Training Shoes Anyone?

Last week I attended a shoe clinic at my local 3 Day outfitter Luke's Locker. What's a shoe clinic, you might be thinking. Well, let me tell you...

Luke's Locker offered to hold a 3 Day shoe clinic for my walking team, Angels for the Cure. Although the shoe clinic event was specially scheduled for my team, anyone was able to attend. The best thing is that Luke's opened early for us on a Saturday morning AND we had the place to ourselves! Now, if you haven't been in a running store on the weekend, then you have no idea how long the wait can be. Sometimes the wait can be in upwards of 30 minutes to see a running shoe consultant. Since it was just us, the wait time didn't seem long and it gave us a chance to catch up with one another.

I brought in my current walking shoes for the shoe consultant to take a look at (I strongly encourage this so the wear pattern can be looked at). We also talked about how I tie my shoes, the type of socks that I wear, and any problems that I had been experiencing. I then walked up and down the track in the store so he could see how I walk. After all of that, and remeasuring my feet, he brought out a couple of pairs of shoes for me to try on and walk with.

Since I started walking in the 3 Day, I have been pretty happy with my Asics (that is after trying some shoes that didn't work so well for me). I've also been leary of changing shoes for fear of eperiencing problems that I don't currently have (like blisters...ouch!) After last year's walking season, I thought that I should possibly try a different shoe. It seems like my Asics weren't quite doing the job for me anymore (my feet, especially my arches, would kill me on the second day of the walk).


Hopefully I have made a love connection with these new kicks:

And yes, the PINK shoelaces were an add on!

Other than the personal attention to getting fitted for my 3 Day shoes, I forgot to mention another plus...a DISCOUNT! During a shoe clinic, the hosting outfitter will typically offer an additional discount. The normal 3 Day discount Luke's offers is 10%. During the shoe clinic Luke's gave us 15% off all of our purchases (with the exception of items that were on clearance). The additional 5% may not sound like a lot, but every bit helps since getting the appropriate gear for training isn't cheap.

If you're thinking about walking the 3 Day (or starting any type of training program) I strongly encourage you to try a true running store (not Finish Line, please) to get your kicks. You get the benefit of expereinced staff who are typically runners themselves. They are extremely helpful at giving hints and tips for shoes, clothing, supplements, etc. And they're not there just to sell you a pair of shoes. They have a passion for what they do, a committment to fitness, and understand the importance of appropriate footwear to be successful.

Happy training!