Fit To Be Tied

I recognize that some people are experts in their chosen profession. I also recognize that most people merely choose thier profession because they are simply worse at everything else. Knowing this, I have to continually ask myself why I trust the simpletons that work at the local sporting goods store. For the record, I am not referring to the 7 foot 2 college basketball player that is paying his way through school by working at the local Footlocker. Nor am I referring to the part time little league coach who somehow made it into management at the local Big 5. I am referring to the people who work in the local specialty sporting goods store, Als. Don't get me wrong, the people who work at Al's are more knowledgeable about their departments than anyone who has ever worked at Footlocker or Big 5. However, these store clerks were just a few answers better on their SAT's than their big box counterparts. This entitles them to a greater level of knowledgeability, but by no means, expertise. Why oh why do I trust them so?

Consequently, I have not run any two races in the same pair of shoes. Running shoes, because I am an avid treadmill trainer, typically last about 350 miles or 6 weeks or so. Sometimes I can eke out 8 weeks, but my feet pay the ultimate price. Anyhow, every time I am in Al's shoe department it is a new sales associate who convinces me they know all the latest in running shoes and running shoe technology. I always enter the store prepared and have read up on the latest shoes from Asics, Brooks, Saucony (I laugh at anyone who runs in Nikes - worst running shoes ever made - and I think that is official). I know that I have a Neutral stride, with a normal arch and slightly wide (a little larger than D width - but not quite an E). Running shoe manufacturers like all companies intent on keeping up with public demand and technology come out with new shoes several times per year, each shoe better than the other. The new Asics has a super new gel sole, the Suacony has new arch support, the Brooks is eco friendly, blah blah blah.

I was of the belief that shoes took a couple good runs to break in, but *shock* I was wrong. I finally found the best pair of shoes that I have ever worn. The Brooks DYAD, the best fitting, no blistering, foot hugging, toe massaging shoe I had ever tried on. But, because I had just run in Sauconys and they seemed to be ok, I decided to by a pair of Hurricanes also, to compare the DYADs too.

I was in the return line three days later giving up on my Sauconys after the best three runs I have ever had. Katrina and the Waves could have been my theme song because I definitely felt I was walking on sunshine. I traded the Sauconys in for a second pair of Brooks DYADs. I had found my running mate. The curse was broken. I trained and ran the Salt Lake City Marathon without a single blister or sore foot. Three hundred fifty miles were up and the soles of the shoes were wearing thin. The life cycle of this pair of shoes had come to its end. Fortunately, I had a second pair just waiting to be run in.

I laced up the new pair and went for a 10 miler and noticed that the top of my right foot was starting to hurt. I loosened the laces and took the shoes out for another 10 miler the next day. I'd be damned if the top of my foot was hurting again. So, I went into Al's to inquire if the shoe had a defect or at least get an explanation as to why this sudden phenomenon was occurring. The sales associate took out his trusted foot measurer and proceeded to tell me that the problem was not the shoe, the problem was my foot. You see, while my foot measures a true 10, when you measure just the bottom of my foot not including the toes, my foot size should be an 11. How could this be? I evidently have very small toes. Are you kidding me? Small toes?

Again I was intrigued by the obvious knowledge of the sales associate who quickly fitted me into a 10 1/2 Saucony Hurricane. Even though I had already tried these shoes before, I assumed the sales associate knew what was best and I bought the new shoes. I felt like an ass every mile I ran and wished I was in my old DYADs.

Then it occured to me. What if the sales associate was right and wrong? Perhaps what I needed was a bigger size of my favorite shoe? Well today, I went out and bought a new larger pair of DYADs and took them on a 6 miler. While the larger size did prevent the discomfort in the top of my right foot, I cannot feel somewhat bamboozled that the sales associate knew I would be coming back for my favorite shoes and just got that extra sale by telling me all the technical mumbo jumbo - like I had small toes. Perhaps this accounts for his better SAT scores - deductive reasoning!