My Saucony Peregrines have seen better days. They haven’t felt like home for a long time. Last week I even noticed holes on the sides. I have three races coming up – 25K, 29K and 50K. Maybe it’s time for a new pair of trail shoes.
So there I stood in Atmosphere. I went into the store looking for a visor. They didn’t have any so I wandered over to the shoes. If I were going to buy any trail runners in Red Deer, this was the spot.
I picked up the Salomon Speedcross 3. Pretty. Pretty. They looked sweet but I had to try them on before making any decisions. I flagged down a sales guy. He told me the shoes were made for the snow. I thought that was odd because the box clearly said they were for the trail.
I tried on my usual size 8 on but they felt too big. I tried on a smaller size and they felt too tight. Hate when that happens. There was also the question of colour – blue/green or cranberry. Decisions.
I left the store to meet Megan for lunch. I told the sales guy that I would be back.
I haven’t worn Salomon before so I gave them a little Google action on my iPhone. I see a lot of people wearing them at trail races. Good sign. Usually I do a lot of research when I switch shoe makers. The reviews seemed okay so I drove back to the store.
I asked my friends to select the colour in an informal poll on Facebook. It was a close one but the green/blue shoes came out on top.
I told the sales guy to grab a size 8.
I got the shoes home and I was raring to go for a test run. I opened the book and pulled on the shoes. They were a size 9.5 US or a 8 UK. Sigh. I drove back to the store to exchange them. I tried them on again and I went with the size 7.5. (A sales lady told me Salomon tells fit a little large.)
And finally after all that I headed to the cross country ski trails ….
Comfortable. Light. Serious grip. Loved these shoes. They were badass.
I loved the Quicklace (shoe lace tying) system. If you have run with me lately, you will know that I have to stop a lot to retie my laces. Love this easy tightening system. I’ll never tie my laces again!
I ran 15K before the storm clouds started to roll in. It was only after I got into my Versa and turned on the radio did I realize there was a tornado warning for the area. Yikes!
Bottom line? Loved these badass beauties. So far, so good. I only wish there was more trail in Red Deer. Our paved trails are great but that doesn’t help (much) my training. I was considering driving to Lethbridge today to run the coulees. In the end, I reasoned that 8 hours on the road isn’t the best use of my time.
So today I am running/hiking/crawling four hours. This will be my longest run in this training cycle. My plan is to run most of it on the road. Then I will switch sneakers and head back to the ski trails to finish up with hills.
Today will be a glorious day! (I choose to ignore the rain)
Happy Sunday!
Tornado warning?! Scary!!!
I love getting new shoes but it's also a bit intense for me…lol. You're so right with the sizing! And I notice that trying them on and jogging around the store isn't a true representation of how they'll feel on the roads. Usually when I LOVE a pair, they don't have my size…lol.
Ha ha yeah you can never tell until you are actually running!
Those new shoes are pretty looking! Glad they worked out for you.
Thanks 🙂
These new shoes are absolutely stunning! Glad to hear they fit your style and needs perfectly. It’s always a joy to find a pair of shoes that are not only visually appealing, but also provide comfort and practicality. They really add pizzazz to your look and I’m sure you’ll make the most of them. It’s wonderful when we find an item that fits perfectly into our collection and makes us feel confident and stylish. Enjoy every step you take with these amazing shoes and rock wherever you go!