Toe-Shoes Tina: Poppin' Tags At The Running Store

My friend, we'll call her SK for Shoe Killer, is training for her first half marathon.  Lately she's been getting a lot of pain as she increases her distance.  Turns out it's because her shoes look like this on the bottom:

(That's one way to start barefoot running.)

SK had literally run through her shoes.  Ever the running enabler, I offered to meet her at the running store to help her find replacements.  Yesterday, after dropping daughter #1 at dance, I still had daughter #2 with me because husband #1 was working late.  (I actually only have one husband, but a husband #2 -- or wife # 2, for that matter -- would be useful for childcare.). Shoe shopping with a 3 year old.  Awesome. 

The running store was fancy.  They put SK on a treadmill and filmed her running to do a stride analysis. Then they had her step into this squishy mat thing that gave them all kinds of measurements.  Finally, they put several different types of shoes on her feet.  With each pair, they would have her take a little jog around the store.  Mercifully, she took daughter #2 on these jogs with her.  Only 5 more miles and daughter #2 might be tired!  Daughter #2 liked these jogs so much, I took her on a few myself in my Havana flip flops.  I'm pretty sure I saw a couple sales people wince.  

While SK tried on shoes, I browsed.  So many cool things I don't own!  Spiked foam rollers and compression socks!  Do I need them?  (My trainer says yes to the roller, no to the socks.)  Of course the first thing I looked for was Vibrams.  Not surprisingly, a store that will spend 15 minutes analyzing what type of arch support you need does not carry shoes that are designed to mimic barefoot running.  Drats!   I wanted to check out the winterized Vibram I recently found online (surely to be the subject of an upcoming post). I did find toe socks, to my surprise.  They are exactly what they sound like:

(Of course, in this pic I am wearing them to box, not to run.)

According to Runners World (I feel like I say that a lot), injinji socks (toe socks) are the best for preventing blisters, even in real shoes.  I love them.  I also got brave and tried on those tight booty shorts all the runners and yogis wear these days.  I was so excited that the large was too big, I bought the size medium in a burst of enthusiasm.  This weekend, I will join the ranks of booty short clad runners!

Meanwhile, SK spent a lot of time talking to the salesman.  He had completed 81 marathons, including New York and Boston. He is a real runner.  He told me he'd done New Orleans its inaugural year. Making a face, he said people were handing out hurricanes at mile 4.  He made a worse face when I told him that seemed more appropriate for mile 24. I guess real runners don't appreciate alcohol on the course.  Lame. If anyone is in New Orleans in February, I would very much appreciate a hurricane at mile 24. Just sayin' . . . 

SK walked away with a new pair of Saucony shoes-- this time with soles -- as well as a bunch of energy gels to try.  I hope new gear makes her as excited to run as it does me.