do and that's not even including all his military footwear! I am also a major cheapskate when it comes to my clothing and shoes....that pair of sneakers I've been wearing daily for the last few years came in a free bag of clothes someone gave me. It's only been recently ( and with some strong armed encouragement) that I bought myself some really nice, brand new clothes. I don't know why this is, but I always feel so guilty when I spend a lot of money on just myself. That said however, after all the things I've learned about shoes and their impact on my overall health, I have decided that I am going to swallow my guilt and start investing a little more into my shoes. No way am I going to allow my footwear to screw up my goals. I'm not saying I'm going to go nuts and buy twenty pairs of $100 running shoes (even if we could afford it that would be insane) but I am tossing out my tired old sneakers and buying a NEW (not used) pair to replace them. I have my running shoes for fitness, and I will have another supportive and good pair to run errands in. Have to take good care of myself in order to meet my goals right? ^_^
(EDIT)
So, I know this post is several days late, but I was having some trouble with the Weebly website. Sorry about that guys. Also, I've tried out my new shoes a few times now and I am LOVING them! I can really feel a difference wearing them vs. my old, falling apart, sneakers.
There was also supposed to be a picture going along with this post. But the page kept crashing, so I am trying without the picture. I will post pictures later when I get some feedback on the issue from weebly.