It's Gotta be the Shoes

I first started seriously running in the summer of 2003 when I was preparing for my first year of cross country my senior year of high school. One of the first purchases I made in preparation for running was shoes. Now I had no clue what made a good running shoe so I just kind of went into one of the local sporting good stores and let the salesman guide me, normally not smart I know.

This particular salesman seemed to know what he was talking about though because instead of guiding me to the Nike rack he led me to the Asics. Now at the time I had never heard of the brand but I figured I would give them a try. I wasn’t looking to spend a whole lot of money so I went for a lower priced Asics in the form of the GT-2120. I tried it on and it seemed like a good shoe that fit well so after comparing it with several other shoes that was the one I picked.

My GT-2120s treated me very well over the season and they were the shoe I used for both practice and competition so they got a good beating. By the end of the season I was having some pain in my knees but I think that had a whole lot more to do with the terrain I was running on and the fact that this was my first time running this much in my whole life.

Over that season I found that I really enjoyed running and the good feeling I got both mentally and physically, that feeling is subject of another posting I think. So I decided that I wanted to keep doing this but by then the 2120s were pretty much shot so I needed something new. I went back to the store I got the 2120s at and the salesman presented me with the Asics Gel Kayano 10. The Gel Kayano was the best shoe that Asics made at the time and that scared me a bit, the second I put the shoe on my foot though all that fear was gone. The support was great and the cushioning just wrapped the foot so well that I didn’t think there could be anything better for seriously getting into running.

The second thing that convinced me it was the shoe for me was when I took them off. My foot actually seemed like it was begging me to put them back on, that’s how good they felt. I didn’t need any more convincing and I bought the shoes without even trying anything else.

The Kayano 10s treated me great and got me through many miles. I went on to buy the Gel Kayano 11 when it came out the next year and was once again not disappointed. The greatest thing was the life I was getting out of the shoes. It seemed no matter how much I ran they just didn’t’ wear down. I felt like I was really getting my money’s worth.

When the summer of 2007 came around the Kayano 11s were finally starting to give in so I figured it was time for some new treads on my feet. This time I took a lot of thought and did a lot of research on what shoe I should get. I went to a well known running store in Miami armed with a good amount of knowledge ready to really find a great shoe to support my running habit. I had 3 shoes I wanted to try, the Mizuno Wave Nirvana, the Brooks Trance, and of course the newest Asics Gel Kayano, the 13th edition.

I gave all 3 shoes a try and a little practice run around the store and the winner became clear. The Gel Kayano 13 was the shoe for me. I think I knew it was when I walked in the store I just wanted to give something new a chance. So I laid down the $135 dollars and left the store with a smile on my face and a pair of brand new Asics.

I still run in those Kayano 13s and have now logged 264.4 miles on them after this afternoon’s run. That comes out to a cost of 51 cents a mile, a pretty impressive number I think. The whole time I have owned them I have not had a single injury and the shoes still look and feel great. I have no plans of getting a new pair any time soon and when that time comes I don’t know if I will even bother shopping around I might just go up to the counter and say “Gel Kayano’s in a size 12 please.” So for all of you out there swearing by your Nike and Adidas I think you should look behind the big name brands and try out an Asics. It can’t hurt to try and you might find you have a new favorite shoe.

The Daily Run
Distance: 3.8 miles
Weather: 73 degrees, sunny with a light breeze, man I love living in Florida
Notes of interest: A fairly normal run today, just a great day to be out there running