Help! I Need New Running Shoes!

In November I completed the Big Sur Half Marathon, and come May I’ll be running Bay to Breakers in San Francisco. This whole running long distances thing is rather new to me, and I need help finding the right shoes. I use to train in a pair of New Balance WR760.

Women’s New Balance WR760 shoes for $99.95 at Zappos.

I like New Balance shoes, but I wore my last pair for way too long and I really felt it after the half marathon.

Currently, I’m wearing a pair of Adidas Supernovas, which I really like.

Women’s Adidas Supernova shoes for $100 at ShopAdidas.com.

I haven’t used the Supernovas for long distances, and I’m thinking about buying a new pair of running shoes to “break-in” before Bay to Breakers. Any suggestions?

April 8th: One Day Without Shoes

On April 8th, TOMS Shoes is sponsoring an event called “One Day Without Shoes.” The event is being held to draw attention to the lives of children living without shoes. The reality of life without shoes, according to the event’s website, is startling. For instance, “In Ethiopia, approximately one million people are suffering from Podoconiosis, a debilitating and disfiguring disease caused by walking barefoot in volcanic soil. Podoconiosis is 100% preventable with basic foot hygiene and wearing shoes.”

Anyone can participate in the event, and you can even join a group of fellow enthusiasts and go barefoot together. Here’s the list of events. I am posting this now, so interested persons have time to sign-up and plan accordingly.

If you do decide to participate, make sure to register on the website so you can be entered to take part in a Shoe Drop (all expenses paid!). As a shoe company, TOMS gives one pair of shoes to a child in need for every pair of shoes purchased. These shoes are distributed during international Shoe Drops. I’m sure the experience would be very powerful.

This Week in Shoes

(AP photo @ Telegraph.co.uk)

- Christian LaCroix’ fashion house has begun Bankruptcy proceedings (c/o Telegraph.co.uk & thetimesonline.co.uk).

- In a contrasting bright spot of economic news, cobblers, whose numbers have been dwindling for lack of interest by the new working generation, are weathering the current financial downturn as customers turn to cobblers to stretch their shoe-dollars. (c/o jacksonville.com)

- The BATA shoe museum in Toronto, Canada, has opened a new exhibit: “On a Pedestal: From Renaissance Chopines to Baroque Heels“. The exhibit opened this November and will run through September 20, 2010.  and features about 70 pairs of shoes dating from the 16th and 17th centuries with many on loan from museums in Italy, Britain, Sweden, Austria and the United States (c/o The Canadian Press).

Britney Webb’s softball prowess, including a .403 batting average, six home runs, 40 RBI’s and 55 stolen bases earns her this year’s Adidas “Golden Shoe Award“. (c/o the NAIA website)

- Victoria Beckham’s devotion to fashionable footwear comes at a painful price; bunion surgery is recommended. (c/o dailymail.co.uk)

(Image @ gallery at link below)

- Kim Kardashian goes shopping with Mom in NYC. Kim asks, “What do you think of those turquoise boots?” (c/o kimkardashian.celebuzz.com)

- A quick reminder: Jimmy Choo’s Project Pep “You, Your Shoes, and 72” is down to the last 5 days for accepting contest entries if you are feeling creative.

Are heels appropriate for toddlers?

Now that my hubby and I are expecting our first child, my shoe universe seems to be expanding.  While my interest still lies in women’s shoes, toddler footwear suddenly seems more interesting to me, irrespective of the gender of our child.

When I first saw this picture of Suri Cruise in tiny d’orsay heels, a few thoughts were running through my head.

Essentially they boiled down to three categories (edited to more coherent thoughts for this post):

1. The practical side- Nooo!!!!  This young lady just learned how to walk.  Her feet need to be close to the ground to provide her with better stability, allow for strong ankles, and for that arch to be built.

2. The feminist side- How can women expect to be treated as equally when we willingly choose to wear heels?  When we wear hobbling heels, doesn’t this just symbolically emphasize how fragile and frail women are vs. our male counterparts who stand steady with both feet firmly planted on the floor?

3. The girly side- Awwwh, how cute.  Suri is going to be quite the fashionista when she grows up.  These must be Suri’s princess shoes (photo below of R5Bales’ granddaughter’s shoes)!

Honestly, I believe that everything can be done in moderation.   As long as Suri is allowed to walk barefoot or wear flexible soled shoes the majority of the time, I think that low kitten heels are acceptable.  Heck, they are loads cuter than Crocs.  Little girls should be allowed to play dress up and experiment.   It’s part of growing up and developing personal tastes and a personality.  But what do you think?  Are heels appropriate for someone Suri’s age?

Shoes: Should they be worn in the house?

I was raised in a household where everyone took off their shoes upon entering the home.  As a kid, sometimes I resented the practice.  Primarily, it was often a hassle plus most of my friends didn’t have this requirement in their homes.  Nowadays though, I see the value removing shoes.  The reasons are quite similiar to why they did it in the old days.

1) Shoes are removed to keep dirt out -- no one wants muddy shoe prints on their freshly cleaned floors, especially if you have guests sitting on the floor (which lasted about 6 months after we bought out condo and had no furniture).

2) Giving feet proper air circulation.  Okay, sometimes I’m lazy.  I confess that I might skip wearing socks if I know that I’m only going out on a quick errand.  But I have sweaty feet and taking off my shoes when I get home ensures I dry out my feet and don’t get athlete’s foot.   In more humid climates like Taiwan or Japan, I can totally see where this would be an issue.

3) Removing shoes are relaxing.  The act of casting off my shoes when I arrive home is my way of saying that I’ve entered my comfortable, stress-free sanctuary, free of the constraints of the outside world.

I realize that not everyone feels this way, especially after watching the Sex and the City Season 6, Episode 9 entitled ‘A Woman’s Right to Shoes’ :

or maybe someone has holes in their socks they wish to hide.  Even though it is my home,  I know I feel a twinge of guilt and awkwardness when I force my guests to remove their shoes.

So here’s what I do. I always keep a few spare guest sandals handy. When my guests arrive, I give them the option to go barefoot or ask if they are interested in wearing indoor slippers instead. I know it isn’t much, but I want my floors clean and keeping outdoor shoes on is not an option.  I’ve found that it helps when the slippers are cute or uber comfy. For example, the lovely folks at Dearfoams sent me these two slippers.

The top Dearfoams pair were too small for me but they were a hit with my girlfriend -- she loved the cute flower and the bright colors.  My girlfriend happens to fall into the ‘take off the shoes at home’ category so she was an easy sell though.  The bottom Dearfoams sole was so comfy, that I ended up wearing them myself.   I’m not sure how fellow pregnant women can walk barefoot, but I need a little cushioning and support with all the extra weight I’m carrying.  This pillowtop, memory sandal was simply a godsend for my aching feet.

Anyways, I digress. To give my guests slipper options, I purchased 2 additional Dearfoams on my own  -- a light blue thong Dearfoam sandal and a  fuzzy Dearfoam slipon -- plus a pair of manly slippers from Brookstones.  Here’s a fun picture that I took of the Dearfoams in the shape of a flower.  Some of my guests have said they like the sandals and would be purchasing a pair to wear around their house.  I guess they like the memory foam on the Dearfoams as much as I do!

But what about you?  Would you make your guests take off their shoes?