Last week, I had to retire my first pair of serious running
shoes since starting this running journey in February 2013. Before I was able to purchase that
first pair of shoes in June 2013, I cycled between two older pairs of shoes. I ran in my Merrell Trail Gloves, which
were about 3 years old at the time, and I ran in a pair of Nike running
shoes. I found my feet felt the
best when I ran in the Trail Gloves because of the zero drop platform. When running in the Nike shoes, my
heels and arches hurt. I can only
assume it was because of the 12mm+ drop in the Nike shoes.
For those of you unfamiliar with shoe drop, it means the
difference from the heel to the ground and the forefoot to the ground. In a zero drop shoe, the heel and
forefoot are the same distance from the ground, just as if you were standing
barefoot, whereas in a shoe that has a 12mm drop, the forefoot will be 12mm
closer to the ground than the heel.
Traditional running shoes, casual shoes, etc., typically have 12mm or
more of drop. The greater the
drop, the shorter and less “stretchy” the Achilles tendon that wraps around the
heel from the back of the arch up to the calf becomes, depending on the amount
of time spent in a higher drop shoe. That is why, when someone transitions into a low or zero drop
shoe, (s)he must take time to adjust to the level platform of the shoe or risk
injury. The Achilles tendon needs
time to regain its stretch-ability.
I noticed when I opted to wear the Nike shoes because I
wanted thicker cushioning on my feet, both my feet and body paid the price
differently than when I opted for the zero drop Merrell shoes with little cushioning
that had, for the most part, completely broken down due to age and having used
them for walking shoes previously.
I felt pain in my feet when I wore the Nike shoes and I began to have
stabbing pain in my knees when I would run. When I would wear the Merrell shoes for a few days, the pain
in my feet and knees would dissipate and I felt only some fatigue and soreness
in my feet. Though the fatigue and
soreness was uncomfortable at times, it in no way compared to the pain I
experienced when wearing the Nike shoes.
I stuck with the Trail Glove shoes until it became apparent I would not
be able to increase mileage in them without seriously fatiguing my feet. I decided it was time to support my
desire to increase mileage and time spent on the road and trail by investing in
a new pair of shoes.
In June of 2013, I made that decision and began researching
different shoes. Because of my
experience in the Trail Glove shoes, I knew I wanted to continue running in
zero drop shoes or shoes with a very minimal drop and I wanted to continue in a
shoe with light cushioning in the midsole for a more barefoot feel. I decided to go with the Merrell Bare
Access Arc 2 running shoes.
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| Here they are, well used. |
They
had more cushioning than other Merrell shoes, such as the Vapor Glove, but were
still considered a minimalist shoe.
I bought my first pair and took them out for a trial run of around 5
miles. They were light as a
feather on my feet and it felt like I was running on air, especially after putting
in the mileage I had over four months time in shoes that had no cushioning
other than the tread left on the outsole.
I was in heaven.
Over the next 8 months, I put roughly 600 miles on that pair
of shoes. I had no issues with the
shoes. I did experience some
foot/knee discomfort, though, as changes in my running style crept in as I would
tire on longer runs. Initially, in
my running experience, the first 6 miles of my runs were great. However, because of my tendency to
allow my stride to break down as I fatigued on longer runs, I would begin to
heel strike. With no extra
cushioning in the heel, my heels would become quite sore when I bypassed the
6-mile mark. Over time, though, I
have learned to run longer distances comfortably in the Merrell shoes by
working on maintaining a good forefoot strike throughout the run, despite
fatigue. I now run distances of
over 12 miles in the Merrell shoes comfortably and enjoyably and have done so
for 5 or 6 months now.
With that information, let me get back to my story of
retiring that first pair of Bare Access 2’s. Last week, I set out to run a short 5 miles after work on a
beautiful evening. I laced up my
shoes and set out down the road at an easy pace. Less than a block into the run, I felt sharp stabbing pain
in my heels, even though I was not heel striking. I shortened my stride to see if that might help, but the
pain continued and worked its way across the entire underside of both feet. I thought to myself that my feet just
had to be tired from being on them at work all day. I pushed on but nothing I did seemed to ease the
jarring. I made it a mile out and
decided to head back home. When I
walked in the house, I told my husband what had happened, so we took a closer
look at the shoes. Sure enough, we
could see diagonal grooves all around the outside of the shoe where the midsole
is located. In manipulating the
shoe, by bending it and pressing into the midsole with my fist, and by
comparing it to a relatively new pair of my husband’s Merrell Bare Access 2 shoes,
I realized all cushioning was gone from shoes. This was a first for me. When I ran previously, I didn’t run long enough to wear
through the shoes. Time had deteriorated
the midsole, not use. This time,
though, use had caused the deterioration.
There was something bittersweet about the experience. I was saddened to have to retire such a
great pair of shoes, especially with almost no visible wear present on the
outsole or the upper. Other than a
worn spot on each shoe where the back of my ankle made contact with the shoe,
they looked to be in near perfect shape.
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| Just a little wear around the back of the ankle. |
Sure, there was tread loss on the bottom of the shoes, but even that was
minimal.
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| Not too bad, really, for the mileage on these outsoles. |
It was a sweet moment,
though, to reflect on the previous 8 months and to realize that I had utilized
them fully, that I had received so much out of one pair of shoes. I never expected to get anywhere close
to 400 miles, let alone 600, out of one pair of running shoes. To say I got every penny out of my
investment is an understatement.
Not only did I get every, last cent out of them, I gained so many things
on which it is impossible to place a monetary value. And, that, is where the bittersweet combination comes back
into play. I learned so much about
myself out there on those runs while wearing those shoes. As I put more and more miles on them, I
continued to develop my foot strike pattern to keep my heels and knees
protected. To have to set them
aside after so many months of training, well, it was just a bittersweet moment,
looking back over those months, realizing just how far I had come and the potentials
of where I am headed, as I continue this journey.
Since retiring my shoes, I selected a pair of the new
Merrell Bare Access 3 shoes in bright yellow with pink accents.
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| My new Merrell Bare Access 3 shoes! |
I received them this week and have had
the opportunity to take them out for a spin on a 6-mile run. They are every bit as comfortable as
the Bare Access 2’s and they fit just as well. They are extremely light and feel great on my feet. I look forward to putting many more
miles on this newest version in the Bare Access line of shoes and I hope that I
am able to report that they are every bit as comfortable and long lasting as my
last pair. I hope to be sharing my
experience around the 600-mile mark or beyond!
Do any of you remember your first pair
of running shoes? What made them
special for you?
