Just Try It
I started running almost three years ago. I bought my first pair of “real” running shoes on my dad’s recommendation since he’s a big runner with several races and marathons under his belt. “How do you run,” he asked. I told him I run heavy and I’m flat-footed. He suggested the Aisics Evolution, a shoe with maximum motion control and cushioning. It sounded perfect.
Almost two years later I upgraded to the Aisics Evolution 4′s (the previous shoe being the first generation) and aside from the gold stripes, the shoe felt pretty much the same. So for three years I’ve been running in the same shoe. Who was it that said ignorance is bliss?
About a year ago, maybe a little less, I started really getting into running. And now with a 208-mile relay race as well as a marathon coming up, training has never been more important. Friends of mine have been on to me for a few months about this new place in Charlotte called TrySports – a triathalon specialty store – that fits you for the proper shoe. Intrigued I decided to finally make a trip up and see what they’re all about. Not to mention I was well over the 300-mile mark on the then current pair of running shoes.
The first thing I noticed when I walked in was how relatively small the place was. I was thinking it was gonna be like REI, a vast cave with a plethora of things. No, TrySports was more intimiate and speicalized. You’re immediately greeted when you walk in and, from what it looked like, they remember a face as the friend I was with caught their attention.
The middle of the store has two treadmills, one with a computer and a video camera behind it at about foot level. I knew they fitted you for shoes but this was involving technology so now I’m even more interested. The salesman first attended to Melissa, who was looking at compression socks which help bloodflow when running, then he began with me starting with a runner profile.
He’d ask questions about my past running experience, my running goals, if I’d ever had any pain while running… all sorts of good questions. Then he had me stand on this heat-sensitive board which revealed my arches. My arches, contrary to what I had been told and believed, are not flat – rather they’re normal.
To start the fitting, he let me wear a neutral shoe – one without control, stability, or cushioning – and had me run on the treadmill for a minute or two. Afterwards, we viewed the video and he measured the angles my ankles and calves made with the shoe and ground. This is called pronation and you can either over pronate or under pronate, both of which are bad and lead to ankle injury.
Then we compared a few other types of shoes and I got to decide which I thought felt best. I was torn between the Karhu (I loved the blue ones) and the Brooks Adrenaline 9′s. After viewing some video in both, it was clear the Brooks were the better fit. $150 later (got some new Zulu socks and a pair of Yanks too) I was ready to run a new run.
For those of you who run and have not been fitted, I encourage you to go. It doesn’t cost anything extra and I promise you won’t regret it.