Shopping

Had to keep the momentum going so after about a week prevaricating, I got myself to a running shop yesterday. On a dull nothing Wednesday afternoon got 45mins of a helpful guy in an empty shop.

I had the underneath of my feet photographed showing the contact on a glass panel which announced I have very high arches which apparently is a good thing. I had images of the back of my ankles taken and vertical lines on a screen apparently followed as near a dammit vertically up my Achilles which is also good. Apparently, all this means that I require a ‘neutral’ shoe.

Whilst I realise I need to pay for quality support, I did voice a desire to stay under £100 on the shoes.  A pair of 44 showed that 45 was what I need, and shortly after, 8 pairs of shoes arrived.

Out of the 8, 2 were immediately not right but the rest all got tried on and had a trip on the running machine.

Let me divert and talk of the running machine. I haven’t been on one for about 15 years but I adapted to the run up and stop almost immediately and loved it. Straight up on my toes and comfortable upright position; felt good.  Shop guy says, “Would you like to try the pace for 60m 10k?” I say, “Let’s do it.”, feels great for 1 minute.....  bit worried about 59 more!

I did several of these 1 minute bursts and kept coming off able to talk casually to shop guy which all bodes well.  Maybe all the hill walking has kept me fitter than I expected?

Anyway, to cut a long story short, it was down to two pairs. I asked the prices which were £74 vs £123 (mm, didn’t I say I aimed to stay under £100 earlier?). The £75 Nike Pegasus 28 came into my possession. 

A note of warning here: The insoles which the shop states at the outset they mould for everyone and I was encouraged to use throughout the fitting would have been £45. Had it not been that they were using a size 44 which was too short as they had no 45s and I could feel the end of them, the discussion where he said, “..if we trim a 46 it would mean you have to have it as we can’t reuse it.”, would not have taken place and I wouldn’t have realised they didn’t come with the shoe purchase. They were excellent and v. comfortable but considering everything had said I needed no correction apparently uneccesary expenditure.