My search for a new shoe

Since I started running I used Adidas Supernova Sequence, which helped with my feet ailments. Last year they discontinued the style and basically made the Supernova a standard shoe. The sequence was part of the stability line. I tried the new Supernovas and they just didn’t feel like the same.

I went to the original store where I got fitted with the Adidas, Fleet Feet Old Town. We went there and found out that they closed that store and moved down the street to a smaller space. No biggie, we just went a couple of blocks and found them.

I told the woman that helped me that I am used to the Adidas Supernova Sequence and that I wanted something similar to those features and explained to her all the ailments of my feet. She came back with some options. I tried them all and the one that felt comfortable were the Karhu Synchron Ortix, luckily my Superfeet insoles fit in the shoe so I didn’t have to get another set of those.
My training for 2018 has been very sporadic, the longest run that I did in the shoe was eight miles, and they felt fine. Then came the Chicago Spring Half, the Karhu shoes had about 40 miles in them, so I felt that they were good to go for a long distance run. By mile nine my left foot on the upper left side started to hurt in a way that I have never felt before. Walking and not putting too much pressure on that side helped, but when I tried to run the pain came back in the same area.

We went to Fleet Feet in Lincoln Square, since that one is closer to our home, and asked if I needed a different type of insert or a different type of shoe. Since the pain is in an area where the inserts wouldn’t of made a difference, she believed that I may have the wrong type of shoe. So she measured my food on the electronic measuring device and did in fact see that my width of my feet is not typical and that I should have a shoe that has a wider toe box. The Karhu is designed for a medium width, so it was a wrong type of shoe. So they offered to replace it with another shoe.

I was fitted in a New Balance shoe, which did not feel too comfortable. Next was the Saucony Redeemer, which I did not like because the heel was not secure enough. The next one was the Hoka One Gaviota. I was wary about the Hoka shoes, I tried them on at an expo and didn’t like the feel. Apparently it must have been a different type of Hoka, because these felt really good. I was able to run on the tread mill, even with my sore left foot, and the fit was good. I decided to go with the Hokas, and I have 60 days to try them out and if I have any problems I can exchange them.

Fleet Feet has always been good with me and that is why I have become a loyal customer.