New Kicks: Somnio

…make me run FAST!!!

You know how when you were a kid a new pair of shoes made you “Run real fast!”? Well, I felt like a kid putting on my new kicks this past week!

The nice people at Somnio (check them out HERE) contacted me and asked if I would be interested in giving their shoe a test run. My Asics have a good couple hundred miles left to them but I am always up for trying something new, as long as it is quality. As most of you recall I have had some pretty significant hip pain, which the cause was recently identified by a chiropractor. But I have also noticed that it worsens as my shoes break down. So I decided to give this new shoe a try and go from there…you know, see just how fast I could run!

So with Kara’s help (the awesome rep from Somnio) I figured out which shoe would best fit me and my stride.

What Kara says about Somnio shoes:

“We’ve developed shoes that are completely customizable and help support correct alignment…leaving runners less susceptible to injury. We can even customize your left shoe differently from your right! We focus on supporting the foot INSIDE the shoe, instead of adding extra weight to outsoles. As a long-time runner myself, I was able to transition from a bulky stability shoe, into a lightweight trainer (perfect for racing a marathon).”

Um, SOLD! And she is not kidding about customizing the shoes…I have a size 8.5 on my left foot and a 9 on my right! What in the world? The last time I got fit for a pair of shoes this was not pointed out to me…I have two different size feet, nice. News to me! Oh well, Somnio worked with me!

Also, another cool thing is that you can go to a retailer (found on their website HERE) to get fit or use their awesome and easy guide to fit yourself! That is what I did and it worked awesome. I found I am a very neutral runner and Kara said, “I think that you’ll be interested to know that a lot of brands actually put varus wedges inside their NEUTRAL shoes…but no one knows about it. So when a brand says their neutral shoe can also be worn by mild pronators, that’s usually because they’ve stuck a varus wedge inside, meaning that the shoe is not actually 100% neutral”. Well, I don’t know a lot about the science behind building a running shoe but I do know that what she told me does NOT sound good in regards to those other shoe companies and me wearing a true neutral shoe.

Once I got the shoes and took them for a spin I could immediately tell a difference. It was hard to pin—point exactly what I felt but I felt like I was working differently. When I talked to Kara about the different feeling she said, “the reason for that is that the shoes were built with your particular alignment in mind. When you have better alignment, your body doesn’t have to work as hard to self-correct, leaving your muscles less fatigued overall. You might also notice that you might not be striking the ground as hard with your heel in your Somnios.”

So do I think this shoe will make me run real fast, as in the same way I believed when I was 8? No. Not exactly. But I did notice that in both runs of 3 mile my pace was a good 8 seconds faster per mile. That is pretty darn good! I do believe that this shoe will help me train for TWO more marathon’s in 2010 and do so injury free. So, take my review for what it’s worth! They sent me the shoes the review is mine and mine alone! And did I mention that that my shoes came is a sweet biodegradable box! Hello GREEN company! Awesome!

Today I am grateful:

Gorgeous weather!

Awesome friends, and yes, i know I said that last post but really, my friends are awesome! Everyone should have friends like mine! =)