First "Event"... Running with the Shod

I love running with the shod, until I do something stupid like tear open a blister and bleed all over the place. Most of my running at home (in the middle of no where) is done with my dogs (they look at me like "whats the big deal, I haven't had shoes on my whole life, condition those pads"), so I take every opportunity I can to run with people. Registering for races and doing group runs. The locally owned running store close to where I live holds all types of events, organizes group runs, sponsors races, and hosts clinics. This is why I try to purchase my family's shoes there even though they are a little more expensive. The store owner is very minimalist friendly and carries VFF's, NB minimus, and Altra shoes. I even went to a barefoot clinic there and met Michael Sandler. Michael's first words were "why is a running shoe store hosting a barefoot clinic?'

first - congrats on a successful group run! im not quite there myself - really have to get my mileage up.

rickwhitelaw said:

I love running with the shod, until I do something stupid like tear open a blister and bleed all over the place. Most of my running at home (in the middle of no where) is done with my dogs (they look at me like "whats the big deal, I haven't had shoes on my whole life, condition those pads"), so I take every opportunity I can to run with people. Registering for races and doing group runs. The locally owned running store close to where I live holds all types of events, organizes group runs, sponsors races, and hosts clinics. This is why I try to purchase my family's shoes there even though they are a little more expensive. The store owner is very minimalist friendly and carries VFF's, NB minimus, and Altra shoes. I even went to a barefoot clinic there and met Michael Sandler. Michael's first words were "why is a running shoe store hosting a barefoot clinic?'

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priceless! hahahaha

i got in a little trouble at my local running shoe store recently... i was standing in line with my new Merrels that i now wear to work everyday (Merrell Life Slant Glove) and the woman in front of me was returning a pair of Newton shoes. first off, i had never laid eyes on Newton shoes before. way back when i read an article that really turned me off from the company so i had never ever looked for or at them. She was complaining about a lot of pain and then the saleswoman walked away and started dealing with the line and the counter. so i asked what she didnt like about the shoes because i didnt know anything about them. and she said that "the bars" really hurt her feet. having no idea what she was talking about, and letting it show on my face she pulled out of the box and i almost laughed. my initial thoughts on this company couldnt have been more on. i think i said something like "thats the stupidest thing i have ever seen!" This is when the store manager, aka the woman who sold her these shoes and is now taking them back started to take offense to my comments. i then launched into a mini-sermon on how this was as far from minimal as you could be - she kept calling them minimal thinking that having a zero differential meant minimal. so i told her about ground feel, padding = bad, etc etc... told her to read Born to Run like 20 times. by the time i got up to the counter that store manager probably would have taken my shoes back had they not already been paid for. hahahaha. i did try and sell the lady some shoes that the store carried, e.g. NB Minimus Trails, Merrell Trail Gloves, etc... but i also talked a lot about VFFs and inov8 - so that didnt help my cause. all in all it was a pretty entertaining process for me. what i dont get, from a sales perspective, there is a TON OF MONEY to be made in the minimal arena and these people think that its ridiculous. why not embrace it - add four lines of product and be THE minimal store in the whole area. your sales would go through the roof!

ok, im ranting, ill stop now.