I’d like to start by saying thank you for the kind words on the blog, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and text regarding my last post. I learned a lot from your comments and stories and I know others did too. Thank you!
I’m running again and feeling good! My first few runs were as expected – delighted to be back at it, but felt a little rusty. Saturday was my first run where I felt good – light, fast and free! It made me excited to start workouts again – just not yet. I’ll probably try something fast again later this week.
In other news, it’s summer (like you didn’t know)! I usually spend my summers in cheap flip flops, but not this year! My main problem and injury-prone-ish area is my feet. I haven’t had any “real” injury for years *KNOCK SO HARD ON WOOD* but I get weird tightness problems that start in my feet or calves that eventually mess up my hips/back/hamstring area. I decided to put an end to that this summer. Cue “the summer of keeping it cozy and cute”.
If you follow me on Twitter or Instagram, you know I can usually be found running around doing fun stuff with my 4 year old all day, and now I have a mobile and energetic 9 month old too. I find myself constantly on my feet and on the go. I think of it as good cross training (HA), but I feel the effects on my feet and legs by the end of the day. I started a quest for the perfect summer footwear routine, where I could mix practical style and comfort and I think I have it figured out!! I’m sharing my choices below!
Birkenstocks – Lucky for me, they are apparently back in style. You can wear them with anything, from shorts to jeans to dresses! They mold to your feet after some wear, are comfortable and supportive! Cozy – check! Cute – check!
Look at those beauties (the shoes, not the feet!!)
Sanuk Yoga Sling 2 – These sandals are fairly light and super comfortable. The footbed is made from a yoga mat (for real!) and the sling is made of stretch knit. For me, new shoes usually take a few days of wearing before they feel comfortable, especially shoes that have a piece between the toes, but these felt great right away! The people involved with the company seem really fun and laid back. I think we’d be friends IRL. Cozy – check! Cute- check!
Imagine I’m sitting cross-legged on the beach instead of my kitchen floor. Or at least pretend my kitchen floor is clean :)
Sketchers GOwalk 2 – I decided to try some Sketchers shoes (for daily wear, not running) after Meb won Boston. I decided even if I hated the shoes, I love Sketchers for believing in Meb. I found these shoes and thought they were pretty cute as far as slip on athletic shoes are concerned. When they arrived, I decided they were even cuter in person and they were so comfortable I didn’t want to take them off. I have a hard time wearing any other shoe – they are that awesome. They do run a half to a full size big so order down, especially if you aren’t going to wear socks. Cozy – check! Cute – check!
Ok, I know this is a strange picture, but I wanted to use this to show the fog on the airplane on my way to Grandma’s Marathon. The flight attendant said “it’s just condensation!” then walked away angrily.
Asics Gel Cumulus – My good old standby running shoe! My body feels happiest when I’m running in them, so I stick with this shoe. Cozy – check! Cute – well, I LOVE the current colors (blue/orange combo) so check!
Cool running shoes plus my little darlings on the 4th of July!
currexSole RUNPRO – I’m not one to add anything new to my running routine unless I feel it will benefit me. I mostly live by “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” mentality. But, when I hear about something that could potentially help a problem I’ve been facing (sore feet), I’m glad to try something new! Insert the currexSole insoles. I had to opportunity to start wearing these early this spring and they have been really good to my feet. I started out wearing them when walking and transitioned them into my running shoes when I could trust they wouldn’t mess up my running!
I was pleasantly surprised immediately with how comfortable they felt. They weren’t stiff, heavy or bulky like every other insole I’ve tried! They have a zero mm drop so they won’t interfere with shoe construction and they are designed to move with your feet instead of restricting movement. They were easy to insert into my running shoes – just slip out the insoles that come in the shoes and slip in the currexSole (the instructions on the box show you might have to trim the tip to fit properly, but mine fit great without altering them at all).
The insoles are made based on foot type, body weight and leg/knee angles to ensure that you get a proper fit for your body. My fitting showed I should wear the RUNPRO HIGH – hello high arches – but the best way to know what will work for you is to go through the fitting system yourself. I wouldn’t say my feet are 100% ache & pain free, but they have definitely improved since using the currexSole! Cozy – check! Cute – well, no one sees them, but they have moisture/odor management built in and don’t smell so we’ll give them some cute points!
currexSole RUNPRO HIGH
So tell me – do you keep your feet cozy in the summer? Do you go strictly on style and forget about comfort? (I used to wear fashionable high heels constantly except when running, but those days are long gone!) Do you hang out in cheap flip-flops all day? Any cozy & cute shoes you’ve found this summer that you can share with me?
*I was given the currexSole to review on my blog but all opinions are my own.