The Quest for the New Running Shoes

Determined to get my deserving feet new running shoes, I went in search for that perfect pair. First week of October, I scoured every sport-apparel shops in Cebu's major malls.

The plan was first to look for what pleases my eye, then try it on for comfort. If the footwear doesn't pass the "look" test, it won't go to the "comfort" test. If the pair clears both, I still won't buy it right away. I'll do more research online and read reviews so I'd really know if it's perfect for my type of feet--If we only have running specialty stores with knowledgeable salespersons, I would have skipped this part (Edit: see next post).

Finding the pair was easy because only one cleared the look and comfort tests: Adidas Adizero Tempo. Okay, others were too pricey for me or maybe I did not look hard enough. The Adizero Tempo that I found at Toby's Sporting House (SM North Wing Branch) came with a discount. They're beautiful, and very light too. Just the right colors and my legs looked longer in them. Hehe. After liking what I read from my research, I knew I had to get them.

With my birthday drawing to a near, Mom (after some parayeg) agreed to buy the pair as a gift to me. Yeeeha! But when she learned of the price, she settled to pay for just the 2/3. Oh well, I need to have the Adi so what's 1/3 anyway.

Days before the purchase, I already had nightmares. One dream was of me going back to Toby's and finding that my size isn't available anymore. Tsk3x, bad sign.

I came back to Toby's afternoon of Oct. 10, hopping to the shop with excitement. Lex tagged along. Imagine my shock when the footwear I dreamed about wasn't on display anymore. "We pulled out the stock," the salesperson announced. I was like "Oh sh*t, not another crazy nightmare." Only it wasn't a dream and what I actually mumbled was something like "Uh, OK maybe they have it at another store." I remembered seeing the same pair at SM's sporting goods department but I remembered it looked old.

At this time, big bro Juk arrived so the three of us trooped to the department store while I fervently prayed they still have a pair my size. I was so relieved to see the exact model and color I wanted, my size too. I was more than glad really. I was ecstatic! A little problem though: it was for men, or so the salespeople insisted. But it looked very much similar as the one displayed at Toby's women's running shoes section! Oh well... So what if they're for men, they look too pretty for a man's feet and they felt great on mine. And so to make the story short, I decided (after a bit of jogging and walking around the store) that the pair would be my new running shoes.

BTW, the SM Adidas staff was great; I was super pampered, I felt like a celebrity. Or maybe it was Lex's doing. He made up a story of me winning a silver medal in a recent race. "Just 20 seconds behind the champion!" I heard him telling the staff, who later asked for my name and the issue of the local paper that supposedly had a photo of me plus an interview. What a crazy, shoe-hunting adventure that was.

Goodbye nightmares. Hello Adi!