Ok, I'll go first: I have 6 pairs of sneakers in current rotation and that's after I just donated 3 pairs which is how I got to think about this question. All but one of these pairs is less than a year old. How can someone who is not a professional runner, not sponsored, and is simply an average mamma runner chick - with very little disposable income I may add - get rid of three pairs a year and still not have enough closet floor space? Tell me it's all of us and not just me...
It's hard for me to "get rid of" a pair of sneakers. I form a deeply emotional bond with them - I mean we've been on literally miles of journeys together and the thought of me 'sending them away' makes me, well, sad. So I save them for a while on the rack in the garage and eventually they become my lawn mowing shoes or something else equally demeaning for a once favorited pair. Then, finally, I bring them to Good Will. If they're super lucky and honored I may mail them away to be part of something bigger than me and them - like the Meg Menzies Soles of Love tribute at the start of the 2014 Boston Marathon.
A pair I trained in several times in Ashland, VA, along the same route Meg was hit and killed by an [alleged] drunk driver.
But I digress, back to "my number"; 6. Here's how it happens:
I've always loved sneakers. Honestly, if I could have my dream job it would be to design sneakers. I just love them. I'd work in a running shoe store right now if a) somebody'd watch my kids for free, and b) I wouldn't be the creeper who sniffs all the new-shoe smell right out of those sneaks and totally makes people feel uncomfortable with my purely innocent but nonetheless disturbing love for the inanimate object that is the sneaker.
Here's how I justify it: I've read several articles about running shoes and what is best for what etc. and if you combine a lot of theories (more theories = more sneaks, see where I'm going with this?) you need a pair for every action and reaction you are doing, plus you need to watch for overall mileage and not go too far over, check your treads, map your gait, avoid injury, and so many other things. It's not my fault - I need and must have lots of choices for my tootsies to remain running happy. I know that some theories are totally valid and some are put into the sneakerverse to get me to buy more shoes - but - I don't care! The shoe lover in me eats up every single reason to get a new pair - then buys another pair for dessert.
Here is what I've got in my repertoire right now and just like a mamma says - I love them equally and they all have their strengths.
My Crosstrain-Spin-Lifters:
Nike Free Fit TR 4.0
About 6 months ago I started to get more frequent at the gym and doing Focus T25 in addition to running. I was noticing in classes and DVDs at my house that moving side to side was a serious drag (literally) and I was one step from spraining an ankle (literally). Every move was so HARD! And yet, I was in shape. I all of a sudden remembered that there did seem to be other sneakers in the stores beyond the RUNNING section.
Crosstrainers! Woot woot. I rushed me to the store and bought Nike Free's pretty much the next day after my revelation. My Free's are light and airy and I can do any gym floor class like a hero. I also double these as my spinning sneaks because believe it or not I don't have clip-ins. (I once got stuck in clips at a red light while attempting road biking in college and got flipped upside down turtle-style while people drove by & laughed & pointed - maybe even took a poloraoid (yeah, before Instagram). It was mortifying and I can't quiet bring myself back to the situation yet.)
I also triple my use of these bad sisters and use them for the little weight training I do. Love my Free's because they are unlike any of the running sneaks I own and there is seriously nothing like them in my closet.
My Speedsters:
Mizuno Wave Sayonara
These were a pure late night internet/iPhone impulse buy. I lost some speed in the last year - mostly because I don't work on it. Instead of looking at speed workouts and actually fitness-based ways to improve I thought "it must be the shoes". Enter the Mizuno Wave Sayonara - who promises to be so light and speedy that you will 'wave' goodbye to your competition. And they come in hot pink with purple and yellow accent. Sold. I still haven't actually done any speedwork since these babies came home but I use them for 4 miles and under and try to focus on my mile to mile pacing and kick it up a notch because the shoes told me I could - they actually promised I could.
My Lawn Boys:
Asics GT-2000
These are my second oldest pair in my arsenal right now. 11.5 months old - practically antiques. I bought these while visiting family in Massachusetts and running in my home town's "purple mountains". After one run of hilly terrain I realized my shoes were shot. I couldn't possibly run one more step and like a crazy person I rushed to the local shop in my small town and bought these full price without even researching a thing. They were great for a while but lost their bounce quick. A happy accident to wearing down so quick is that they perfectly molded and almost melted into the shape of my foot. So while not great for running after a while they became fantastic for pretty much anything else. Hence their rebirth as my lawn maintenance sneaks.
My Short-Term Long-Runners:
Brooks Glycerin 10
This is the only pair in my shoe family that I have to say is a bit like the black sheep. (Ugh, I immediately feel bad and guilty for writing that - but it's true so I must go on). I bought these to be my long run sneakers and they never quite made it. Ironically, they are also my most expensive pair I've ever bought. Figures. They fit like a glove and feel wonderful laced up but are insanely heavy and wide at the toe box - wider than even your average Brooks. Because they were so expensive, I can't give them away just yet despite almost never wearing them and being two years old. I am waiting to find their rebirth purpose. I was a dedicated Brooks long-run-shoe wearer but because of these I switched back to Asics for a spell which brings us to my Gel-Nimbus streak...
My Middle Runners:
Asics Gel Nimbus 16
Just like a middle child these girls can adapt to pretty much anything and truly are sneaks-of-all-trades. I have had 3 consecutive pairs of Gel Nimbus' sneakers. I've loved each pair. They were originally bought to be my solely long run sneakers but after about a month they became my do-everythings. This means, I can wear these for long runs, middle runs, speed work, hills, treadmill - you name it. I sometimes stack workouts and these sisters are amazing for those days because who wants to bring an extra pair along to change into. These have enough cushion for long running, enough toe drop for speed, enough tread for trails and grassy hills, and are narrow enough to be in post run and not feel moon-booty. The only draw back is that they are a little heavy and in the summer their narrowness that I normally love are a little restricting upwards of 8 miles because your toes turn to summer hot sausages. I never would have noticed these tiny flaws if it weren't for a new baby in the nursery a few weeks ago...
My Long Runners:
Brooks Ghost 7
I know I said I didn't have a favorite - but if you don't tell these others - these are the ones. I was off Brooks for a while after the Glycerin Disaster of 2012 but then a month ago Brooks debuted the new Ghost 7. I bought a pair of Ghost 6s last summer and ended up returning them because they were heavy and boxy and I had a bad Glycerin taste in my mouth still. The Ghost 7 were advertised as completely redesigned and weigh nothing. Nothing. Pillows of breathable air attached my feet. Plus they are wider than my Asics which is great for the summer. Not to mention it wasn't all that hard two abandon Brooks two years ago because their colors were dismal (and I am being kind). But this month/version they must have gotten my letter! Hello bright-flashy-borderline-obnoxious colors: Just the way I love it. I justified buying these by rebranding (in my crazy head) the Gel Nimbus' mentioned above to the "middle child" and using these purely for the long run. They are, for now, reserved for those special long weekend runs. Think; your fav skinny jeans you saved for Friday nights in your 20s.
There you have it. "Proof that [six pairs] of shoes can change your life". Tell me in the comments below...How many pairs do you have? Do you have a favorite?
**AUTHORS NOTE: I was getting ready for spin after completing this post earlier today and what should appear in the corner of my cluttered closet? Another old pair of Gel Nimbus'. These are retired from the "real running" and are waiting on deck to become the new "lawn boys" when the GT 2000s finally "move on to blacker pavements". So make that seven pairs. I have issues.
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