Running from Zombies

Running shoes are supposed to last a good 500 miles and then need changing. My Nike Motos have done at least 600-700 miles in the last couple of years and, while the soles are still intact, they’re as flat as pancakes. Earlier this year I told myself that I would buy new shoes when I had a full time job, but unfortunately that didn’t happen as quickly as I would have hoped. Luckily, my dad took pity on me and gave me some cash for new shoes.

After the battering my toes got from the Lichfield 10k, and then the sliding about my feet were doing last Tuesday on the track, I decided enough was enough, and on that Tuesday afternoon I drove over to Sutton Runner. I’ve always had neutral shoes and, even though I haven’t had massive problems, I decided to have a look at the video gait analysis to make sure they were right. As it turns out, my right foot was a little bit off (I suspected I was kicking off at a funny angle, but the video showed I was landing at one as well) and so I tried on a couple of pairs of asics before deciding on the Nimbus 11s.

asics Gel Nimbus 11

They’re a neutral shoe but with a really stable base. I tried them on and got back on the treadmill. The stability in the sole made a huge difference and I could see from 20 seconds of video that my foot was landing straighter.

I had also decided to go up half a size due to my aforementioned battered toes, but they didn’t have them in stock. I was just about to pull out of the car park when the sales guy came running out to tell me he’d found a pair, so back in I went, tried these new ones on and I was sold (or rather, the shoes were). I also picked up another pair of the X-Socks, since I’ve decided I quite like them.

I was going to wait until after the Great Capital Run but decided there was no reason to put my toes through more torture (one of my toenails was looking rather bad) and so started wearing them from last Wednesday, when I did a 4.3km run to break them in. The cushioning around the heel is immense, and very comfortable. My next run was significantly longer and I managed to get a blister and make my toenail even worse. I was slightly worried that, having worn them for less than 20kms I was going to have to get something else, but I’ve since worn them in a bit more and they seem to be getting better. They did fine for the Great Capital Run at the weekend and I’m hoping that taking a few extra days off this week will help my toe get a bit better.

All in all, I’m pretty happy with them. I must give a mention to the staff at Sutton Runner. The guy I spoke to definitely knew his stuff, was very helpful, and even gave me 10% off! If anyone in the West Midlands needs shoes I’d recommend them.