New Shoes, Yet Again
Background
A few years back, I decided to buy a lighter shoe for shorter runs. I ended up with the New Balance Fresh Foam Zante v3. After two pairs of the v3, I got a pair of the Zante Pursuit as a race giveaway. I've been wearing that pair of Zante Pursuit for about 18 months now, so I figured it was time to replace them (although it wasn't super urgent because the mileage on them was still pretty low). Problem is, New Balance discontinued the Zante line. So what would I wear next?
Why Buy Now?
Like I said, new shoes wasn't super urgent. So why did I decide to buy now? Work gave us a $200 holiday wellness stipend, and I decided that a new pair of running shoes would be a great way to spend some of that money (I also bought a weighted blanket).
Fun fact: It's a good thing I decided to buy shoes now. I have actually now retired my Zante Pursuits. Last time I ran in them they were not comfortable, and towards the end of the run my left foot was rolling out when landing (so that I was landing on the outside of my foot), which really messed up my back. So those shoes have been retired (although I haven't retired them in Garmin Connect or labeled the box as retired because I'm in denial).
Picking Out Shoes
But what shoes to buy? If at all possible, I wanted to avoid the running store. I was okay when I went there a few months ago, but with case numbers rising, I'm really trying to minimize my in-person shopping. So I wanted to try my luck with internet shopping for shoes (because that always works out so well...).
I did some research on what shoes people recommended to replace the Zante line. I looked at a bunch of shoes, including some brands I had never looked at before (Reebok! Sketchers!), and ultimately decided to try the New Balance Fresh Foam Tempo (which is the replacement for the Zante line) and the Adidas SL20 (which I wanted to try mostly because I've been looking for yellow shoes for DisneyBounding and it comes in yellow).
New Balance Fresh Foam Tempo
This is New Balance's replacement for the Zante line, and I've actually tried it before. I bought the Tempo online a few months ago and really liked it, but found that the heel was a little uncomfortable and it pushed my foot too far forward. I was pretty sure it was a size issue, but never committed to trying a different size. During the course of my current research, I discovered that New Balance recommends sizing up in the Tempo, so I decided to order an 8.5 (I wore an 8 in the Zantes).
I did a lot of shopping around for the right price in my size and ended up ordering this from Zappos. Allegedly they have a 30-day unlimited run guarantee, so I think I can run outside in them. But I've never returned Zappos shoes after wearing them outside before so I'm extremely nervous about this situation. So we'll see how this goes.
I wore these on Friday for a 2.5 mile run and they started out okay, but by the end they felt too big. But the smaller size definitely didn't fit. So I'm not sure how I feel about these. Current plan is to see if I can lace them tighter and take them out for a 3-5 miler and make a decision based on that.
Adidas SL20
This shoe came out of nowhere. I saw it recommended on one website and then saw that it comes in yellow, and since I've been looking for a yellow shoe ... I was sold. I could only find it in this color and my size from Adidas, so I bought it direct from them. Adidas doesn't let you wear shoes outside and then return them (same with New Balance, actually), so I can't run in these before I make the decision.
I did wear them sitting at my desk for a bit and they weren't super comfortable, which was sad. But I want to like them. So I don't know what to do. If the Fresh Foam Tempo don't work out, then I may decide to keep these and just turn them into DisneyBound shoes if they're not good for running. Or maybe I'll return them. I don't know. I need to decide by the middle of the week what I'm going to submit for reimbursement, so there is definitely a deadline on this decision.
So What's It Gonna Be?
No idea. I wanted it to be the Adidas because I wanted something new, but I'm not sure they're gonna be it. Not sure about the Fresh Foam Tempo either. Not sure what I'll try if neither of these work out. I may have to make a trek to the running store. Sigh.