I'm brand loyal.
I'm one of those people who meticulously researches major purchases before buying, is usually not disappointed, then sticks with that item.
I'm an Adidas guy. Or so I thought. When I first came back to running in 2009 after a decade away, I did my duty of going to my local running store and letting them evaluate my form and style to get a good fit. I came home with some Supernova Sequence and have been in them ever since--buying 2 more pairs online the fit for me is so good.
My current pair is 2 marathons old, 2 summers of training, and...to quote the nice lady at the running store today..."shot."
My plan had been to simply log on to the Adidas website, buy my usual and be done. But the twists and turns of the story took me elsewhere. That's ok, it's only the single most important piece of equipment we have as marathoners. And, yes, I believe in shoes...sorry to all you barefoot let's run like our ancestor types. Civilization has invented rubber, high tech mesh, and shoelaces for a reason.
Well, Adidas was all out of my size on their website. Strike 1.
And despite visits to several local running stores, nobody seems to carry Adidas shoes. Nobody. I actually had started to find it sort of odd until I finally asked the salesperson today and she was blunt enough to tell me. She loved running in the Sequence, don't get us wrong. But running stores around Chicago apparently aren't going to carry one decent shoe. In reality, the perception is that Adidas makes an inferior product.
So I ended up trying on several brands and models this morning. Saucony, Brooks, more cushion, less cusion. Here's what I ended up with:
I'm one of those people who meticulously researches major purchases before buying, is usually not disappointed, then sticks with that item.
I'm an Adidas guy. Or so I thought. When I first came back to running in 2009 after a decade away, I did my duty of going to my local running store and letting them evaluate my form and style to get a good fit. I came home with some Supernova Sequence and have been in them ever since--buying 2 more pairs online the fit for me is so good.
My current pair is 2 marathons old, 2 summers of training, and...to quote the nice lady at the running store today..."shot."
My plan had been to simply log on to the Adidas website, buy my usual and be done. But the twists and turns of the story took me elsewhere. That's ok, it's only the single most important piece of equipment we have as marathoners. And, yes, I believe in shoes...sorry to all you barefoot let's run like our ancestor types. Civilization has invented rubber, high tech mesh, and shoelaces for a reason.
Well, Adidas was all out of my size on their website. Strike 1.
And despite visits to several local running stores, nobody seems to carry Adidas shoes. Nobody. I actually had started to find it sort of odd until I finally asked the salesperson today and she was blunt enough to tell me. She loved running in the Sequence, don't get us wrong. But running stores around Chicago apparently aren't going to carry one decent shoe. In reality, the perception is that Adidas makes an inferior product.
So I ended up trying on several brands and models this morning. Saucony, Brooks, more cushion, less cusion. Here's what I ended up with:
They're Asics Gel Kayano 18's. Sort of the old-standby king of the running shoe world. Known for year after year producing top of the market quality.
I'm having doubts though. Unlike Nike and Adidas, other brands don't have a built in place for my watch's sensor (you'd think shoe companies would build this in standard!). And they fit very well. Soft and cushioned yet supportive where I need it. Nice heel support which was lacking on a few other models.
I'm just hesitant to start putting in miles on something new. Kelly informs me that I don't like change. Maybe not. Kelly likes they way these look though they're a bit on the expensive side. Plus, add in the pouch I now have to attach for my pace/distance sensor. Maybe it's time to finally just buy a GPS?
Meh, I already have a long list of things I want/need for my bike. Running was fine. Running I was perfectly outfitted. Kelly is tired of hearing about it. Do I order my usual from another online shoe store? Do I keep these? I have only 2 really long runs left before the race.