Why local running stores rock
Monday, November 19th, 2007
Story time:
So a few weeks ago my running shoes were getting pretty beat up and I finally decided that it was time to get some new ones. I loved my old Asics that I had been training on but they had definitely seen better days. I was just looking for a new pair of the same model.
I went down to Marathon Sports, my favorite local running shop, to get a new pair. As is expected, Asics completely re-did my favorite old shoes, but they seemed to still fit pretty well when I took ‘em down the block for a run. What sucks is that that is about as far as it went. Over the past two weeks they’ve poked and prodded me until I eventually got two feet full of blisters on a 9 mile run last weekend. You wouldn’t believe how completely different two different versions of the same model/size of shoe can feel. BOO ASICS! (but I’m not blaming them… all big shoe companies do this. Frustration is just part of the game I guess.)
My shoes were actually making it HARDER for me to go running and I just wasn’t looking forward to going running any more out of fear of further tearing apart my feet. When the weather is getting colder and the sun going down earlier and earlier, the last thing I need is another hurdle to get over to get out the door.
Tonight I finally sucked it up and gave Marathon Sports a call. They couldn’t have been any cooler about the whole situation. I went down, tried on a few new pairs, walked out with a fresh pair of Saucony’s after paying the difference.
Conclusion: Don’t bother basing your new shoe decision on what you have been wearing, chances are they don’t make anything like it anymore… but no matter what, don’t go to some big-box running store. There is no way that some big retailer would have let me bring some old shoes after I put a bunch of miles on them already.
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