New Shoes (finally!) and a shoe and skirt review

Got myself into town today to finally get some new shoes. I was determined that one way or another I would come home with something.

A few weeks ago I tried out some shoes and was pretty sure I wanted the Asics Gel Nimbus 10. But ... they're $180 plus taxes and I wasn't quite sure I could swallow that. The Running Room does have a great return policy, but still. I tried looking for them online and across the border, but couldn't find them much cheaper.

So, I went into Sportsmart and decided to try one model down from that shoe.... the Asics Gel Cumulus 10. It was almost as comfortable in the toe as the Nimbus, and quite a bit cheaper at $139. I was pretty sure this was the shoe I was going home with. But as I walked around the store in them, my toes felt good, the cushion was nice .... but the back of them seemed awfully high and the more I walked the more it irritated me. So that choice went out the window.

I decided to suck it up and head back to the Running Room and try something else. I was going to find something in there regardless of cost. If the only shoe that happened to feel good was the most expensive, then so it would be.

I had the saleslady assess my feet again. Nice to know that she came to the same conclusion as the previous saleslady. Maybe they do know their stuff :). I told her right up front which shoe I liked, but that I really couldn't afford it and was looking for another option. We tried on a few and I settled on ....

The Mizuno Wave Nexus 3. They are the ugliest bright yellow. I'm not a fan of yellow in pretty much any shade, and certainly not bright. Thankfully when they are on they are not so bad. But they're comfy, and so far feel supportive. They come up ever so slightly higher on the sides just below the ankle ... but not in the back. I'm wearing them around the house right now to get the feel of them. I'd wanted to take them for a test run on the treadmill but I did some yard work today and it's just been a long day and I'm out of energy. They said I could try them 3 or 4 times on the treadmill (as long as I only wear them indoors) and if they aren't working I can bring them back.

While I was there I also decided to try on some running skirts. They intrigue me, what can I say. I had looked at the one's at runningskirt.com but having never worn one, I wasn't ready to order. Theirs is more like an actually skirt with a panty lining. Neat idea, but honestly I've got some pretty good sized thighs and I'm very concerned about rubbing & chafing.

At the running room I tried on two skirts that I liked. I put them on and off 4 times EACH. I could not decide which I liked.

This one is the Running Room's Pink Ribbon Skirt. It is SO pretty. I could totally see myself wearing it for many places other than running. It was quite long too - just above the knee. As a "skirt" this is a great length, but I wasn't sure how I'd feel about running in it. I almost bought it just to wear as a casual skirt - I liked it that much. And SUPER comfy. There are thin shorts built in underneath and they are almost as long as the skirt. This skirt is $54.99

The other one I liked was Mondetta Performance Gear's Hurdle

Jersey Skirt. It was quite a bit shorter - mid thigh, maybe even shorter. This is more the length that I imagined a running skirt to be. Definitely more just a skirt for running ... but I suppose that IS what I'm looking for. I actually loved the way my legs looked in this skirt. But, the one thing I didn't love was that because the skirt was shorter, so too were the shorts underneath. I think the shorts could have been just an inch or so longer and they still would have been shorter than the skirt, but they would have been long enough to cover the thigh bulge. This skirt is also $54.99

In the end I could not decide between the two so I didn't buy either. If I had more money at my disposal I would have bought both and given them a trial run. I'm still determined to get a running skirt, but may have to check out the other running store in town. I'm also going to look for some reviews online. Maybe the shorter skirt would be OK if I had some Glide to prevent chafing. If anyone reading this has any experience with running skirts I'd love to hear your thoughts.