Let me start by saying that I've gone through my entire life wearing the wrong sneakers. I would dread having to go to the gym, not because of the working out part, it was because of the pain my sneakers would impart on my feet. But all of that was going to change.
I was recently diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, and unfortunately, have the beginnings of joint damage in my feet. I knew I had to be proactive with finding shoes that would support my feet and help me get through the day with minimal pain. I already have a nice collection of Birkenstocks and Toms with supportive inserts, but the sneaker wardrobe was lacking. I took a chance after hearing that Fleet Feet specializes in finding people with needs such as mine the perfect sneaker. I knew that it wouldn't be inexpensive, but to me, it would be well worth it, so I went.
I was immediately greeted by Dana, who was friendly and incredibly knowledgable, and she explained their process. She had me take my shoes and socks off, and she recorded me walking away from her on an iPad, and then examined how I walk. She then asked what my activity of choice was so she could narrow down my sneaker options. We opted for an everyday cross trainer, and within minutes she came out with three boxes of sneakers.
I tried the first pair on, and was immediately surprised with how comfortable they were! They were New Balance, and what I normally would go for in the stores. The second pair was a brand that I had never heard of, a Swiss brand called On. I fell in love with the colors, slate with a coral detail, and the bottoms of the sneakers had this unique "cloud" design, which would offer stability that I wasn't getting in other sneakers. Dana even put some special inserts in the sneakers, which made me really feel like I was walking on a cloud. The laces didn't cut off my circulation in my feet, and the sneakers themselves just molded to my feet! I didn't want to take them off! I did, though, and tried the third option, another pair of New Balances. I immediately took them off and put the On's on. It was a no-brainer for me. Never have I actually WANTED to wear a pair of sneakers before! I had her cash me out immediately, with the inserts and some socks, and headed to the gym!
I ended up spending $220 for the sneakers, inserts, and socks, and here I sit, 3 months later, with zero foot pain after a workout, and still so in love with my choice! They were worth every penny! To check out these sneakers for yourself, click here. Fleet Feet is located at 2290 Delaware Ave in Buffalo, NY, you can visit their website by clicking here.
~Alexis
