It’s that time of year. In 2013, I logged a few Ragnars, a couple half-marathons, and some fun runs and my running sneakers have seen better days. It’s widely known that I have a sick fascination with footwear. I own it all: boots, clogs, flats, Moccasins, Oxfords, Mary Janes, Espadrilles, and chunky heels. I have tap shoes and ballet shoes and boat shoes. My Salt-Water Sandals, flip-flops, and Chucks come in every bright color, and my sock collection is even more impressive. Knee socks and bobby socks and ankle socks and funky patterned socks. My footwear is like a page out of a Dr. Seuss book.
But there is one type of footwear that I despise having to shop for. And it’s all because of my stupid flat feet.
I’ve searched high and low for a running shoe that will not hurt my feet. I’ve read articles and visited experts, all to no avail. It’s always the same, it only takes minutes of running before my feet start to rebel. It doesn’t help that I suffer from Air Jordanitis Syndrome. It’s a side effect of growing up in the 90’s. A tragedy really, it’s responsible for my compulsive tendency to believe that a new pair of shoes will actually increase my running speed and drastically improve my agility. If I could only find THE pair of running shoes. Similar to the holy grail or an easy diet, I’ve heard of their rumored existence, but I’ve yet to encounter them.
This is why I need your help, internet friends. I don’t know which shoes to buy. I have about 2 and a half months until my first big race of the season, plenty of time to break in a new pair of kicks. Do I go minimalist or a trusted favorite? Do I dare make the switch to a barefoot shoe? Do I just need to wear my inserts? Show me the way, oh trusted internet!
I have narrowed my search to the following contenders. All pictures have been borrowed from their respective links.
I currently own these and they’re not bad. They worked out okay and still look pretty decent after a year of abuse. They’re not perfect, I still have foot pain and lately I’ve been having some shin pain. It’s unknown if this is caused by my erratic fitness regime or my flat feet but if there’s the hope of that perfect shoe out there, I simply can’t just settle for decent, right?
I took a little quiz on their site and this is the shoe they paired me with. I’m not crazy about it, it seems all the flat foot friendly shoes aren’t very cute. And we all know cuteness matters. However, everyone raves about Brooks. I have ran in Brooks before and they do have a more generous toe box, which I like. But they’re so borrrrrring.
I have this good friend who writes this blog that I love and she seems to like her Mizunos. This shoe is pretty light-weight and it looks snazzy too. I like the mesh and it just looks fast. This shoe definitely plays into my Air Jordanitis Syndrome. I feel like it will shave minutes off my pace!
I love this shoe. I have been interested in trying out Merrell for a while now, but I’m extremely nervous about this whole “barefoot” idea. This shoe just screams my style and it weighs a whopping 6 ounces. And it’s adorable. Have I mentioned how much I want to be able to run in these shoes? My fear is that I want them to be “the one” more than they actually will be. Kind of like that guy I dated in college.
Now, I hadn’t heard of these shoes until I started researching my options. I googled “running shoes for flat feet” and into my life these little gems appeared. I love the style, I like the breathable mesh, and they have a kick-ass tread. And it was Shoe of the Year. I dig how wide they are, I’m no dainty dame and my Flintstone feet need a bit of accommodating.
As you can see, I have quite the decision to make. What’s a stylish, yet comfort-seeking, gal to do???