Give a girl the right shoes & she can conquer the world
A couple of weeks back I told you how I went along to the Shoe Clinic on Ponsonby Road and got fitted for new running shoes and I walked out with a pair of fugly but uber comfortable Asics Nimbus.
I left it a couple of days before I blogged about both the fitting experience and the shoes themselves and I had 23k under my soles by the time I wrote the blog post which comprised of a short run (3k) a medium run (7k) and a long run (for me) of (13k) and I honestly surmised that the shoes were ugly but really comfortable clouds attached to my feet ..
But here’s the thing – those amazingly cushioned shoes gave me blister after blister in the exact same place, I persevered figuring it was just a new shoe thing, but after limping through the Taupo run on the weekend and gritting my teeth through another particularly painful 8k run yesterday I went back to the Shoe Clinic to get some advice.
It turns out that the problem would have continued because the section of my heel in question was being irritated by the external heel guard as I was landing on the outside of my heel and rolling inwards before kicking off again. #fuck I really did want it just to be a “teething” issue that would go away with wear!
However, big thumbs up to the Shoe Clinic in Ponsonby as they immediately went to work finding a replacement shoe that wouldn’t bite me each time I took a step, proving that their 30 day shoe guarantee is in fact a guarantee and not just an advertising ploy
Shoe Clinic’s 30 day money back guarantee is applicable for all shoes prescribed by your Shoe Clinic technician and purchased in one of our stores nationwide.
If you’re not totally convinced you’ve got the right shoes after 30 days, take them back to the Shoe Clinic store and we will exchange or refund depending on your requirements.
Some places make it so hard for you to get a refund (or replacement) that you end up shrugging your shoulders and writing it off, but honestly yesterday when I went to the Shoe Clinic it was as simple as walking in the door, shoes in hand and explaining the situation – I didn’t even have a receipt!
As they already knew what size my foot was we didn’t have to go through that part again and we went direct to the trying on shoes (yep plural this time), the Brooks Glycerin which had the same level of cushioning as the Asics were way too tight in the toe box so although the Mizuno’s had a firmer feel underfoot we thought the wide version of the Mizuno Wave Rider, would be a much better fit. Thankfully it was and I didn’t feel any pain whilst running (I stayed on the treadmill for quite some time just to be sure).
I ran in them this morning and will, categorically state that they feel nothing like running on clouds (which I knew anyway from the treadmill test) however, on the up side my heel didn’t hurt and they aren’t quite as fugly as the Asics (which actually did grow on me) but they are still an awful lot of pink (even for me!)
In fact, they are so pink that even Isabelle deemed them to be “fashionable”, confidently stating that her Mum’s running outfits would be SO much better now! 😉 It’s good to know that I will no longer be such an embarrassment to her – who knows she may even turn up to a Park Run now! LOLOLOLOLOL
If you are wondering what the Shoe Clinic do with the shoes that are returned, their website states;
What happens to any shoes returned?
Shoe Clinic donates returned footwear from our 30 Day Money Back Guarantee to local charities. As Tric Malcolm, the Wellington City Missioner, says, “Shoe Clinic’s generosity has seen lots of people in our community get into quality shoes that they would never normally have access to”.
Nice work Shoe Clinic, however I don’t want to see you again for quite some time!
Till next time
PS – If you are wondering, it’s not only the Shoe Clinic that does shoe fitting. I know that Shoe Science offers the service as does Smith Sports Shoes, however Shoe Clinic happens to be the nearest shoe store to where I work that offers this service. So I guess I just got REALLY lucky!
