Whee, Whee, Whee, All the Way to The Running Company

Today was a very traumatic day here in Three Feathers. I went shopping for new running shoes. I mentioned at Carpool the obscenely small number of miles before the soles of my feet started hurting during the race, and was told to get different shoes pronto.

Let me start by saying, FireCat does not adjust well to change. Further, FireCat has not run in anything except New Balance since, oh, about 1999 or so. So FireCat was a little freaked out at the idea of having to make new friends for her feet. Especially once she was told that there was, sadly, no way to crossbreed the NB 767w with a marshmallow and generate the perfect shoe.

First FireCat got put into some freakizoid Nike crap that (a) were probably made by 9-year-olds in Indonesia, and (b) had a ridiculous puffy goiter right under the ball of the foot on each insole. Yeah, Morton's neuroma waitin' to happen, that. Ptui.

Then FireCat thought of her now non-imaginary marathon friend Paulette, and asked to try on a pair of Asics Gel Kayanos. Hon, you have really skinny toes, 'cause those things GOT NO TOE BOX to speak of. My God.

Next up was Adidas. Every pair of Adidas I've ever tried on has the arch support up near the big toe somewhere. This pair was no exception.

Finally they brought out the big guns. Saucony ProGrid Hurricane Eighty-Seven Names 9. Huge. Um, so much for sizing up. Tried again a half-size down. Perfect. My (scuse me) balls are happy, my heels are all snuggled up tight, and there's enough room in the toe box to have a square dance. Or even some roast beef, if you were the toe so inclined.

Do you think it's okay if I sleep in them? I have four or five miles tomorrow, and I really don't want to take them off.