I’ve never been a runner, so it wasn’t a total surprise that my first 5K at the Spokane Happy Girls Run last summer left me with a sore right ankle. The first question my PT friend asked was about my shoes. I found them at Costco for a screaming deal, I told him. “Yeah, that’s your problem,” he said without even looking at my foot. He recommended a local running shop where people are trained to fit you with the right shoe. The sales person at Fleet Feet downtown Spokane helped me choose five different shoes based on my running style and preference for pavement with the occasional foray onto trails. After running down the block in each pair one after another, I decided on the New Balance 870 V4 with super feet insoles. The new shoes felt stable and bouncy, like I wanted to run. Goodbye ankle pain. I learned that getting a “good deal” on running shoes at a big box store or online isn’t always such a good deal after all. And now I have a bright pair of well-fitting running shoes by the front door reminding me to get moving. //
