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So yesterday I went to RoadRunner Sports at Kent Station at the urging of my friend Carl. Last year as I was training for my triathlon, I bought some new running shoes. Some (what I thought) nice Asics. Well after about 40 or 50 miles in them, I blew out the rear air sole in one of them. I continued to use them for the rest of the summer and through the Triathalon. However, this winter, I’ve known I needed some new running shoes before I start training again next year. So I headed to RoadRunner Sports. They do a REALLY and I mean REALLY good job of fitting you for the proper shoe.

First thing they do is have you take off your shoes and socks and walk across a pad on the floor. This registers on a computer and shows where your foot strikes the ground the hardest. After that, they have you run on a treadmill and videotape the backs of your feet to see if you have any “pronation” to your stride. So based on these two tests, they can determine the style of shoe you should be wearing. From there, they measure you, width and length and pull some suitable shoes. They pulled a pair of Asics, a pair of Brooks and a pair of New Balance for me.

After you walk in all three pairs, they watch you walk down and back, you determine which feel the best out of the box. The brooks and Asics were about equal for me. Then they fit each pair with different insoles to get you the exact perfect fit. I ended up with the Brooks. I will tell you it was by far the most I had ever spent on any pair of shoes (save for my plastic boots to climb Rainier) but they are by FAR the most comfortable running shoes I’ve ever worn. They are supposedly good for 600 – 700 miles, so I jokingly said “So what, I can wear these for the rest of my life?” HA!

If you ever need running shoes, I’d highly recommend RoadRunner Sports. They rock!