Jill: New Kicks

Last weekend I finally got out the door to get my new running shoes.  This was way overdue, but I kept putting it off because all of that unpaid maternity leave put a dent in the household budget.  I was also waiting for the spring clearance sale at Bob Roncker's, which is our local running specialty store.  They are super nice and very knowledgeable, and they totally treat us like real runners instead of the cheese-loving, wine-drinking pretend runners we really are.  For example, real runners get really excited about new gear like tech clothing, GPS watches, socks and hydration equipment.  But shoes really take the cake.  Everyone dissects the latest models and foot wear trends (crazy barefoot people, I'm talking to you).  Heck, even Runner's World has the "shoe issue" every year.

I, on the other hand, despise shoe shopping.  Problem number 1 is that my feet are almost a full half size different from each other.  That makes finding a shoe that fits nicely on both feet somewhat annoying.  But the fun doesn't stop there.  I have been wearing special orthodics in my shoes since the age of 15 because I have arches that look like this:

Needless to say, it takes me awhile to find shoes that work well for my high maintenance feet.  My last two pair were very simple Asics Gels that I loved very much.  Unfortunately, I was determined to get something that was on sale ($60 or less!!!).  I ended up finding these which remind me quite a bit of my old shoes and have so far felt good:

Mizuno Wave 7. That's right.  They are the OLDER model. More proof I'm not a real runner.

To celebrate my success in finding a workable pair of new kicks, I'm leaving you with a few of my favorite songs about shoes.  Enjoy!