Reader review
4/5
Overall
I love this shoe, but I'm backed into a corner. It is the only shoe (I've found) that is neutral, the right shape and fits my fat foot. The Nimbus is a "big brother" to the Cumulus, but feels different, doesn't fit the same and I get about the same mileage with it while spending another 30 bucks... I cannot switch back and forth with a mildly structured shoe like many neutral runners can. I had massive IT band problems for 8 years, and when I looked back through training logs, I saw the issue popped up 3 days after my first run in a more stable shoe. I threw the stable shoes away and my knee was fine in a week.
As much as data can help with shoe recommendation, fitting a shoe is as much an art as science.
I've worked for 5 running stores in 4 states at various times over the last 15 years. Most shoe stores have established protocol for fitting. They cater to the lowest common denominator in their employees (so the idiots can understand the process). Often their protocols are grounded in bad or misunderstood science, bad philosophies (ie, the assumption everyone needs an insert) or tactics creating a larger sale (see previous).
On rare occasion, you'll find a store with employees who possess solid anatomical knowledge, have intimate knowledge of the shoes - fit, feel, durability - and know how to apply the differences in shoe to the customer. They are smart, intuitive and recognize the connections between anatomy, training, equipment, injury, performance and mechanics. They can spot the issue like I had with stable shoes.
An element of art is necessary when a shoe meets the above conditions but the customer doesn't like it for whatever reason. If a shoe doesn't feel right, it isn't going to be right. It takes a lot of trial and error (not to mention UPS shipping time) trying to make these decisions buying online, but a smart shoe guy can usually fix the problem with a few extra questions and a trip to the shoe room.
The employees may or may not have been hugely competitive runners. Being fast does not correlate with any of the above. Running does, but a sub-4 miler has nothing on anyone else in the store, other than dealing with the 19:00 5k runners who want a PR pissing match.
While I agree with your approach for those without knowledgeable access, the end result is the "Cult of the Amateur". Didn't Spock say "Logic is the beginning of wisdom"? (I just revealed my geekiness - sorry). Knowing a comparable shoe in terms of function and feel is much different than knowing why a shoe is different through years and sometimes decades of acquired wisdom. Most runners on this site will not have the kind of shoe salesman described available, but they should try to find one before they strike on their own.
Coachwiththebest · Mar 21, 2015
60 mpw training for a half marathon
- Comfort
- 5/5
- Durability
- 4/5
- Appearance
- 3/5
- Value
- 5/5
