I have happy feet, but not in the Penguin sense (hopefully!). Perhaps I ought to explain…

I have mentioned the Foot Function Centre a few times recently, who have supplied me with some custom made orthotic insoles. The insoles are great and seem to be helping massively. However, something still seemed not quite right every time I ran in my overly fluorescent green, lightwieght running shoes.  I’ve never totally got on with them as much as I thought I would and all I have really been able to put it down to is that they are just so flexible. Now this might seem like a good thing, but as my ankles are also a little too flexible, this seems to be leading to the occasional bout of tendinitis (inflammation/irritation). Additionally, I just don’t feel like I can run smoothly in them so something needed to change!

So, Jill and myself took a trip to see Neil Featherby and the team at Sportlink the other day. They are a specialist running shop in Taverham Norwich where I get my running shoes from. Neil (Who is an ex-GB Marathon runner) and all of the staff are really helpful and knowledgeable…you even get the chance to take any of the shoes out for a quick test drive which is really helpful.

Buying running shoes seems to be a potential minefield. There are quite a few brands to choose from for starters and within each brand far too many different models. You can get shoes for neutral runners, over-pronators, under-pronators, minimalist shoes, shoes with cushioning, structured cushioning and even ones with nice coloured laces…what a nightmare!

I was looking for a neutral, reasonably light and comfy shoe with a slightly stiffer sole than my old ones had. After an hour or so I came away with what I hope will be the ideal shoe for me to use in combo with my insoles. I decided to go with the Asics Landreth 7 model, which has a little more cushioning than my last pair but they are still pretty light at 310g.

If you want to read more here is a quick review from Runners World.

 I have only done two treadmill runs in the Landreth’s so far, but my first impressions were very positive. In fact, I would go so far as to say it’s a totally different experience compared to running in the old shoes. My gait pattern feels much more natural and there is a noticeably smoother transition from heal to toe as my foot moves over the ground with each stride…I actually feel like a runner wearing these shoes which is pretty cool after recent injuries and cautious running!

It will be interesting to see how the shoes perform out on the road, over longer distances and also at higher race speeds, but I am looking forward to finding out!!

Thanks Sportlink…I have happy feet!

Iain