Appropriate Footwear

I tend to wear out my things; meaning that I wear them until they literally fall apart. I have, and still wear, a pair of jeans, two sweaters, and some shoes from high school and I am closer to forty at this point than twenty. (Wow! That's scary) Until recently that was true  about my running sneakers too. That is, until one of my running girls told me that I should be getting new sneakers every three months. WHAT?!

My sneakers only get replaced when I can't stand it anymore. I was a die hard New Balance fan until they started giving me blisters, and even then I continued to wear them until they wore out. Then I switched to Asics. A few pairs later, my feet started going numb while I ran (I think the toe box was pinching my feet) but like a trooper I suffered though it until they stretched out. I have had the same pair of sneakers for a year and a half and have consistently racked up 10 to 25 miles a week on them. Do you think it might be a good time to replace them?

We have this awesome company, the Maine Running Company, that looks at your feet and your gait and then gives you suggestions for the best running sneakers for you. I have been wanting to go there for, no joke, six years. Here is the issue, consulting with them takes time and focus, both things that I do not have. I am rarely alone for any chunk of time, and if I decide to go with the boys I will not have time to make a thoughtful decision because I will be so distracted by the boys' behavior. My two year old has been known to pull  shoes off the walls at shoe stores if he is not watched every second. So, what is a girl to do? Every time I get a new pair of shoes I am disappointed and wish that I had gone to the Maine Running Company. On the other hand, I wait so long to get new sneakers that I typically rush into our local sports apparel store, Olympia Sports, and grab the first pair that catch my eye. No trying on. Nothing.

I wish there was a company that would just send you a selection of sneakers to try out and let you keep (and pay for) the pair that you like best. Anyone want to come up with that for us busy moms? Or, has someone already done it and I am just unaware?