The best advice I ever received...

When I first started running last spring, I just went to the sporting goods store and bought a pair of shoes that fit well and were listed as running shoes. They were good when I was running but I would have sore knees afterwards. I never thought it was my shoes, but rather contributed it to the fact that I was new to the running world and let's face it...I thought running was suppose to make you feel sore.

Then I started getting blisters on the ends of my toes and I felt it was time to investigate running shoes. So I asked my Facebook friends what shoes they recommended...and I ended up getting the best advice I was ever given! A friend told me that I needed to go to a running store (not a sporting goods store, a small shop dedicated to just runners).

So here's the low-down:
1. Google a local running store.
2. Grab your current running shoes and socks.
3. Go to the store and ask them to evaluate your stride. (FREE!)
4. They will probably ask you to walk and will watch how your feet hit the ground. They might look at the bottoms of your current shoes to see how they wore.
5. They will then show you which shoes are best for you depending on how you run. (Under-pronators and over-pronators...this will probably change your life!)

I tried on no less than one hundred shoes (no joke) that were in my stride's category. There are several big brands and several key differences. To be honest, I felt a little bit like Cinderella with her glass slipper. Nothing made me happy. Too heavy, too hard, too wide, too narrow. But the best part was, the person working was very knowledgeable and patient. Ended up buying a pair, running with them and returning them. No problems!
I finally ended up having to order my shoes online but the experience made all the difference. I never would have been able to find this exact pair of shoes before because I didn't know what I NEEDED.
No more sore knees daily (well, only after a ten mile race!) and they feel great while running. So, take an hour out of your day and go get evaluated at your local running store!

=) Chelsea