Pete the Cat says, "I love my NEW shoes!"

Little known fact about me: I have been running in the same kind of shoes since middle school.  Yep, that's right...with the approximately 6 billion different kinds of running shoes out there, I have stayed faithful to my Asics Gel Kayanos for 15 years.  That shows commitment.  Dedication.  Devotion.  Laziness.

I mean, I really do love these shoes.  They fit my feet just right and are specifically made for a "heavier" runner (which I qualify for, since I am significantly taller than the average female runner).  And since I know exactly what I want - Asics Gel Kayanos, size 9.5, in whatever color strikes me at the moment - I can sit in my PJs, and just go online and order my shoes and poof! they arrive at my doorstep.  Where I can pick them up while still wearing my PJs.  No salespeople, no waiting in line, and (most importantly) no schlepping my kid in and out of the store and hoping he behaves for 10 minutes so I can buy my shoes.  I mean, if it ain't broke, don't fix it, right? 

Except as you can clearly see, my last pair of shoes was actually broken.  Holes in the toes, holes in the inside lining, zero arch support remaining.  Perhaps I got a tad too comfortable in these shoes.  And perhaps I put off buying a new pair because at the end of that $145 purchase was going to be the exact same pair of shoes that I have worn for the last 15 years straight.  Where's the excitement in that?  Heck, would it really be so hard to get a babysitter so that I can go out to the store and pick out a pair of shoes for goodness sakes?!?!  I'm a woman with (shoe-related) needs after all!!!!  

So I was dragging my feet about getting a new pair of shoes.  Should I stick with the familiar, or be a little naughty and go for the newer model?  The Kayanos and I have been through so much...but are there better shoes out there?  Maybe prettier shoes that would appreciate me more?

And then Patrick did the un-thinkable.  He told me he was getting Vibram FiveFinger shoes.  WHAT??  Those aren't even traditional running shoes!!!  They have zero support, no laces, and they just look funny!!!  You're just going to chuck your traditional shoes out the window to get some fancy fad shoe???  WHAT ARE YOU THINKING??? 

My husband's decision to be a running shoe hussy made me realize that maybe the 15 year history with my shoes was something worth fighting for.  So I did my runner's duty in this committed relationship: I remained faithful and ordered my 20th-something pair of Asics Gel Kayanos.  And you know what?  When I opened that box and took a whiff of that new-shoe smell, all the passion and excitement came rushing right back.  I carefully laced them just the right (ie: my) way and they looked perfect.  And when I took them out on our first run together, I remembered all the awesomeness and why I fell in love with these shoes in the first place.  So next time that I need to buy a pair, I won't even question my dedication to my Kayanos.  No, not a single second thought from me.  Although Patrick would probably like me to be having second thoughts about that $145 price-tag...