A Visit with Shoe Dog

Les had a client meeting in San Diego last week so I tagged along.  A quick look at the map showed that we were staying about 15 miles from Road Runner Sports warehouse and flagship store.  I have been a Road Runner customer for about 15 years. I usually order online but my go to shoes by Saucony have changed a lot and I wanted to check out other options.

I talked to a front line employee when I walked in and we quickly decided that I needed to meet with a fit expert.  Road Runner calls this Shoe Dog and my expert's name was Scott.  The first step was to determine my arch type.  I stepped on a sensor pad and the shape of each foot was not the shape of a foot, but two blobs. I have a very high arch.

Scott then measured each foot.  My right foot is a size 5, while my left foot is closer to a 4 1/2.  This has always made shoe buying a challenge for me.  I size up to a 5 1/2 but many shoe brands don't make anything smaller than a 6.

I next ran on treadmill for about 30 seconds, which we then reviewed.  My running style is neutral, no pronation, and I land on the front of my foot.  The video also capture both feet off the ground at the same time.

When my analysis was done, I was handed off to Alex who started bringing out shoes for me to try on.  She was very knowledgeable in what the different brands have been doing lately and it seems the trend has been narrower toe boxes.  That's not a good thing for me!  I tried on about a half dozen different brands and ended up with the Brooks Glycerin 14.  I have never run in Brooks before but I've run about 20 miles in them now and so far so good.

I walked out of the store with two pairs of shoes, a couple packs of socks, custom insoles, and a box of GU.  With a marathon in about 12 weeks, this was time and money well spent!  Because I am a VIP Family Member with Road Runner, I received a 10% discount and have a 90 day test run period.

Have you ever had a running analysis?  What type of runner are you?  What's your favorite brand of running shoes?