the only person you are hurting is yourself...

How many of you have a specific brand  that you love? Nike, Adidas, Under Armour ? 

Don't lie-- most of us get caught up in one brand and stick to it. Thats awesome, and I don't judge you if you do! I LOVE Nike. I buy Nike, shorts, shirts, sports bras and SHOES. I'm going to be 100% honest when I say that I've never owned a brand of athletic shoe, other than Nike. 

You are welcome Nike, I am sure I contribute to your annual income. 

BUT-- there is a problem with this. Myself, like I'm sure many others of you out there always goes for the cutest shoe. I like to think I have a very specific style, and even when it comes to athletic-wear I try to let it shine through. 

This is where the problem lies. The "cutest-shoes-ever" that I have been running in, are not right for my feet. And the super cute shoes YOU are running in, are probably wrong for your feet as well. There is no type of running shoe out there that is right for every single person; and unless you are a running expert I highly doubt that you know what type of shoe you need! 

I WAS running in these: 

Nike Free 2 

Before that, these were my go-to shoes...

Nike Dual Fusion 

Cute, fashionable, and lightweight. I love lightweight shoes. However, there was a problem. Once I began running more frequently-- about 12-15 miles per week, I began to see bruising all over my toes. Yeah, not attractive. I knew that if I had the intention of taking running more seriously that I needed to be fitted for proper shoes for ME! Not just the cutest Nike's out there. 

pronate.

So this past week I headed to a local running store, hoping they'd just point me in the right direction. Not only did they point me in the right direction, the pointed me toward a treadmill and told me to get running (for about 1 minute). UGH. This was called a Gait Analysis. A Gait Analysis simply analyzes the way you run, and if you pronate or supinate. 

Pronate: rolling inward of the foot 

Supinate:  rolling outward 

via. 

Symptoms of excessive supination and pronation? 

• Arch pain
• Heel pain
• Flat feet
• Corns and calluses
• Ankle sprains
• Shin Splints
• Achilles tendonitis
• Knee pain
• Hip pain
• Back pain

Almost EVERYONE has a slight pronation or supination on their foot -- you just may not know it yet! Personally for me, I have a very slight pronation which means I need shoes with a little more support to straighten my ankle/foot out. People with severe pronation need more support, and less of a pronation can go with a more barefoot-feel shoe.

So after my FREE Gait Analysis, I got 3 different shoes to try on. They were all, so different looking from anything I would ever, ever pick out... and none of them were Nike... what?!

To save your time and make a long story short, about an hour after deliberating and trying/re-trying on shoes after shoes, I came to a decision! 

Brooks Pure Cadence 

I had literally never heard of Brooks before, but in the running world, they are 'legit'. 

I ran with them for the first time last night, and my feet are SO happy. These shoes will be crossing the finish line, in my first half marathon in August! I am beyond excited. 

So after reading this short novel I hope that you realize a few things: 

• You are probably wearing the wrong type of shoes for your feet. 
• It is important to go to a running store and get fitted. 
• Buy shoes 1/2 size bigger than your normal street shoe size-- feet swell when you run. 
• Gait Analysis's aren't just for people who run a lot-- it's important to get analyzed to correct current problems early before you do serious damage. 
• There is a shoe specifically out there for you! 
• Sometimes you have to choose "function over fashion" ... I quote my dad on that one (;