Nothing is more important to a runner than a proper pair of shoes.  It’s something you should not skimp out on, especially if you want to run on a regular basis.   Your best bet is to skip the big box sporting goods stores, and go to a store that specializes on running shoes.  The sales people there will evaluate your gait and help point you in the right direction as to what type of shoe will fit you best.  I made the assumption that these specialty stores would cost more, but I was wrong.  They were comparable to any other store I shopped. 

When I started this fitness journey I wore a pair of Nike Shox.  After tearing a muscle in my back in March, I ended up in physical therapy and also was refered to a podiatrist.  BOTH the PT and the Podiatrist noted how bad the Shox were for running, especially for an over-pronator like myself.   I ended up buying two pairs of Nike Structure Triax+ 13. 

I have a unique situation physically.  I was born with mild cerebral palsy and due to that I have some weakness on my left side, and leg-length discrepancy.  Because of the leg length issue, running was pounding more force on my hip and spine.  Running alone can put 3x the force of your body weight onto your joints.  With my leg length difference, that amount was doubled.  That was a lot of shock pounding the crap out of my spine.  Because of that,  my podiatrist altered my left shoe, in order to add 1 1/2 inch to my left leg. This was done by combining a custom insert, along with an addition of a 1/2 inch to the sole of the shoe.

The end result was this….

A nice 1/2 inch wedge inserted into the middle of the sole.

I added some color to the lift to help match it up to the right shoe.

I have dubbed these my Supershoes.  I’ve been running on them for about a month, and after a couple of weeks of breaking them in – more like getting my body used to the re-alignment, I have to say that they ROCK!   Running has become more enjoyable.