Happy Friday, everyone! Because we welcomed a bunch of new readers and subscribers this week, I wanted to take a moment to introduce you all to Hollie Sick, a great friend who’s also been a longtime writer for The Half Marathoner.
For the past several years, she’s worked in run specialty and is also a highly accomplished runner herself, with more than 40 half marathons and many marathons under her belt, including the NYC Marathon. (You can follow her adventures on Twitter and Instagram too.)
She knows just about everything there is to know about running shoes, so I wanted to give you all a chance to ask her anything you’d like to know about what to wear, how to choose the right shoe, what her opinions on different brands are, or anything else you’d like to know.
(She’s also written a fantastic new ebook all about running shoes, which you can download here.)
I’ll mostly take a back seat today, and let Hollie lead the conversation today 😃 You guys have a great time, and ask away! — Terrell
Hello! I’ve worked in run speciality for the last 6-7 years and have seen everything from the chronic plantar fasciitis to walkers walking 5-10 miles a day (a day!!). Don’t be shy, I’ve been asked most questions about shoes you can think of.
Hey Hollie!! Thanks for making yourself available to answer a few questions from us. :) My question is, how important is the cushion level in your shoe? I mainly run on roads and paved trails and in neutral, springy Brooks. I don’t have any pain while running, thankfully, but as I’m increasing mileage this summer, it makes me wonder if I should add more cushion, and if so, will that be more of a hindrance or a help in the long run?
Hi Hollie! Thank you so much for taking the time to chat with us! I'm a pretty novice runner, ran a few half marathons in the past, thinking of running one in October. What is the typical shelf life for a pair of running shoes? This might be a stupid question and i apologize, but you should wear the shoes you train in for the race, right? Then should you consider them toast? I have been using Asics and i love them for my flat feet. I usually go about a size bigger as well, and have to get Men's sizes because as you mention, the Ladies are too narrow for my flippers. Also, what do you mean by "drop" as mentioned in the below post? Thanks so much again!! ~Mal
Hey Hollie. Over the past few years I have been going through shoes with different drops...from zero drop on the trails to 12mm drop on the road. Is there a way to tell what drop is best for a foot type? Is using a low drop trail shoe and higher drop road shoe bad for the joints and legs?
Hi Hollie, I think I may be in the early stages of a neuroma due to my feet swelling in my shoes in the heat. Any recommendations on a good distance shoe with a wide toe box?
Hello Hollie. Thank you for taking time to answer questions. I am just getting over chronic plantar fasciitis. Ugh. I haven't been able to run since February until a week ago. I started back with walking long distance and after a few miles my foot was sore and stiff. Just not sure if my shoes are proper for the condition. I have ASICS gel at this point
Hollie, I love lighter weight, springy shoes but if I run too many miles in them my feet/heels start to hurt and I need to go back to my more cushioned shoes (currently Brooks ghosts). Is there a happy medium or do I just need to stick with the cushion?
Hello! I’ve worked in run speciality for the last 6-7 years and have seen everything from the chronic plantar fasciitis to walkers walking 5-10 miles a day (a day!!). Don’t be shy, I’ve been asked most questions about shoes you can think of.
Hey Hollie!! Thanks for making yourself available to answer a few questions from us. :) My question is, how important is the cushion level in your shoe? I mainly run on roads and paved trails and in neutral, springy Brooks. I don’t have any pain while running, thankfully, but as I’m increasing mileage this summer, it makes me wonder if I should add more cushion, and if so, will that be more of a hindrance or a help in the long run?
Hi Hollie! Thank you so much for taking the time to chat with us! I'm a pretty novice runner, ran a few half marathons in the past, thinking of running one in October. What is the typical shelf life for a pair of running shoes? This might be a stupid question and i apologize, but you should wear the shoes you train in for the race, right? Then should you consider them toast? I have been using Asics and i love them for my flat feet. I usually go about a size bigger as well, and have to get Men's sizes because as you mention, the Ladies are too narrow for my flippers. Also, what do you mean by "drop" as mentioned in the below post? Thanks so much again!! ~Mal
Hey Hollie. Over the past few years I have been going through shoes with different drops...from zero drop on the trails to 12mm drop on the road. Is there a way to tell what drop is best for a foot type? Is using a low drop trail shoe and higher drop road shoe bad for the joints and legs?
Hi Hollie, I think I may be in the early stages of a neuroma due to my feet swelling in my shoes in the heat. Any recommendations on a good distance shoe with a wide toe box?
Hello Hollie. Thank you for taking time to answer questions. I am just getting over chronic plantar fasciitis. Ugh. I haven't been able to run since February until a week ago. I started back with walking long distance and after a few miles my foot was sore and stiff. Just not sure if my shoes are proper for the condition. I have ASICS gel at this point
Hollie, I love lighter weight, springy shoes but if I run too many miles in them my feet/heels start to hurt and I need to go back to my more cushioned shoes (currently Brooks ghosts). Is there a happy medium or do I just need to stick with the cushion?