I shouldn’t be surprised that it came to this, but it did. I’ve been wearing cheap minimalist sneakers I found on Amazon to get rid of foot pain the past 2 years (outside of my job, where I wear slip-proof food service shoes). They all look like colorful, thinner running shoes, and the most I’ve had to do is replace the insoles a few times just because friction has worn them away.

But this morning I had to look for new shoes because I need traction that those shoes don’t provide on certain surfaces.

So, I went online and compared and contrasted other minimalist running shoes because while the cheap ones (some of them) advertised that they were good for cross training or trail running… none of them admitted usefulness in road running. They do grip the ground well, but basic asphalt with a little bit of water on the road? Slip and slide city. I fell down walking into the house yesterday because the grass was damp and my shoe found some dog hair that killed what traction I had.

Thankfully I didn’t twist my knee (which worried me because I’ve just gotten my routine back into play), but that mini-heart attack made me look hard at the pattern on the bottom of my shoes. Minimalist shoes are meant for freer movement of your foot, and because they’re so flexible, they work pretty well on uneven ground because they can grip it. But smooth ground doesn’t work well for certain types.

I went online to the site where I found some more-expensive minimalist shoes I bought for my first restaurant job: Xero Shoes. I spent a good deal of time looking for what I needed because there are plenty of options, and I wanted to see the pictures that showed the sole. And there is a big difference between trail running and road running shoes.

I was a bit bummed that I couldn’t get the cheapest ones (they never have my size in clearance shoes), but I still found a pretty decent pair that were on sale probably because they were plain white, but would work for me (I wanted function over fashion, though I love crazy colors for shoes). I also figured if they weren’t so great for me, I wouldn’t have made a costly mistake and could wear the shoes for other purposes.

I love that the shoes have like a tire tread going on for the sole, so I can freely move the foot and not worry about the sole not gripping and pushing from the ground properly. Considering the marathon is happening in January, in Houston, it’s likely gonna mean damp asphalt at least to move on. We tend to get gray boring winters around here. And I was NOT gonna play slip-and-slide for 26.2 miles. No way.

If these are good enough, I’ll wait til next paycheck to get a backup pair and start wearing them, too. It’ll be interesting to have proper running shoes again, because as my intensity ramps up, I can tell the ones I’ve had aren’t going to take care of business much longer. Hell, I have to wipe my shoes on a towel on the floor before stepping onto the footpads of my elliptical or my feet will slide all over them… the traction is THAT bad. But if I’m walking on my rugged roads, they’re perfect. Very weird. I just think it’s the brand I got back then.

So while I’m on a tight budget and the last thing I wanted to do was spend more money, having the right shoes is an expense that is totally worth it, for safety and comfort. After all, it’s rather hard to keep to a positive routine if you’re too scared you’ll hurt yourself.