My old athletic shoes had lost most of their bounce and cushioning. I had purchased them over six years ago ( maybe event longer than that). I never wore them a lot as I had several other pairs that I wore with different outfits. It was only after I started going to the fitness center that I wore them more frequently. I was beginning to suspect that my recurring knee pain was partly to blame by these shoes starting to wear out. So I started doing my research and thought I would look into a pair of New Balance trainers that were available in a narrow fit. But I needed to go try some on in a physical store before I ordered anything online. So last weekend when I was in Waco I ended up at Academy (not a fan of the store, but there really weren't other options). I first tried on the New Balance in a medium width ( they don't stock narrow) I did not like them at all. So I tried a Nike - nope, Asics - nope, Under Armor - nope, plus a few others. Nothing fit, or felt good on my feet. I had hoped to try on a Hoka brand as I had been reading good things about them. But they do not carry them. So I returned home empty handed and started my research a bit more intensely focused on Hoka's. I decided to order a pair from Zappos knowing that returns would be easily made. Research led me to the Clifton 9 style. It was on sale and they had a color combo that I really liked. I received them on Thursday. I tried them on and wore them around the house for a few minutes. The fit was good, they laced up without puckering up (which happens when they are too wide and I lace them to fit), they were really comfortable. My only concern was the width of the toe box, but since the heel and instep fit so well, I decided to give them a go at the gym on Saturday.
Saturday rolled around and I headed off to the gym wearing my new Hoka's. First was the stair-master. The first few steps felt a bit awkward due to the over-sized sole. I did find my rhythm and did my 1000 steps easily. On to the treadmill... 65 minutes, 40 at 15%, 10 at -3%. I felt great. These new shoes really made a difference. On Sunday I went all in. I focused only on the treadmill (the stair-master wasn't available when I arrived). I did my five minute warmup at 3 mph at 3%, then I went right up to 15% for 55 minutes straight. No break. then 10 minutes at -3% and a 5 minute cool down. No knee or hip pain. I was just hot and sweaty. Even after returning home, I still felt great.
I'll be keeping my Hoka's.
No comments:
Post a Comment