Damn The Defyance (3)

This posting will be short and sweet.

I finally bought a new pair of running shoes this week, but not after having a disappointing experience with a pair of Brooks Defyance 3, the neutral version of the Adrenaline GTS, which has been one of my favorite shoes for years (along with the ASICS 2100 series).

Turns out they were not the best shoes for me because I have such a minor, almost undetectable pronation.

So I went to the neutral Defyance. Ran in them one time -- and found the left shoe was pointing my toe inward, causing the left foot to rotate outward.

I was running off the outer edge of my foot, and causing a serious ping in my IT band.

Ouch.

Still hurts, but thank god for ice packs and BioFreeze.

So after my eight-miler in the Defyance, I went back to my favorite store, The Running Zone on Wickham Road in Melbourne, FL.

They have a generous 21-day return policy, that if you don't like your shoes for whatever reason, they will take the shoes back and let you exchange them as long as you have the original box.


I explained my problem and the sales clerk was more than helpful. She understood completely what was happening. Unfortunately, there is no running shoe for my toe-in outward roll problem.

But she said a broader platform might do the trick. She brought out three other pairs of shoes to try on: Brooks Dyad, ASICS Landreth and the Gel Nimbus.

Running in the Dyads felt like wading in a pair of tour buses.

The Landreths had a nice heel insert that I knew would provide stability and support.

But the Nimbus was heavenly (pardon the pun). I felt like I was running on gel clouds as I took a spin around the back parking lot.

Sure, they cost $25 more than the Defyance, but dammit! Your legs are worth protecting.




And now for your listening pleasure,"The Run-Around" by Blues Traveler:

Road Hard

Daddy needs a new pair of shoes!

Or does he?

At what point do you know it's time to hang up your old running shoes and get a new pair? Do you wait until the tread is worn down to nothing? Do you chuck them when the foamy cushion has lost its snap and is squashed to the thinness of an 80-year-old's lumbar disk? Or do you keep running in them until the odor becomes absolutely unbearable, so foul even your dog won't sniff it anymore?

I've had these Brooks Adrenalines for over a year, bought at the Running Zone in Melbourne. Truthfully, ever since I injured myself during the Tupelo Marathon last Labor Day Weekend, they haven't seen a lot of mileage until lately.

But I have noticed the tread wearing down. And the heels are wearing down evenly. That's good. That means this must be the right model for me. Other brands I've worn -- the popular ASICS 2105 and the Mizuno Wave -- tended to wear unevenly, decomposing more quickly on the outer strike zone of the heel.

And they wore out more quickly than the  Brooks. So I guess I'm stuck with the Brooks Adrenaline.

That brings me back to the original question. Is it time to replace them? Or is there still plenty of life in them yet? Can I bear the smell for another week, two weeks or even a month?

While I ponder these questions, I think I'll listen to "Bad Sneakers" by Steely Dan. I never quite figured out what the song means, but I love the line, "I'm going insane, laughing in the pouring rain."