A Company With Sole

I am super excited to announce that I am now an ambassador for Kindrunner.com! This company, whose tagline is, "It pays to be kind", is the first socially responsible ecommerce site for runners who want to minimize their environmental impact and make a difference in the world.

The Environmental Factor
Have you ever wondered what happens to your old running shoes when you toss them in the trash? According to Mike Conforti, one of the co-founders of Kindrunner.com, most shoes end up in a landfill less than 10 miles from your home. A whopping 50 years later, they're still there AND in wearable condition, because it takes up to 100 years to biodegrade. Think about how many shoes you have -- and then multiply that by the millions of people who run.

For each pair of shoes purchased from Kindrunner.com, your old pair of running shoes can be returned and then you'll receive a $10 Kindness Cash Reward credit. (You can redeem it instantly or accumulate them over time.) You're also encouraged to reuse packaging  materials when you return your old shoes, so the shipping process is environmentally friendly too!

The Human Kindness Factor
Here's the best part. Most running shoes are still in wearable condition when they're discarded. They might not be good enough to run in, but for someone who has no shoes at all, they are perfectly fine to wear. Kindrunner.com, through its global shoe donation partnerships with Soles4Souls and The MORE Foundation Group, ensures that your old shoes go DIRECTLY to someone in need. These shoes will provide basic transportation and help prevent injury and disease in developing countries. Who doesn't get excited over that???

Here's The Kicker
Kindrunner.com's Virtual Running Shop (tm)  helps you find the best shoe for you. It's filled with expert staff videos profiling each product offered. A durability mileage rating and comparable alternatives are provided for each product as well. And if you need more help, Professor Fit (tm) and his experienced staff are always available so you'll find that perfect running shoe you're looking for. You are going to find what you need at Kindrunner.com.

Best of All
The first 500 customers who purchase shoes will get a free pair of running socks with every pair of shoes purchased FOR LIFE. So go check out Kindrunner.com. It's the perfect pairing of helping both the planet AND someone less fortunate -- while doing something all runners love to do -- buying new shoes!! It doesn't get much better than this.

Visit Kindrunner.com, and connect at Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and Facebook.

KICKS

I'm participating in this year's A-Z challenge, and so will be posting daily about a subject focusing on a letter of the alphabet.

Although I DO get a kick out of you, that's not what I mean today. Instead, I want to talk about shoes. 

In both my Couch to 5k and Bridge to 10k groups, people ask me all the time what brand of shoes they should buy. They see some they think are kind of cool and want to know if they should get them. I hate to burst their bubble, but I have to tell them the truth. 

Go to a reputable, specialized running store (not a big-box sports store), get your foot sized, and then have them analyze your gait. It's simple -- you'll run on a treadmill as you're videotaped. Then the salesperson will explain the ins and outs of how you run. If you have great form, you can buy a neutral shoe. But if you turn your ankles in while you run, you overpronate. Your foot continues to roll in while you should be pushing off, and this twisting can cause injuries. A good stability shoe will help with this. Supination means your foot doesn't roll in enough after striking. This, too, can lead to injuries. Having your gait analyzed will give you the information you need to make an informed decision about what type of shoe you need, and you'll have the opportunity to try on several brands of shoes that are exactly right for you. 

Don't be intimidated; it's interesting to see how you run and what shoe you need. If you don't want to buy them from the store, that's fine too. There are several online resources that you can purchase from, including roadrunnersports.com. Most places will let you actually run in the shoes for a specified period of time and if they don't work out, you can return them and try a different one. I've personally done this, with no problems at all. I'd bought one particular shoe, and at about 8 miles, I started getting hot spots and blistered. I took the shoes back, they let me try on some more, and I went home with a pair that I'm still wearing. 

Think of your running store as a handy source for all types of information. They are glad to be of service to you, and do their best to help. And then you'll come home not only with some kicks you love, but the ones that are perfect for your feet.