I'm having a Mizuno Meltdown!

Look what came for me yesterday!!!




Brand spanking new running shoes!



When my friend Tracy asked me how long it had been since I replaced my shoes I honestly couldn't remember. So I logged into Mint.com to see the last time I had a sizeable credit card charge from the running store. The answer: Labor Day weekend.

Wow. These babies have been with me for a while. Three half marathons. One full marathon. One 10 miler and countless miles of training.

While they still feel OK, I knew they were on their last leg so I ordered a new pair over the weekend.

I've been running in Mizuno Wave Inspires since I started running seriously five years ago. They are a moderate stability shoe and I love them. Through every updated style, version and color they have been extremely comfortable and fit my foot like a glove.

That is until the most recent edition.


From left to right Wave Inspires 4, 4, 5, 6, 6 and 7

(This isn't even my full collection, at least one pair of fours and a pair of fives are at my parents house and one pair of fives was thrown out after I hiked the Jamaican waterfall in them)

Mizuno why did you change what was so good?

I ordered the Mizuno Wave Inspire 7's in the same size I've been wearing for five years and suddenly now my toes jam against the front.

The sides of the shoes are tighter and higher and rub uncomfortably against my ankle bone.

And the laces. I don't even know how to describe this and certainly can't fathom a reason for why someone would do this to a shoe.


Weird gap between the lower laces and the upper laces.

The non-attached lace part bent very, very easily. I actually thought the shoe was damaged when I first pulled it out of the box.

It's a good thing Zappos has free return shipping because these babies are going right back where they came from.

Looks like I'll be heading out to my running store to find a new pair of shoes. I'm really sad that I might have to switch brands. I've tried on other brands before and nothing has come close to the comfort that I've had with the Mizunos.

I've searched to the depths of the interwebs to see if anyone was still selling Mizuno Wave Inspire 6's in a women's size nine, but I've found nothing.

Yes I am currently having a meltdown over my running shoes. Please don't judge me.

Update: By some small miracle I found a store that still had the Wave Inspire 6's in stock in my size! I ordered two pair and was able to use a $20 coupon. With tax and shipping, I paid $148. I'm hoping these get me through this year and that I'll like the Mizuno Wave Inspire 8's better.

-----

Sony Walkman W Series Winners:

According to Random.org, the winners of the Sony Walkman W Series players are

Katie who said
"I used to use shuffle but now I more or less "choreograph" my playlist to my run. I'll warm up with slower songs and speed them up as the playlist goes along to help me kick it up a notch!"


and Bridget who said
"Shuffle!"

Congrats guys! Please email me (jess@jessruns.com) your shipping address by noon EST on Thursday so I can get your players shipped. If I don't hear from you by then, I'll select another winner.