I use my feet hard. I'm prone to nasty seasons of plantar fasciitis. I'm also prone to black toenails from the pounding. My feet have grown to a men's size 12 after more than 30 years of fairly diligent running. Finding shoes that don't hurt and possibly help is a challenge. Two years ago, I chanced upon a shoe that served as well as anything I've ever worn, the first iteration of the HokaOneOne Challenger. Since shoes routinely are "improved" every year, ceasing to fit, I snapped up four pairs. Last week I sadly retired pair Number III (shown on the left) and broke out Number IV, the last.
Number III had nearly 500 miles on it. I flatten a shoe; the trails have done a job on the tread.
Now I'll have search for a modern replacement. First stop will be the Challenger's fourth iteration, but I won't be surprised if a few false attempts deposit me with a different shoe company. Shoe obsolescence is infuriating. Just when someone builds a good one, it disappears.
3 comments:
I've had some of those problems and finding the right shoe and then having it not be discontinued is equally frustrating though I don't run. For years it was not recognizing i had one fallen arch and needed better arch support for the other foot that was prone also to heel pain. I'd get past that and something else would pop up (ganglion cyst). Feet are indeed a problem and for years, finding not pretty but effective shoes is what I've looked for. Around the house I go barefoot a lot or wear moccasins with no soles at all, which means I walk toe heel, good for the foot. They don't work outside though. Now I am facing the need to replace my tennis shoes and worry I will put out a lot of money and not have a shoe that helps my foot problems.
Yes! the stage of finding the new ones always involves paying a lot for shoes that don't quite work.. Urrgh!
I went to Asics some years back because of the gel. I have one leg shorter than the other and i end up with hip pain if I am not careful what shoes I wear. So it's feet and hips. Asics don't last long for me as I wear the backs out. And then they discontinued the style I had liked best for how it fit my peasant foot.
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