lets talk about S....

Shoes!

Ok. It might not be what you thought of at first. But I love shoes. Not the ways girls like shoes, where they run around a mall looking for the perfect pair and when they find it, they celebrate launching into gregarious exaltation.

Only to discover later on that its not the perfect pair and the pattern is repeat again and again until their rooms are full of shoes.

I mean, look at Imelda.

But I'm not talking about that kind of shoes.

I'm talking about athletic shoes. Nike, Adidas, New Balance Etc.,

You see, shoes aren't just things you put over your feet. Shoes aren't just fashion statements. They're vessels, (no wait) containers (that doesn't even do justice), or better yet your feet's second skin.

And feet aren't just only feet. They're composed of muscle, bone, ligaments and a whole lot of over soft tissues. Its an amazing organ that's not only designed to take you places, but also to support a body more than 10 times its size. One foot has more bones than both your legs and thighs and its designed to take on a lot.

So shoes are not just shoes to me. God in his wisdom designed feet that we wouldn't need shoes. But what can I say, it looks and feels so much nicer when you don't have your little piggies exposed playing your favorite sport.

I was thoroughly quite excited when Mon finally decided to pick up a pair of rubber shoes the other day. They're not exactly made of Rubber now adays. It has so much synthetic material that some of them are made from parts of airplanes.

I had to explain to Mon the biomechanics of the foot. Why you needed support in your mid foot area, why a mid arch support helps flat footed people and why the nice cute colorful shoes that she likes just don't make the cut if she really wants to be serious in a sport.

A good pair of shoes can really make or break you. I mean, tell that to all the patients with diabetic feet whose legs we amputate. Well its entirely out of context, but a good pair of nice comfy shoes keep the bad ulcerating pus filled lesions away.

I wasn't always into shoes though.

The first time I've used a pair of New Balances was way back in grade school. I used that thing for leap frogging over guys smaller than me. They survived the rigors of a hyper active fat boy until I finally outgrew them. I just retired the last pair of NBs I own. They had the AbZorb cushioning with the mesh top and breatheable soles. I loved them. I used them in work and play. Although NBs are a great ride, they dont kick much on the looks meter.

Nike and me have a love and hate relationship. I think I've owned more Nikes than any other shoe, but I'm weaning away from them for now. I'm a fan of the airmax line and the Nike air line. Love the way they look and the psychological bounciness you feel when you step on those air filled cells. They score the most on the looks department and are the most easily reconizable.

But I've lost touch with my Nike's. They're often to bulky and flashy for functionality. I'm not blaming my Nike's, but I was wearing Nike's when I got my ACL tear. That particular shoe was clunky and heavy. I wonder why they advise or advertise such shoes for basketball. The best shoes for basketball are light mid cut shoes with a really strong plantar aspect to absorb all the impact when people jump and land. They shouldn't be designed for stomping around like a kid throwing a tantrum.

It pain's me to admit, but I still have a secret crush on Nike. My favorite pair of shoes where a pair of Nike Frees, generation 2. They were, I would be sorry to say, but they were exactly feet that you wore. The way they responded to the demands that impact had on the feet. They were comfy, breathable but not very strong. It lasted only a few months with me. I ended taping it up so it wouldnt fall off. I hope eventually they'd replace the materials for stonger synthetics. I'd but it in a sec.

Which brings me to Adidas. I just bought a pair. Of the bounce line. Its not so springy. But it feels good. The mid arch and plantar support is there. I'd love to take these babies out for a test run on tracks. Four of my current line of shoes are Adidas. I rotate them according to function. Running, sprinting, cruising or just looking bad(in a good way). The 3 stripes are classic. They never go out of style.

Although I have yet to wear my dream pair. A pair of Asics Gel. Ever since that episode on the Discovery channel where they dropped an egg from the top of a basketball ring on a mat of Asics gel, and the egg never broke, I've been dreaming of it ever since. The thing is, it has a price tag of all my Adidas combined.

Oh well. I think when I have a clinic of my own, I'll set up a shoe store right beside it. I really like talking about the shoes their functions and the way they fit people individually. Wonder what to call it? Sole Food? Food for the Sole?

Why am I talking about food?

Oh. Must be hungry.

Dinner time. Time to test these bouncy little things.

Gio out.