New Shoes...

After countless miles with my New Balance Minimus Zeroes I have finally decided to try some new shoes.

The Old Shoes

I have been running in these super minimalist shoes (above) for a long time now. I switched to them from Vibram Five Fingers because I wanted the minimal sole but truthfully I didn't like the look of the toes. They were just too weird for me.

So I got the Minimus Zeroes and loved them even when they did not love me. Through pain feedback they taught me to be a better runner. I figured if I was feeling any discomfort in these shoes it was no ones fault but my own so I  kept tweaking my form and upping my cadence until the pain went away. I trained and ran my first marathon in those shoes. I am pretty proud of myself for doing that. When I told a guy at the running store that he said I must be a really efficient runner. :D

Now, however, it is time to move on to something new. Since I have been training for marathons my feet are taking a real beating. The Minimus is a great shoe but with the super thin sole and neutral support I was finding that I needed a little more cushion and some arch support on my long runs. I pronate normally so in those last few miles on my long runs when my stride gets a little sloppy I would start heel striking a little bit and the Minimus could offer no relief so I've started getting some lower leg and shin pain.

So I have decided to give these puppies a go.

The New Shoes!

Newton Motion III's. They have a little bit more cushion between my foot and the road and they have some support under the arch for when I get tired on long runs. I went in to the local running store and made them measure my feet, analyze my form, and I tried on almost every shoe in the store - twice. I really didn't think I would like going from something so lightweight to something fairly inflexible like the Motion III. They aren't even zero drop! I was really nervous that I was making a mistake but it is what both of the running store employees suggested and I know you are supposed to be able to run on your mid-foot regardless of the shoe.

First impressions are good so far. I made a bad call and wore them out for a long run right away, so my feet were hurting after that but I think that it was just because they were brand new. I was a little concerned at the way the plugs felt under my left foot. I was experiencing some pain there prior to the new shoes so hopefully that will clear up and it will feel fine. I ran in them for the second time last night - 4x1200's - and that was MUCH better. I had no pain anywhere while running except for some small blisters but again, I think that is because they are new.

I do not intend to stop running in the NB Minimus completely. I've heard it's actually good to rotate shoes so I plan to use them on shorter runs. I also like to wear them to work on Fridays.

I find it a little funny that I am wearing my NB Minimus Zeroes as I write this.