I’ve avoided running like it was the plague for most of my life. Probably because running was used as a form of punishment during football practice. Offsides? Take a couple laps. Late for practice? Join the team after taking a couple laps. Out of breath? Take a couple laps to relax and get back out there.
As I got older my attitude toward running changed. Ultimate Frisbee gave me an appreciation for sprinting. Treadmill sessions at the gym helped me get comfortable with longer runs, and a few years ago I started to incorporate road and trail running. Though it wasn’t until the first time I ran in my Saucony Redeemer ISO 2s that I found out how proper shoes completely change your running experience.
Maybe you are like me in that your interest in running has grown over the years and you are ready to really try it out. Maybe you saw a gal or guy happily running down the street and you thought “Hey, my legs do that too! I should give it a go!” Maybe you want to take up running to bounce back from a little too much holiday cheer.
How you got here isn’t as important as selecting to right shoes to allow you to actually enjoy running. Running in old shoes that have lost their support and structure robs you of the comfort and safety required to run long enough to truly get into it. Also, you are destroying your feet, back, knees, and my heart!
For those new to running, here are a few new shoes suggested by our running shoe experts. They help new runners find the right shoe nearly every day in our retail showroom, so it was easy to find them and bother them for a few minutes.
Big thanks to Jason, Mike, and George for the tips!