It's All About the Shoes

Certainly for me, the most important piece of equiptment are my shoes. Fortunately, I have had decent success with several brands of shoes. I have a fairly regular foot shape, and only a very slight overpronation, so I can get a pretty standard shoe. However, I do tend to run a lot! And, over the years, my legs and especially my knees and feet have started becoming cranky! So, I opt for a higher quality shoe and only buy them from a good running store.

I have been a regular at the Boulder Running Company for years. I was fortunate enough to live near their Littleton/Denver store and now work just a block from their Boulder store. The staff are very patient and help me pick the best shoes for me (right fit and correct support). I always run with the shoes on the treadmill with the video camera to check for support. This last time, I even took a couple of laps around the block.

Because of my running schedule, I have to buy new shoes at least twice a year and I like to keep two pairs broke in so I can switch, adapt for weather conditions, etc. Plus, for my long, long runs, I like to be able to switch shoes a few times during the race. My last purchase consisted of two pairs of Brooks shoes. I bought one road shoe (Brooks Adrenaline GTS 8) and one trail shoe (Brooks Adrenaline ASR Trail). The trail shoe is pretty light for a trail shoe (a good thing). I have taken it on a few easy trails and have been happy with it so far. I need to put it to the test on some more rugged terrain (and I will at the fourth of the Pikes Peak Fall Series race on Nov 16th).