New Shoes

It’s just over a year since I started running, the anniversary of my first ever 10K run tomorrow and my birthday next Tuesday.
All good and valid reasons to get a new pair of running shoes. Having picked up a few injuries over the past twelve months, I thought I’d need more help and advice than can be found in the likes of S****s D****t so headed to the temple of all things running that is Pete Bland Sports in Kendal.
And boy, did I get good service. We started with a thorough examination of my feet and existing trainers which revealed that I am flat footed, roll over on to the inside of my heels when running and my current shoes are way too tight! So I needed a larger size and extra support on one side to ensure full comfort whilst running.
I was then brought a multitude of pairs to try on. Some the assistant dismissed immediately, some I expressed dissatisfaction with after walking around in them. Then the pair in the picture were brought forth. From the moment I first tried them I knew they were “the ones”, and said as such. Not good enough apparently. I had to try just one more pair so that all alternatives could be considered. I tried them, didn’t like them and went back to the favourites. The assistant then explained that the ones I liked the most were actually a step above all the others. More comfortable, better fitting, more supportive and - inevitably - more expensive. There was apparently an “in the middle” pair which he would normally have recommended, but they didn’t have any in stock in my size.
Now I might not spend a lot on my day to day shoes, but for specific uses I will pay what is required to make sure they are fit for purpose. It applied to my motorcycle boots and it applies to these running shoes. I explained I was happy to pay that bit extra as they fitted so well.
And that was it. A few minutes on the treadmill only reinforced my initial impressions, and thus the deal was done after almost an hour in the shop. With that amount of time involved, you can’t help but feel that finding you the right shoe is far more important to them than just chalking up a quick sale. A very refreshing attitude in this day and age.
And the price? Well, definitely the most expensive shoes I have ever bought, just edging out the bike boots. But I reckon I’ll get more use out of these. And Mrs C informed me that what I paid was around “average” for a pair of lady’s shoes. I’m not sure I really needed to know that, given how many pairs she owns!