Tuesday, February 12, 2013

My new Nikes, where to buy athletic shoes for less and why toning shoes are ridiculous

My offending "ugly boy shoe" asics :'[ haha

"Wow babe, those are really, really ugly" 

This post kind of started with a conversation I had with my boyfriend the other day. When we originally started dating over 18 months ago, one thing we both really found common ground on was our love of fitness. Ever since the first time we worked out together I always remembered his comment whenever I looked at my shoes. That and the "those are like little boy shoes" comment that followed. Now don't get me wrong, I LOVE my asics. Honestly they're the best runner shoes and nothing feels quite like them. But it blew my mind that a man who is incredibly minimalistic and indifferent about worldly goods would comment on something like my shoes being ugly. That being said these little champs served me well for over 5.5 years now. You can't see in the photo but they're starting to get holes so I decided for a bit of an aesthetic upgrade. I chose the black (a little more expensive, paid 130 at the time) since I was doing a lot of outdoors stuff and I didn't want the traditional white colored shoes to get ruined.

PROS of asics shoes:
  • Long lasting
  • Amazing on the arch of the foot
  • Different styles focus on different running habits- it really feels tailored to you. I'd try on as MANY styles as you can until you find one that fits just right
CONS:
  • "Ugly"- even by men's standards apparently *roll eyes*
  • Very expensive- around $100/pair but I noticed they came out with a more economical version in the 50s range! Can't say much for how the more affordable line works though)

We we're both shopping around and first stepped in to Dick's Sporting Goods...never been in here in my life but it reminded me of a bigger, brighter and slightly more pretentious Big 5 Sporting Good store- which by the way is where I bought my infamous pink pepper spray.

Anyway so we eventually decided to hop skip over to the Famous Footwear next door- now let me tell you this place is SO neat. They had tons of Nikes for men and women, as well as a lot of heels and boots. I also noticed quite a few of the women's footwear was made by Franco Sarto- impressive considering thats mostly a Nordstrom and Department Store brand. I didn't exactly like a lot of the sandals and heels but did notice a few classics among the crowd. The color selection for women was admittedly a bit limited for athletic shoes so I asked the sales associate where I could get the baby blue version on display but was told it was a child's size. I must have looked pretty disappointed because he asked me my size (6) and told me I'd have no problem finding them in that size. I was blown away, most my friends who squeak by with children's sizes have 3.5-4 size feet. I think i'm pretty solidly in the adult sizes but according to the kind folks on Twitter apparently anyone even up to a women's 7.5 can wear children's shoes. I purchased these in a size 5Y.



I settled on these baby blue babies! Lunarglide's are the children's version of the Nike Lunarflys- which is PERFECT because that was the shoe I had been eyeing inside of Dick's. The price was right under $52 before tax, $51.99 I believe. They're an all around running shoe, but can also be used during weight training. They only had two children's options available so thats something to think about as well- but the adult women's shoes were a good 20 bucks cheaper than at Dicks. But of course, Dicks had a much larger selection.

Another place I think you should check out if you're interested in getting asics on sale is Nordstrom Rack- I see a ton of random ones there all the time now. They're really a fantastic runner shoe if you're in to running. I like how these Nikes feel but I've worn the same running shoes for so long that its taking me awhile to form an opinion on them. It definitely feels different when I run- but I can't tell if thats a good or bad different yet.

Anyway while I was running around the store I noticed a somewhat elderly woman trying on those infamous Skechers Shape Ups shoes.  I followed these pretty closely because I thought they were fascinating (read: dumb) but they seemed to be SO embraced by the weight loss community. I almost wanted to warn her- they won't help you lose weight. Save your money- in fact the company is facing a flurry of lawsuits one by the FTC and one mass tort (which you can read about here) but I won't delve in to that. They charged something like $100+ a pair too, ridiculous! Honestly now, I love the Kardashian sister's fashion sense and perfect extensions but after endorsing a company like Quik Trim I would never buy their products outside of their nail polish collections. Besides-in Kim's endless paparazzi photos she's always wearing Nikes. There will definitely be no shortage of fad diets or funny weight loss products. I remember once for kicks and giggles I tried on a friends weight loss belt which starts with smearing a strange sonogram like jelly over your stomach and then turning it on -those little electrical zaps HURT. Of course it doesn't work but it just blows me away how much money is spent on pills and fantastical devices devices each year- but yet America's battle with obesity is one they're constantly losing. There's just no short cuts with weight loss. People will search for the right pill, the right equipment, the perfect answer but there's just no substitute for a healthy diet and exercise.

One thing I read lately was "Sometimes, you just have to go and the motivation will eventually come". That's true- there's countless days I'm tired, feeling lazy and really don't want to go to the gym. I'm sighing on the mat stretching and dragging my feet to the machine but once I get a bit of sweat going then im 110% in. Sometimes you won't be motivated right away, and that's okay because getting yourself there is half the battle. Once I'm there, I just think about how hot ripped abs are and that gives me the energy to push through running when I'm tired. That and sexy songs. Like this music video: has both sexy lyrics and sexy girls (indifferent about the beat though). Very NSFW by the way. ahaha 



So think of whatever makes you feel sexy (or vindictive, that always works for me too) and just embrace it. Even if its a cute new pair of sneakers or a sexy music video.




love,
Jackie

7 comments:

Joy said...

Love the color scheme of your new shoes, but the old New Balance ones don't look bad at all to me.
I also wear a size 6 shoe, sometimes 5.5 and I find that a size 3-4Y fits me well. Thank goodness for the children's section. Everything's getting way too expensive nowadays!

http://shortandsweetjoy.blogspot.com/

LoveLikeHell said...

So interested in trying out hot yoga as I've heard a few beauty/health gurus talk about it. Too bad I can't find any classes in my area. Might check it out when I move to Australia. Btw, Chica Bomb is one of my fav workout songs too!

Unknown said...

Big5 has a lot of affordable shoes too. Their Asics are never over $60

suan zhang said...

Web are continuously increasing as almost everything is available online. Trend is changing so fast as well as world of fashion stylish sneakers by Isabel marant has perhaps not that is left behind. You will get what you need online with just the click on the button. You do not have got to go anywhere and waste your energy to get your wished-for products. Moreover, you will get improved bargains while shopping online when compared to physical shopping.

Renata Gomes said...

I LOVE this song! Haha. There is a remix by chew fu and it's AMAZING, you should check this out!

Renata Gomes said...

I love this song! There is a remix of it by Chew Fu that it's amazing, you should check it out on Youtube!

Unknown said...

I'm a diabetic and I suffer from a nerve condition in my toes, wearing tennis shoes was impossible but I found comfort in the shape-up. I think sketchers marketed the shape-up all wrong- DO NOT RUN IN THEM- these elevated shoes aren't meant for running or strenuous exercise either, but are good and comfortable for walking. I had lost 50 pounds walking in my shape-ups. Since Sketcher's new line of walking and running shoes- a competitor of the Nike FreeRun- came out, I switched over to the GoWalk shoes and they are gentle on my toes, cushioning for my joints, and easy on my wallet, only $60 after tax! I heard incredible reviews on the FreeRun but the price chased me away, just thought I'd share.