New Shoes, Old Shoes

Look!  I got new shoes. And they're exactly the same as my old ones.  

I switched to Nike Free after reading "Born to Run"--they're not quite barefoot running shoes, but they are incredibly different from the shoes I used to wear (with a support for my very high arches). I bought them planning to make a gradual transition but loved them so much that I completely stopped wearing my old shoes with the supports and ran around 42 miles on them during my first week, including a long (10 mile) run.  

Minimalist shoes are fairly controversial, and I decided to try them for the same reason many runners do: I had an overuse injury and didn't want to stop running.  

When I increase my mileage, I have tended to suffer from achilles tendon pain around my left ankle.  When I was in my 20s and training for a marathon, this became a stress fracture, and my recent experience was similar: I had completed a spring half marathon, and as I was training  for my fall half, I started having sharp, shooting pain every time I landed on my left foot.  

The pain was bad enough that I had to stop and walk on a training run with my partner several months ago.  The next day, I bought the Frees.  

The shoes haven't been a miracle cure. I also saw an ultramarthoner and Chi running instructor who gave me some form tips plus told me I have "weak feet." I've been doing foot exercises, but the Frees also do help me maintain proper form and strengthen the small muscles around my ankles and arches.