it’s time to change the tyres

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same place a bit over one month earlier looked differently. last weekend brought the winter over europe.  in finland’s and sweden’s capitals air traffic was partly halted. in germany the usual traffic chaos on highways and state roads. 4 people died in austria  in an accident. in switzerland fallen trees took the rhätische railway out. in southern europe, italy and greece strong winds stopped the ferry traffic to and from their major habours. the winter said hellp to europe. and winter tyres are deerly needed, not only on the car, but very much also at your feet. was out on a long run today, 22km. in the deep snow, it was good training for the ankles and the muscles around it that look after its stability. often had to jump of the sidewalk onto the street, because snow on the sidewalk was 30-40cm deep and no one cared to look after it - lazy house owners.

but the adidas response shoe is more of a summer model. it likes the direct contact to the tarmac. additional layers of water in any form between it and the solid ground quickly result in aquaplaning exercises. this pair of shoes are not made for winter conditions. in addition, the adidas shoes have now 860km under their be… soles. so two reasons now, it’s high time to look out for and hunt down a pair of good winter running shoes.  the nearby budget sport oulet features a good selection of reduced last year models. luckily a quick internet search led to a 2007 runner’s world winter shoe guide. on top came out the asics model gt-2130, the new balance 858 and a reebok fusion 2. further searches provide long lists of trail running shoes. marketing has fully left its mark in this business. target segments are defined to utmost detail. you can get special running shoes for your training on tarmac, forest, trail grounds, for summer and winter, for all the different pronations, for races, and what not. soon it’s like tooth paste, one for the mornings another one for the evenings.

the blogosphere provides at least some hints on what not to buy. Scott Dunlap recommends with valid reasons to stay away from gore-tex running shoes. ok, no gore-tex. and the smarter fitter blog points to surprises when ordering a same pair online directly from the manufacturer. in addition there’s a good summary of the whole list of things to be aware of when buying running shoes.

i’ll just pass by the local budget sport shop at a next possible occasion and grab what’s on offer there, seems to have some grip and fits when putting on.

Tags: adidas response 16, new shoes, running gear