34
i don't think i have ever owned a proper pair of sneakers before now; prior to this year, i would go to the gym in shoes i wore as a cheerleader...seven years ago. and in all honesty, if my voice of reason (read: my boyfriend) hadn't made a comment that i should probably invest in shoes designed for running, i would probably still be making my way around the track in those worn out sketchers.
my search for the best running shoes started in the way that most of my research does: google. what i found were countless lists of different brands, styles, and features that were designed to help aid runners to be their best. but, rather than finding one shoe that repeatedly came out as number one in the rankings, the only similarity i found across them was price.
i'm sure this is something obvious to seasoned runners, but in all my fitness naivety, i didn't think that i would be spending over $50. i mean, i'm not a shoe person at all; my closet is full of flats i bought on sale. so the price was kind of shocking at first. but, i figured, if i was going to commit to this running thing, shoes are where the investments really matter, so this was the perfect time to get in to shoes.
i decided to take a look on ebay for last season's shoes, just to have a bit of a discount. nike changes their designs pretty often, so authorized sellers get access to their out of date styles. and, pretty quickly, i found a pair i liked from their free series. i really enjoy being barefoot when i workout, so the concept of nike free really appealed to me.
i was all set to buy them, when my voice of reason chimed in again and cautioned me against buying shoes without trying them on first; since these would be my first pair, i couldn't assume that the size, width, and feel would be what i needed. so we went to a local sports store and, thank goodness, i loved them feel and width wise. i did decide to go a half size up, because the nike free shoes tend to run small. i probably would have been fine had i not sized up, but they're comfier this way, so i do advise trying them on in a store first if you do decide to go the online route. i went home that night and placed my order.
aren't they pretty?! they're the nike free 4.0, version 3 women's running shoes in pink force. and man, are they pink. i'm so happy with them; they're not only nice looking but also ridiculously comfortable. i love the flexibility they offer my foot and they're extremely lightweight. i think once i get used to running, i'll move down to the free 3.0 since they offer more of a barefoot run, but for now, i'm happy to wear these out. i can't wait to run my first race in these babies!
