Shoes. Shoes. Shoes.

For anyone just getting started in the sport of running, I can not stress enough the importance of not only having the right pair of shoes... But having the right pair of shoes in good repair.

I've previously mentioned that I started out running in a twice handed down pair of hand-me-downs that were well past their use-by date and half a size too small for me. Thankfully (luckily) I escaped unscathed from the experience.
The shoes had zero cushion left and the soles were worn completely smooth so I had to be very careful on rocky surfaces not to slip. Also, by chance, the shoes were neutral, which is great because (unbeknownst to me at the time) it just so happens that I have neutral feet!

Fast forward ten years, I got back into running after quite a few years off. I was no longer a student - I had a full-time job - so I treated myself to a new pair of running shoes from the Athletes Foot. The store has a free, fancy 3D scan process to measure and assess your feet so that you can be fitted into the correct shoe!
This is where I learned that I'm a "neutral" runner, and that a "supportive" shoe is not something you should randomly choose because it sounds good, or because the colours are prettier.

I walked out of the store that day with a "bubblegum" (as they were called) coloured, blue and pink pair of ASICS GEL-CUMULUS, ready to restart my running journey. They were super comfortable and the fit was perfect, that is, half a size bigger than my regular street shoe size to allow for swelling on a hot, long run.

Those shoes carried me through many a parkrun, a couple of 10km events, and my first ever half marathon where I felt absolutely on top of the world (of running!)...
As I only had one pair of running shoes, I also ran all my training runs for these events in my bubblegum CUMULUS.

A couple of weeks after the half marathon, still buzzing on my runners high, I flew to Sydney to participate in the famous City2Surf run, ready to absolutely crush it! ...Except I didn't.

I had pain in my feet, ankles, shins, hips... the pain was constant for the whole run but even worse on the down hill. I couldn't understand how I could go from an amazing half marathon, feeling the fittest I have felt in my life, to having to walk some parts of the City2Surf fun run because of the pain.

Afterwards, speaking to my family about the experience, my brother asked me if my shoes might be expired. I stared at him blankly. "Do shoes expire?", I asked. As it turns out, yes they do! It's not a set date, it's more a kilometre range. Like car tyres. When feet and joints start hurting, it's quite possibly a sign that new shoes are required.

When I got home to Brisbane, on the advice of my brother, I went to a specialty running store to have my shoes fitted by a professional running podiatrist. Yes, really! (Shout out to intraining, Toowong, Brisbane - where my husband and I still go when we need shoe advice or specialist orthotics, even though it's 100km away from where we now live).

The first thing the podiatrist did was look over my bubblegum runners. He twisted them, bent them back on themselves and looked at the wear on the soles, shaking his head. There was absolutely no doubt that the shoes were done. I was sent for a barefoot walk, then jog, while the podiatrist watched carefully how I landed, and was then presented with three potential pairs of running shoes. One was the newer version of the shoes I'd walked in with.

I went for a run outside, up and down the street, in all three pairs, while the podiatrist watched, and was told they all looked right for me so I should choose the pair that felt the most comfortable. Probably because I was used to them, I ended up with the CUMULUS again. This time in a bright aqua!

Someone at parkrun mentioned to me that we can use the Garmin app to track our kilometres in each pair of shoes - what an idea! - and that each shoe is different, but 600 km is a good amount to get from each pair. I ran upwards of 860 km in my Aqua shoes and I hate to think how far I travelled in my poor bubblegum shoes!

When I was next due to upgrade my shoes, ASICS had changed their design (boo!) and their shoes were sadly no longer right for me. I was fitted onto a pair of Mizuno Wave Riders - I'm now in my 6th pair and I have run 3 full marathons in this make and model.

My husband discovered HOKA ONE ONE, and has 7? pairs in rotation (I think he should be sponsored by them, really), so I decided to add their Cliftons to my collection to see how they would go. Suddenly I have 3 pairs and I recently ran Brisbane marathon with them. They fit me in a similar way to the Wave Riders but the cushion! WOW!

So that's where I'm at with my shoe journey. It may change (it probably will) but for now I have my four pairs in rotation. I use my Mizunos for medium distance (5-15 km), my older pair of HOKAs for less than 5 km and my 2 newer pairs for anything over 15 km. I keep track of the mileage in my Garmin app and start paying attention to my body after the 500 km mark for signs the shoes are on their way out.

Rotating the shoes, I have heard, prolongs their lives as they have time to recover while I, on the other hand (or foot?), run every day.

If you're new to running, my strong recommendation, is to get fitted, at least the first time, and know what kind of pronation you have so if you are buying online you're at least looking in the right category for your needs. Once you have the right shoe you can re-purchase online when necessary, but if changing to a newer version maybe do a quick search for reviews to make sure the design hasn't changed too drastically.

What has everyone else found has worked or not worked when hunting for the right shoe? Let me know in the comments!