Let me begin my post today by
sharing that I am old. Actually, according to one of my grandchildren, I’m “really
old.” I am also not athletic. I am also NOT slim or svelte. This is
just some essential background information that is part of the story of how I
came to find my most favorite walking shoes of all time.
Last year at about this time I
was in the market for a new pair of walking shoes. I get a new pair every
summer as my “back up” pair as I train for Challenge Walk MS. We were at the
Mall of America en route to our vacation spot and I ventured into the Nike store
where there were literally hundreds of shoes on display.
“Surely, I can find an awesome
pair of shoes in here!” I said to myself.
Well, don’t call me Shirley
because I never could find anyone to wait on me, perhaps because I am (a) old,
(b) not athletic, or (c) not thin or svelte.
So….I strolled out the door and
around the Mall until I came upon the Sketcher store. I’ve always thought of
Sketchers as being for skateboarders. Not sure why. However, I was immediately
approached by an enthusiastic young male clerk who was approximately 12 years
old. (What are the labor laws in Minnesota??)
I shared with him that I was
looking for a pair of very comfortable walking shoes to train and use for a
very long walk. When I told him how long of a walk, he was appropriately
impressed.
He immediately and decisively
announced, “I know just the shoes you need.”
With a flourish he brought
me a pair of shoes that were lighter than air and said these magic words:
“They have Memory Foam inside,
like the mattress.”
I put them on and fell in love
right there in the Sketcher/skateboarder store in front of the 12-year-old...
with a pair of shoes. I wore them to train thereafter and when I got home
from vacation, ordered a second pair.
Last year was my fourth Challenge
Walk, and I’ve got to tell you: I may be old, non-athletic and slightly
overweight, but for 50 miles, I had some very happy feet!
Jackie will help host the next Challenge Walk MS conference call on Wednesday, July 9, and share helpful training tips. To join the call, dial 888-279-3775, and use conference code 4804#. The call begins at 6 p.m. Additional calls will be held August 13 and September 10.
