i hate shoes
Feb. 24th, 2003 04:12 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
chhotiiMust, must, must get new athletic shoes. Last week, went to a step aerobics class, and was in severe pain for days. Proper footwear is a prerequisite. Plus, the walking sneakers that I wear almost all the time are starting to get kind of embarrassing in their decrepit-ness.
I hate shopping for shoes.
The day after the infamous step class, marmota needed a ride to where he was parked-- in the Cambridgeside Galleria. I took this as a sign that some higher power was prodding me on the shoe thing. Because I had thought, earlier, where are there athletic shoe stores to be found? and the CG was the only place I could think of. Gathered my resolve, and dove into the mall. Oh, ouch, did it suck.
I am NOT the target market for the "athletic" stores in CG. My demographic-- older (over 30, i.o.w. *ancient*), needing to take tender care of my feet while seriously trying to get into shape-- is not big enough to attract attention. They're all trying to sell to young'uns with some weird twisted sense of style. Grotesque garish bulging catastrophes of plastic and rubber that either scream "retro" or "futuristic" are in again this year, I see. Half the shoes in the "athletic" stores are things like Sketchers (sp?)-- just trendy, having nothing to do with the ergonomics of protecting feet during sports. The rest aren't labeled as to what category they are, i.e., cross-trainers with side stability or tennis or walking. The salespeople know nothing. They aren't even interested in trying to sell to someone as old and un-hip as myself. It's not about footwear for working about. It's all about icky teenage fashion trends. I had to flee in terror.
Where do folks like me get practical shoes to work out in? Is it even possible, or is am I just too much of a niche market?
Some clues gleaned from the New Balance website today. They seem to talk most about foot health, least about fashion, on their website, of any of the major athletic shoe brands; ok, that's a promising sign. And they list certain stores as "Procare Fit Specialists". I don't know what that means, and the closest one is in Brockton, but it sounds promising.
I hate shopping for shoes.
The day after the infamous step class, marmota needed a ride to where he was parked-- in the Cambridgeside Galleria. I took this as a sign that some higher power was prodding me on the shoe thing. Because I had thought, earlier, where are there athletic shoe stores to be found? and the CG was the only place I could think of. Gathered my resolve, and dove into the mall. Oh, ouch, did it suck.
I am NOT the target market for the "athletic" stores in CG. My demographic-- older (over 30, i.o.w. *ancient*), needing to take tender care of my feet while seriously trying to get into shape-- is not big enough to attract attention. They're all trying to sell to young'uns with some weird twisted sense of style. Grotesque garish bulging catastrophes of plastic and rubber that either scream "retro" or "futuristic" are in again this year, I see. Half the shoes in the "athletic" stores are things like Sketchers (sp?)-- just trendy, having nothing to do with the ergonomics of protecting feet during sports. The rest aren't labeled as to what category they are, i.e., cross-trainers with side stability or tennis or walking. The salespeople know nothing. They aren't even interested in trying to sell to someone as old and un-hip as myself. It's not about footwear for working about. It's all about icky teenage fashion trends. I had to flee in terror.
Where do folks like me get practical shoes to work out in? Is it even possible, or is am I just too much of a niche market?
Some clues gleaned from the New Balance website today. They seem to talk most about foot health, least about fashion, on their website, of any of the major athletic shoe brands; ok, that's a promising sign. And they list certain stores as "Procare Fit Specialists". I don't know what that means, and the closest one is in Brockton, but it sounds promising.
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Date: 2003-02-25 07:16 am (UTC)