We missed out on gear of the Week last week, so I figured I would do it earlier this time. Shoes are a very personal thing in terms of brand, style, function and durability. The wrong shoes can cause all sorts of problems with feet, knees and hips. Then, when a runner has found her perfect model, the manufacturer decides to "improve" it. Loyal wearers are almost never excited about the new model except to try to snatch up a pair of the old model at a discount. Ask almost any runner about the Nike Pegasus and the story will probably include both a beloved version of the popular style and at least one injury. My current model is the Mizuno Wave Rider 19. I have been wearing the Wave Riders since the 13's and can say the 14's and 18's were fairly worthless, but otherwise are a great lightweight trainer. They are a cushioned shoe for runners with pretty neutral stride. People whose feet tend to turn out or in wouldn't find them supportive enough. My current pair is just like this except one orange shoe lace because one of my running partners chewed my lace into 4 pieces. That was Charlie the Sheltie and even though I told him it was rude to chew on running shoes, he just looked puzzled. Maybe it was because he is a barefoot runner. My alternate favorite shoes are tha Asics Gel Nimbus. They are a sturdier feeling shoe than the Wave Rider, but are in the same cushioned category of shoes. They are a little heavier, but not like running in combat boots or anything drastic. I am actually considering getting one pair of each the Mizunos and the Asics and alternating week by week as I've heard rotating shoes is good for the shoes and good for your feet. This blog might just be the reason to give it a try and report back. Some people alternate day by day, but since I run about 6 days a week, it would worry me that one pair would get all the long runs and not wear out at the same rate as the other. Week by week would be pretty even wear. I can come up with enough things to worry about without purposely introducing another! No matter which shoes work best for your running, I think that replacing them often enough is the key. I generally go 4-5 months per pair which would be about 400-600 miles. If I do decide to try the alternating plan, that would be 8-10 months for 2 pair. It is the rule at our house that running shoes are for running only, then they become walk-around shoes, then garden/work shoes. With a houseful of runners, we can go though a lot of pairs per year and try to make the smartest use of our shoes as we can.
Im seeing spring like 50's in the forecast for later this week...I also have one more ski race to watch. Thankfully that is scheduled for way up north where they still have snow. I'm afraid we are not quite done with snow for the season, but it is fun to pretend spring is really here! Happy running-Missee
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AuthorMissee and Stephanie are two Minnesota sisters and moms who love to run. We are not experts in running, parenting or anything else, but we do have years of experiences that may be helpful or entertaining to others. Archives
May 2020
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