Papa Needs a New Pair of Shoes

‘Tis the season for annual running shoe guides.

Blah, blah, blah daily trainer

Blah, blah, blah lightweight stability

Blah, blah, blah arch control

Blah, blah, blah midsole plates

Blah, blah, blah high-mileage

Blah, blah, blah asymmetrical lacing

Selecting a running shoe is daunting.  There are more makes and models than there are for cars or cereals.  My first search criteria eliminates a lot.  I need a size 13 E or EE.  Anything narrower pinches my toes and gives me blisters.  It is surprisingly difficult to find that size shoe.

I am cheap, but I do not buy cheap shoes.  There is a very narrow range of running shoes I consider.  I am more concerned about the durability of the tread than I am about the thickness and density of the cushion.  I buy shoes that last.

I have run almost 2,000 miles this year.  The majority of my miles have been run on two pairs of shoes; Nike Lunar Elites and New Balance 690s.  If I were really anally retentive, I would have exact figures, but I estimate I have run about 800 miles on each pair.  I can tell you these shoes hold up to the pounding a 175 pound shuffler puts on shoes.

The cynic in me sees a whole industry that has been created around the very simple act of running.  Abebe Bikila ran barefoot.  The original Boston Marathon winners ran in leather shoes.  As my crew coach, Bill Sanford, used to say “It’s the horses, not the chariot.”

Still, choice is good and what sets my sail may be unacceptable to others.  I don’t need the latest fashion and I recognize that the best advances in running shoe technology five years ago have now trickled down to almost all running shoes.  So, I’ll let the market figure out what the best advances are.

My advice for buying running shoes is simple.  If a shoe is uncomfortable in the store, it will be uncomfortable when you run.  Buy something that feels good on your feet. 

When you are done with your running shoes, bring them to the Runners Roost and drop them off in the bin.  That way they’ll get donated to RecycledRunners, which finds other uses for them.

The International Surfing Hall of Fame is in Huntington Beach, CA (aka Surf City).  At the intersection of Pacific Coast Highway and Main Street you will find, embedded into the sidewalk, the hand and foot prints of many of the legends of surfing.  You can compare your feet with the likes of Kelly Slater and Taj Burrow.  One of the things you will notice is how their toes are evenly spread apart.  I don’t think these guys have ever worn shoes.  I will never be a foot model and my toes will never look like these guys.  That explains why I can’t surf.