Gotta be the Shoes Part Du

Okay, so I have been looking for a "barefoot/Chi/Pose" shoe that I can use beyond 13.1 miles until I am brave/light enough / good enough to run long long distances in my Vibram's. As I wrote earlier I had no problems except for the pounding me feet took for the 21,600 steps I took in the 1/2 marathon. Maybe one day but I am a realist.

After doing much research I narrowed it down to two shoes (I added one to the list after talking to Jim at Ghisallo who supposidely is the Barefoot Ted of St. Louis.

Choice #1 - Zoot Race Shoe - This is Zoot's racing flat but unlike a true racing flat there still is a little bit of a heel. These things look awesome, have all of the things I have come to love with Zoot Shoes like the drain hole, laceless, sockless, easy on easy off. The thing I have come not to like about the Zoot's is they have become difficult to find this year. Little Shark in St. Louis carries them but when I went there to check em out they had 1 pair in the entire store and that one was on the wall in a size 10. Not to have wasted a trip, I had the sales attendant go to the back and get its brother and I took em for a spin. They were nice but just too big (and expensive). They were very nice and offered to get me a size 9 but I asked them to wait. Reason to follow - If I come across a deal on these shoes I will buy a pair

Choice 2 - Nike Free 3.0 - I actually called Nike and asked them some questions, the most important being what is the difference between Free 3.0 - 5.0 - 7.0 and their answer was very logical. The higher the number, the more "technical" the shoe (shoe jargon for padding and structure. The lower the number the closer to barefoot. I went to Ghisallo and spoke to Jim (on recommendation of Corky the owner of Ghisallo). Jim is the one that sold me the Vibram's and knows his stuff. The fact I know nothing made it pretty easy but he is obviously scholarly on the subject. I told him my dilemma that he created selling me the Vibram's - he laughed - and then recommended the Free 3.0 AND then he showed me the Newton's. I had tried on the Free 3.0 in the past and liked them, I took them for another spin and the heel doesn't get in the way so these things are the front runners - literally

New Choice 3 - The Newtons - Can't argue with who uses them as most of the fast runners in Ironman including the World Champion for the past 2 years Craig Alexander along with many past champions. I tried them on for the first time and I have to say, the feedback is instantaneous. The forefoot has a raised section that you have to land on. If you miss, you feel it. I can see the draw of these things and I tried on a pair that was setup for someone who pronates and ran in them. I liked them but for almost double the cost of the Free's (155.00) I couldn't see parting with that kind of cabbage on such a strange shoe.

I bought the Frees. I will do my 6 miler in them tonight and report back. I will still run A LOT in my vibram's. They are great for form and reinforcing POSE. I hope they are a little more rock resistent than the Vibram's.

I will keep you POSTED - See what I did just then - Posted - Writing a post.... I know, I am a dork.

Tracy
www.acropolistech.com