I’m going to need to buy my next pair of 3-Day sneakers soon. There’s no WAY I could wear the old pair again – not only are they gross and muddy after 2 days of rain in Philly, but…well, they have a lot of miles on them. Here’s what I learned from last year, and what I’m going to do differently:

• Do go to a professional “running store” and get fitted. They will watch you stand, walk, etc and help you choose the best shoe for your foot. I can’t even begin to tell you about the crazy shoes we saw people walking in last year. One woman had Keds on. KEDS!! They have no support at all. I saw another woman walking in sandals.
• Do NOT feel obligated to buy your shoes at that store, because they will be more expensive than you can find online using coupon codes. For instance, I found Foot Locker coupons that will get you 15% off an order over $75! If your shoes don’t cost that much, add in a few pairs of Thorlo socks to get you up to the $75 minimum. (I prefer level 2 Thorlos – padded socks are a MUST!)
• Do break in your shoes – do not bring a new pair to the 3-Day!
• Do get a half size, or a full size bigger than you normally wear. If you wear the Thorlo socks, you know they are thick. And your feet will swell on the walk. I normally wear an 8, but I walked in an 8 1/2. This year, I’m tempted to try a nine.
• Buy 2 pairs of shoes. With the Foot Locker coupons you’ll save some money, and you’ll have a backup pair for the 3-Day. Bring your backup pair in a sealed ziploc bag. If you meet rain, step in a puddle, mud, etc, you’ll be happy to have a warm, dry pair of shoes. Alternate which pair you wear when you train.

Don’t learn the hard way about having the right shoes! I honestly think that the steps I’ve outlined above are the reason why I only had a few blisters at the end of 60 miles.

This entry was posted on Thursday, February 1st, 2007 at 1:36 pm and is filed under Colleen, Gear, Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.