Ruby Red Slippers

Remember the days when a shoe was jus a shoe? You ran in trainers, worked in shoes (office job) or boots (outside), relaxed in slippers (UK) or flipflops / thongs (Australia).

Now the footwear market has splintered into a myriad different niches. One of those is trail running, and I added to my scarily large shoe collection with some trail running shoes ("Saloman XT Wings 2") the other day.

 These are different to 'normal' running shoes for a few reasons -  a more aggressive tread pattern

 a lower set and wider heel, which means less padding but a more stable foot

 and a generally sturdier construction with a draw-string like pull-fastening. No laces, so I can put them on when I'm drunk :)

I went out for a run after work on Monday to try them out. They immediately felt more stable - I've almost rolled my ankle a couple of times in my regular runners, but these felt very reassuring on rough ground. The reduced padding was a bit of a shock to my system but that's something I'll get used to, although I wouldn't want to run far on road in these. I felt like the increased confidence also lead to me descending more quickly and jumping more, and that's something I enjoy doing. Back in the day I used to do extended hikes around the Lake & Peak Districts in the UK and hopefully these will  help bring back some of that feeling of joy & free-ness on the trail instead of just plodding along with my head down watching for rough ground. Although that's not a bad thing to do, as at one point I had to step over a 4' long snake that was sunning itself on the trail.It's amazing how many sticks look like snakes after that happens.

I felt faster in my shiney new shoes but I only knocked a minute off my previous time. To be fair when I started running it was 33 degrees and humid, and it had only dropped a degree by the time I got back!

My only worry is that my foot was (as always) between two sizes and I chose the smaller option. There's a bit of toe-rub on my right foot - hopefully that will subside as the shoes wear in - but if not I'm sure I can find a small-footed Dorothy to pass them on to.