-Linda, this just totally confounds me! I run in Asics running
shoes, up to 10 miles on pavement. This weekend at the Grand
National, I finally tried on the Ariats. They seemed VERY hard
to me; the foam insert seemed very thin, and I could feel the hard
boot bottom through it. I can't conceive of running in them! Am
I missing something here? How could you run in something with that
significant a heel? Wouldn't that be bad for the calf muscles.
Elighten me, please!
Hi Karen,
Here's the key phrase from my message.
> However, the Ariat BOOTS are much better than sneekers for the kind of
trail >running I do.
I don't run on pavement at all, my body can't take that kind of pounding.
I can imagine you would need a lot of cushion for that. I get off and run
down hill through the rocks. The Ariats work great for this "kind of
running" because of the wonderful support they give. If you are not well
over 40 yet, you may not need that kind of support. As for the gel pad in
the Ariats, it IS rather thin. I didn't think it would be as effective as
it has been for me before I logged all those miles (astride and on foot) in
these boots.
As for the heel, currently I'm suffering for a heel spur in my right foot,
I think it is partly from wearing my Birkenstocks too much this summer.
And probably the times I jumped off the side of my pickup bed with them on.
My Asics cross-trainers are my "everyday" shoes, but they don't give me
the support I need to walk without pain. I'm having to tape my arch
everywhere I go. However, when I put on my Ariats, I don't have to tape
and I can even still go out and hike and trail-run in them. It amazes me
too.
I sure wish I could run 10 miles on the pavement! I hope I clarified my
perspective.
Linda Van Ceylon
lvanceylon@vines.colostate.edu