The Skeptical Shopper

I've always been a skeptical shopper, add the fact that I don't like to shop. It stresses me out. "Retail Therapy" is not my thing. "Why do I need that?" "I already have 1 pair of black pants"

I've always been particularly skeptical about specialty items such as "running shoes" or "insert whatever item here". Maybe it has something to do with growing up in a world where you didn't have much options. You had 1 jacket and that's the jacket you wore all winter when you went outside. You had 2 bathing suits and that's what you wore for all bathing occasions. You had tennis shoes and dress shoes and you had to make those work for everything. Going to the stores you had no choices when it came down things like toilet paper brands. There was one brand. And that's what you purchased and that's what you used. End of story.

When I started running this Summer, I cautiously ventured into this specialty gear world. Mainly because I was having continuous ankle and foot pain, so I figured I needed new tennis shoes, so I got "running shoes". What a difference those made. But maybe it was because they were new, and any new tennis shoe would've done the trick.

Well as of this morning, I am a 100% convert into specialty gear believer. I got ready to go on my run: I put on my shoes, my jacket, hooked up my music, started my app and headed off. Immediately as I started to run, my ankles started to hurt. It was a pretty sharp pinch on both ankles. I only made it 2 houses down the street before I looked down at my feet thinking "what is going on? Surely I will shake this off". And then I noticed I wasn't wearing my "running shoes". WHAT. MY MIND WAS BLOWN.

I went back home, changed shoes, and headed back out. The little skeptical voice in my head kept getting louder and louder telling me that this was totally bogus as I started to run again, and I was just waiting for that sharp ankle pain to kick back in. And it didn't. The pain was not there. At all.

So yes, there is such thing as running shoes, and skii gloves and fishing shirts. They serve a purpose and if we only open ourselves up to them, they make our lives just that bit more pleasant.

Now I can't wait until I get my running earbuds for Christmas!