our visit to new balance
Tonight, the husband and I made a trip down to the New Balance store at ComTech to get kitted out with gear as the brand had decided to sponsor us for the upcoming Osim Triathlon. To be honest, Andrew and I weren't really sure what to expect in terms of what this sponsorship would entail. When we arrived, we met up with Joanne whom I'd been liaising with over the phone and we were then introduced to Daniel - a running enthusiast by nature and a total champion for New Balance's products.
my left foot's smaller than my right
sussing out the feet
Our feet were analysed before we were then fitted with a plethora of shoes that'd suit our feet. Unlike me and my pronating feet, Andrew wasn't as restricted by as many requirements and got some funky red race shoes.
trying out heaps of shoes
.. go running!
getting the right fit for your feet is important
I was a little more wary in selecting mine and made sure I tried them out as much as possible (i.e. going for several runs round the block in them) before deciding on a pair. Over the years, I've realised how important getting the right kind of shoes for your feet is. Gone are the days of choosing the funkiest colour or the coolest look - These days, I tend to run with the plainest shoes that cater to my pronating tendencies.
Of course I had no idea that I was flat footed till I saw a sports docter early this year. No one ever told me this when I had to go en pointe!! But somehow over the years, my feet morphed into these flat duck-like things. I'm just lucky they're not webbed as well or something. So after a lengthy chat with Daniel and a lot of fitting and testing, I selected a motion control shoe for flat footers that make me feel super snug when I've got my insoles in.
please tell me how an ex-dancer can have flat feet!?!
In the end, we left with a nice mass of gear. We each got a brand new pair of shoes, socks, a running top, running shorts, race belts and a race bag each. Andrew got naughty and bought himself an additional pair of GREEN casual shoes to add to his Hulk collection. Sigh.
13 Responses to “getting the right fit from new balance”
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- From Singapore
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well...most asian peeps have flat-ish feet. think it's cos we run around barefoot most of the time. heh. nice gear though... ;)
But I never used to when I did ballet!! *bawls*
duuuude free gear is wicked!
and they even let you run around the block to try! i guess they weren't worried about letting you guys run off with the shoes since they're sponsored anyway :P
FWAaaaahhh what a loot!!!!
deb: ya man. i wish there were a magazine i could work at which let me have this stuff the way you used to get products! or something lah.. hee hee
angel: yeah mad right!
the ligaments that usually hold the arches of the foot up may have loosen over the years, resulting in the flat foot you have now. =)
Ahhhh that makes sense...
hi janice, im just a visitor on your blog, but i felt that i just had to comment when i read about all the 'flat footedness'. haha.. anyway, i was a ballerina till i stopped 3 years ago. I did not expect to be flat-footed but overtime, just lk wad alcatel said, somehow the foot arch just collapse and I am another living specimen of a ballerina-turned-flat-foot. haha..
janice, methinks you and your hubs are the perfect ambassadors for any brand you represent.:) i was just at the New Balance store here in Vancouver last week and from your pics, they seem to have more gear at the one in Singapore.
sheena: oh okay! another flat footed ballerina! phew, i dont feel so weird now :p
yi-vern: aww thanks. they probably stock different things in different companies based on the climate etc
Had to comment when I read that you were flat-footed. There are 2 types of pronation, one congenital and another developmental. Ballerinas have very strong arches and rely on their instrinsic muscles but once you stop training you lose it.
No wonder you have been complaining of knee pain and ITB syndrome! Your biomechanics changed, have you tried taping your knee and running? or ITB releases? or working on your VMO muscles?
Cheerios...and hope you don't suffer too much
how should i tape up my knee? i'm actually wearing a knee guard sometimes and the husband has been doing lots of physio on my ITB to tenderize them. how should i work on my VMO muscles? pray tell!
oh my that was like instant reply! warmed my cookies and tea up and before I surf off you reply :)
1) Well presuming your knee problem is caused by biomechanics and you have addressed that by wearing orthoses and you have arch support shoes for running: New Balance the 112 series does well.
2) Taping to stretch your knee fascia. ITB is tight it tends to pull it outwards, when you tape you need it to pull it across your knee cap. It is quite difficult to describe taping to you, you need it done to you to know the feeling so that you can do it at home.
Alternatively, knee guard: get the one with the hole in the middle. Your knee cap sits snugly in the hole
3) Stretch your ITB in side-lying. Painful side up (let's say left), use your left hand and pull your ankle to your backside. Use your right ankle hook it on your left knee to push it downwards. Your stretch should be felt more at the knee and distal thigh.
4) ITB release: use husband's knuckle (if too painful use 2 thumbs) rub from outside of knee the joint line all the way up to the side of your hip
5) Have weak hips? Or backside muscles?
6) VMO muscles are this little belly of muscles that lie to the inside to the top of your knee cap. They are responsible for knee cap tracking. As it is very difficult to describe the more specific exs, a simple one is straighten your leg out. (Do this lying preferably) Point your toes outwards. Lift it up only about 2-3 inches and do slow controlled leg raises.
In standing, lean against a wall. Back flat against it, feet about 30cm away from the wall. Curl feel up slightly. Put a ball e.g. netball sized between knees. Squeeze together and slowly slide down against the wall till your knee is roughly around 60 degrees. Hold 5-10 secs.
I hope these make sense to you...very diff to physio via descriptions. If you need help, I have a friend she herself is a runner and is gd. Maybe 1-2 sessions of advice might just benefit for the long term. Cheerio....