I went to my local Fleet Feet store earlier this week to find something, anything, to make my IT band feel a little better after my 21-miler in Big Sur. I realized, midway through my run on Sunday, that I’d put about 400 miles on my shoes since I took them out of the box before my marathon last year. Yes. I haven’t switched shoes in five months.
I kept thinking: I better get a new pair of shoes when I’m done.
The problem with running shoes is that you don’t think they could be hurting you, or the root of the problem. I love my Equalon 4+ shoes. I’ve loved them since the first time I tried them on. That first pair was purple. Every subsequent pair has been blue. I have probably eight or nine pairs lying around my house.
So it saddens me to say that Nike has discontinued the model.
I wasn’t having a particularly good day anyway, but this knowledge frustrated me in a way I cannot describe.
Maybe I can.
Yes. I did something like that in the store. I’m so embarrassing sometimes. I was sad. I was angry. Over shoes. Running shoes.
It happens. I know. I’ve read other bloggers lament about the loss of their running shoes.
Finding the perfect running shoes are kind of like Prince Charming putting the glass slipper on Cinderella. It doesn’t matter if the shoes are not attractive, mine weren’t, or if they seem a little dorky, they are perfect when you run miles upon miles.
I wore cheap cross trainers before my Equalons. I had back aches. My body felt out of alignment.
I had a moment when I bought the Equalons. My credit card had one too with the $140 price tag.
Once I thought about switching shoes. I tried on five different pairs, with a very patient sales associate, only to go back to the Nikes. The comfort was there. So was the stability. The Nikes were my shoes.
And now they are not.
Since I needed new shoes anyway, I was fitted on Tuesday for a new pair. A similar pair. One that had all the workings of the Nikes. That didn’t include Nikes, which seemed more flash than function. Two years ago I would have wanted the flash. Now I understand I need the function.
So I introduce to you my new shoe choice:
The Saucony Hurricane 14.
So far I’ve run two treadmill runs in them. I think they are working for me, which is what I was really, really worried about. The Hurricane 14s are lighter than my Nikes. They are also very breathable. The mesh at the toe is literally that, just mesh. You can even kind of see through it.
I’m hoping to go for a longer run outside this week. (Don’t I say that every weekend? Yes, yes I do.)
But the big test will be the Mermaid Run Sirena 18 I’m doing next week. I’m planning on wearing these since, so far, they haven’t required any “break in” time.
I’m sad about the Nikes. Definitely. I feel like I’ve lost an old friend. But I’m hoping the Sauconys treat me right.
