Shoe Clinic

Taaaa daaaaaaaaa! My new shoes! I feel like I'm walking on clouds : ) As a matter of fact they are called Cumulus 12 - by Asics.

I was the second person to arrive at RoadRunner Sports for the Shoe Clinic. Only "a few" other people had RSVP'd so they had decided to help everyone individualy. By the end of the hour about 12 people had shown up. More than the people at RoadRunner had been expecting... be sure to RSVP people. I was super glad I got there a few minutes earlier, the entire process took an hour.

The first step was the Shoe Dog evaluation. My feet were measured for size. My left foot is an entire 1/2 size larger than my right. Why did I not ever notice this?? (kinda reminds me of the bra fitting experience I had last week. Since that's not 3Day related, you will be spared the details) Next I stepped onto a mat on the floor to find out where I put the most pressure on my feet while standing, and to evaluate my arch. The treadmill test was next. As I walked on the treadmill (at a comfy pace for me), a video camera recorded from behind (not OF my behind, thank goodness!!). The video was used to check for under or over pronation, foot placement and the angle of my legs. From all of this it was determined that I needed a neutral plus shoe- neutral stability, and the plus for extra cushioning (for my poor heels, I am a hard heel walker).

We made a custom insert which involved molding the material to the bottom of my foot. It was nice and warm. Later I found out the insert costs $80 - yikes!

Then it was time to try on shoes! The lady helping me was very helpful and patient. She had to bring out 3 different sizes before we could even start. I tried on 3 different pairs of shoes - Asics, New Balance and Brooks. All 3 felt fine, but the Asics were just soooooo cushy! With the discrepancy in the size of my feet the shoe lady is a little worried that my left foot will get uncomfortable once it swells. I ended up with a size 9 (!!) because the smaller, right foot was just swimming in the 9 1/2. RR's policy, though, is that I have 60 days to exchange the shoes.... even after walking in them. Yay, go RR!

I left the store with my new shoes, 3 pair of wicking socks, and a RR VIP membership.
Not the $80 custom inserts. Shoe lady had specifically recommended I not get them.

This morning I was super excited to walk the Plan B and try out my cloud shoes. At first something was rubbing my heel, but adjusting the pad inside did the trick. My feet felt good, and I didn't have any of that strange lower leg pain :) My gargantuan left foot didn't feel cramped at the end of my (nearly) 3 mile walk, either. I know the longer walks will be the true test, but I won't hit those until next month. For now, I'm happy : )