Why, oh why do shoe manufacturers insist on making 'improvements' to shoe models every time a new version is introduced? Why can't they just change the colour or something and leave everything else as it was?
Every year I struggle to find a pair of shoes I feel truly happy with, only to find that when the new model comes out it is so different from the old one as to deserve a different name.
I started my running career with a pair of Nike Kantara. I had no idea about running shoes then, and after trying on several pairs recommended to me by the sales assistant in Run & Become, none of which felt right, I randomly plucked the Kantara off the shelf, asked to try it and it felt comfortable. So I bought it. A year later (I didn't do many miles back then!) I confidently strided into Sweatshop and bought the Kantara II. Oh dear. They felt like lead weights compared to the previous version. I knew by now I was a 'mild overpronator' and the Kantara is designed for a more severe pronator.
After running a couple of hundred miles in the Kantara II I decided that it felt more like the shoe was wearing me than the other way round, so went back to Sweatshop to see what else was on the market. Ended up with a pair of Nike Structure Triax which bruised my arches so badly that Sweatshop freely agreed to swap them for something better suited to my feet.
But what? Nike had just introduced the Perseus. I tried it on and was instantly smitten. The most comfortable shoe I have ever owned - and still is. It was with trepidation that I eventually went to buy Version II. And rightly so. They'd had to go and tinker with the medial post, hadn't they? I have real problems because although I pronate only moderately, I need more support than a neutral shoe can give. The problem with shoes with support is that this tends to be in the medial (arch) area and any additional structure here causes huge blisters on my arches. As soon as I tried on the Perseus 2 I knew there would be hell to pay if I tried running in them.
Back to the drawing board. Similar to the Perseus was apparently the Althea, build on a women-only last (whatever that really means). These felt relatively comfortable, although not quite so cushiony soft as the Perseus I. I bought them anyway. I'm still wearing them - and wearing Version II! Fortunately no tinkering seems to have gone on between versions I and II ... but it's only a matter of time.
You may ask why I haven't chosen to try shoes from a different manufacturer. Well, I have tried several pairs of shoes by other manufacturers but they have all felt less 'springy' than Nike shoes. I also have very narrow feet and Nike seem to work for me best. But there may come a point when I am forced to go elsewhere if they keep making changes to their shoes ...
