Find Your Perfect Running Shoe

When I was in seventh grade, I went out for track. Since I happen to be "speed challenged," I didn’t go very far in that sport, but I did have a pair of really comfortable running shoes. It was so long ago that I can no longer remember their name, but I remember the way they felt. It was almost like an extension of my own feet.

I wore those shoes for a very long time, until they literally fell apart, and since that day, I’ve never been able to find another pair of shoes that felt like those ones I had in seventh grade. In fact, I haven’t been able to find a pair that feels even remotely comfortable. Within an hour of putting most shoes on, either my toes or my lower back, or both, are in agony. I had convinced myself that I would never again find a running shoe that I truly loved, but that was before I discovered the ASICS GEL-Stratus® 2.1 .

I am completely, head-over-heels in love with these shoes! They really do feel like an extension of my own feet. I have worn my GEL-Stratus® 2.1 for intense workouts without any soreness in my toes or back. These shoes are light-weight and breathable, and extremely flexible. The fact that they are totally cute is just icing on the cake! I have finally come to understand why so many fitness experts say that a good pair of shoes is the most valuable piece of equipment a person can have! After years of searching, I have finally found my perfect running shoe in the ASICS GEL-Stratus® 2.1.

I’ll bet you’re wondering how I was finally able to discover the perfect running shoe for me. I did a bit of research, and discovered that most people who have chronic problems finding comfortable shoes either have flat feet or a high arch. There’s an easy way to discover which type of foot you have. Wet your foot and step onto a piece of paper or a sidewalk. What does your footprint look like? If it looks like a classic footprint, then you’re lucky and have a perfectly average foot. If your whole foot makes an impression, with hardly a blank spot where your arch should be, then you have flat feet, or overpronation. If your footprint is incomplete, or has a very thin line on the outside of your foot, you have high arches, or underpronation. For complete illustrations of this wet foot test, please visit The Final Sprint.

After discovering that I have a slight underpronation problem, I scoured the internet for shoe companies that advertised products for my foot type. Out of all the big name shoe companies, ASICS had the only website that included easy-to-read scales, listing the recommended pronation range for many of their running shoes. When I found this scale, I had to restrain myself from kissing my computer screen! I was so thankful to ASICS for clearly listing which shoes would work well for my feet! I felt like a weary traveler who has finally reached her destination, and now that I have my ASICS GEL-Stratus® 2.1 running shoes, I can enjoy my fitness journey more fully than I ever have before!