My fellow Curiosos know that I love to run. Unfortunately, How To Evaluate Your Running Shoes came just a few weeks too late in the Curious 52 for me.
I recently had a minor foot injury and I went to the podiatrist to find out what was going on. Seeing no structural damage, she suggested I purchase new shoes. I actually listened to her advice (see Mom!) and have since put many pain-free miles on a fresh pair.
As you probably know, one of the best things about working at Curious is our collective love of play. I tested my retention from Dr. Hasenbank’s lesson on my recess shoes--once my first choice for running and now possibly the most important pair of shoes I own. I learned about forefoot mobility, midfoot stability, and rear foot canter. I’m already looking forward to buying my next pair of running shoes so I can impress the people at Fleet Feet with my knowledge!
These soles have seen a lot, but I put them through their paces (get it?) to test their structural efficacy. The forefoot mobility and flexion was really great--they still bend very well. From what I understand this means that my foot is able to push off easily without wasting too much efficiency. Unfortunately, these didn’t hold up to the second test for midfoot stability. They bent in half which I now know is not supposed to happen.
All this tells me is that there’s room for improvement for me at recess. Thanks to Dr. Hasenbank’s lesson, now I know that once I lace up a new pair of shoes it’s game on. To paraphrase all of my athletic heroes, nothing can stop me when I have midfoot stability!