Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Skechers Running Shoes Sceptic Turned Convert

Contributed by Elaine Lavallee

I have always been a running shoe connoisseur. I love running so it goes without saying that I love running shoes. Before I was pregnant and had our little girl I was pretty loyal to Adidas; the Adizero were perfect for me. They were lightweight with a narrow fit and even came in some funky colours. I still remember the electric blue pair I wore when I ran the JKF 50 miler. Several people made positive comments about them. Well, as those of you that have had children know, things change.  
 
I ran throughout my pregnancy so I needed more cushioning and as my shape changed so did my gait. That led me to become more open to looking at different types of shoes to see what would work for the new me.

Since giving birth, running has become even more important. It has become the precious little bit of “me” time in a hectic day of work and motherhood so I wanted good, comfortable running shoes that will help me stay healthy and on the road.

This is where the story gets interesting because I never would have thought that I would end up trying Skechers. I always though they were for young kids that are into fashion and not for serious runners.  And it took my impish toddler dashing off at the Eaton Center for me to venture into a Skecher store.




She must have been attracted by the flashy colours because in she ran followed closely behind by me. As I was trying to retrieve her I happened to see the wall dedicated to running shoes and was intrigued. I spoke to the manager and found out that one of the top shoe designers left another running shoe company to design for them. They also have one of the top Marathoners in the US running marathons in their shoes and doing quite well. Meb Keflezighi won the US Olympic trials and placed 4th in the Olympic Marathon wearing their shoes. So I figured that if they were good enough for Meb then I’d be willing to try them. I also figured that I would get a good laugh out of my husband for bringing home a Skechers box!


At home, I laced up my pretty new shoes up, tried them out on the treadmill and was pleasantly surprised. They are a great combination of lightweight but with enough cushioning to give you a great ride. The toe box is just wide enough to prevent blisters and black toe, a common occurrence for me. The true test, though, would be to take them on the road for a long run and I’m happy to say they performed beautifully. Looks like I’m a convert: you can teach an old dog new shoes!

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