I will be the first to admit that when I started running at the end of 2010 I just went to the store and bought a pair of running shoes that were comfy and not very expensive. I had liked Asics before and decided to start there. I found a pair that were comfy and they took me through a year and a half of running and 3 half marathons. I had some blisters here and there, but for the most part I loved them. I actually still have them because I refuse to throw them out even though I don’t wear them anymore.
My second pair of running shoes were also Asics. Around Christmas time in 2011 my mom told me about these “really cool” running shoes she saw in a magazine. She didn’t save the picture but was certain I would like them. She understood she couldn’t just buy them based on looks, so that was the end of that. Fast forward to February 2012 when we were at the Disney Princess 1/2 Marathon expo. We were walking around looking at all the booths when all of the sudden my mom says “That’s them! Those are the shoes I was telling you about!” The shoes were really cool and I made a beeline for them. I found myself staring at the Asics Gel-noosa Tri 7 running shoes. These shoe were bright, they glowed in the dark, they were light as air, and they were COMFY. My mom ended up getting them for me as a birthday present. I love these shoes!
At the end of 2013 I realized that I really needed to add a new pair (or two) of running shoes to the mix. I’d had my eye on the Brooks PureFlow 2 ever since Brooks rolled through town and I got to take a pair for a spin. I’d never run in something so light before. Christmas rolled around and my mom kept asking what I wanted for Christmas. I told her running shoes and she told me to find what I wanted and we would go get them. Luck would have it that Dick’s Sporting Goods had them on sale the day after Thanksgiving since the PureFlow 3 were coming out (or maybe they were out) AND we had a coupon. Hooray for good running shoes for cheap huh?
So far I love them. I’m having a few issues with blisters, but only sometimes. So i’m not sure if its the shoes, my socks, or just me breaking them in. I still go back and forth between these and my Asics depending on the length of my run. I really just can’t get over how light these shoes are. I wore them for a race this weekend and when I changed out of them into my Nike Comfort Flip Flops (I LOVE these things post race! Or anytime my feet need a little extra love) I really felt like my flip flops weighed more.
Should I go get fitted for running shoes at a running store? Probably. Do I love the shoes I have now? Totally. I’ll probably give in when I need new shoes again and let the professionals advise me on what shoes would be best for my feet. But right now what I have works for me and I’m gonna stick with them.
