Since the fall of 2019, I’ve been running in a pair of black and white Karhu sneakers—my favorite part about them is the little bear near the heel. They carried me through eight races (in-person and virtual), all of 2020, and well over 600 miles. It was time to retire them once and for all. Especially when I realized I had put over 600 miles on them. Yeaaah. I think it’s recommended to change out running sneakers around 300-400 miles, but I sort of lost track of time; let’s just blame COVID for that.

So it was time to get a new pair!

When I got fitted for my Karhus, I learned I should be running in at least one size bigger than my regular shoe size (so I run in an 8 and wear a 7 in regular shoes) and that getting proper running socks will make a difference. So I felt pretty prepared this time around. I went to a local running store this past weekend with Josh, who, in doing his boyfriend duties, sat while I tried on sneakers and held my jacket for me.

A super nice employee scanned my feet and then helped me find the right pair. Based on the scan, I was putting a lot of pressure on my heels and it showed I have high arches (which I know and get from my mom), so she pulled a few that would help support my heels. She was excited that I was open to any color of sneakers, and I was surprised that people don’t want fun, bright-colored sneakers. Most of my running clothes are fun colors because I believe it’ll motivate me more to go running.

I tried on a total of four pairs and after jogging around the store in all of them, I decided on a pair of Asics Gel-Nimbus 24s in french blue/barely rose in a size 8 They’re super lightweight, have great cushion, and feel supportive around my heels. Buying running sneakers can be a bit costly, but I know I’ll definitely get the cost per wear out of them, plus I don’t want to hurt myself in the wrong pair of sneakers. After I decided on that pair, I poked around the rest of the store and ended up getting a JUNK headband and a tank top with the store’s logo on it. I got my federal tax return back a few weeks ago, so I figured I’d put some of that towards the new running gear—#TreatYoSelf.

I ran after work on Tuesday since it was around 60 degrees, and the sneakers felt good. I think it’ll take a few runs for my feet to get used to the new sneakers, but overall, I liked them. I’m hoping to get in a few more runs with them before my 5K race on March 26.