The Princess Guide: Buy Stock in New Balance Now!

Hi There.

Did my last post freak you out a bit? Did you ever think so many things could go wrong with a pair of feet?

The fact of the matter is, your feet are precious -- you've got to take care of them.

My feet....

Well, my feet are the kind of feet people compliment me on. High arches. Dainty. Size 6. Pretty.

Well, except for that one toenail. And my stubby toe.

I have a friend in Plano who had bunion surgery a few years ago. Her viewpoint all these years down the road? "Doctors in Plano are really good at making things look good. They aren't so great at making them work."

Now, I don't know much about that -- I do know that Plano is the cosmetic surgery capital of Texas.

My feet are feet that perfectly fit that description. While I've never had surgery on them, I do have feet that look really good. But they sure aren't functional.

My loss is your gain. Hopefully my sharing about my feet issues will help you avoid more of the same.

It really is scary how many people in this world deal with Plantar Fasciitis, Neuromas and all that jazz. And the 3-Day community isn't immune.

I'm no foot doctor, but I can tell you what works for me.

Remember that pair of shoes I bought two weeks before the walk in 2006?? They were New Balance 1060's, and I've stuck with that series ever since.

I did have a brief switch to Avias in 2008, that I'm convinced had something to do with my neuroma. Because they're tighter across the toe box, they put pressure on that nerve. Because my feet are so little and tightly woven, there wasn't much room in there for that nerve to "breathe." With the Avia's, things got a bit tighter. A trip to the mountains right about then probably didn't help, either.

I know. Land the Plane.

Seriously? The NB 1060 series has worked GREAT for me. But you know what?? I didn't just stumble on this magical fit. I went to the New Balance store in Frisco, and they got me set up. I highly recommend having a professional fit your feet. Not the guy at Mecca, I mean, Academy. I think those guys are great -- but I'm talking the kind of professional you'll find at Luke's Locker or Run On. The kind of guy with a treadmill right there. And it doesn't hurt if he's kinda cute. (Just thinking about you single girls out there!!!)

I walk in and ask for the best guy they've got. My feet are so squirrelly, I can't settle for less. If he's out to lunch, I tell them I'll be back in an hour. And every time, I come back to that NB 1060 series.

Now... The cool thing about finding a shoe that really, really works for you is that is that it can save you a whole lotta money. Sure, I paid upwards of $100 for these shoes when I first started wearing them, but I haven't since then.

I'll get them online or at the New Balance outlet whenever and wherever I can. I'm just guessing here, but I'm pretty sure I've had more than 10 pairs of shoes in this series. The last time I paid $45 a pair. You can't beat that.

Now... That's what works for me. It's not going to be what works for you. But lucky for you it's only March -- and you've got a lot of time to figure this part out.

Socks

Great Socks Rock. I've used a different type of sock nearly every year. My all-time faves were Balagas. It was like walking on a cloud. I can't wear them any more, though, because the thickness contributes to my shoes being too tight. But oh, they were a dream while they lasted.

They were also kinda hot. Not so much that I couldn't stand it -- but kinda hot for a Houston summer. But come November, when we were doing the actual walk, that warmth was welcome!!!

Really, with socks, the most important thing is to get moisture-wicking ones. I'll tell you, Biggsy has spent the last five years laughing at me and all my moisture-wicking attire. We're talking head-to-toe moisture-wicking attire. He's laughed at how "spoiled" we 3-Day walkers are and how much I've spent on it. He's gone so far as to say we should use it as a recruiting tool.

Sign up for the 3-Day, and you get to buy a whole new wardrobe.

Then....

His men's softball team had moisture-wicking uniforms last year.

He's a whole new man.

With a whole new wardrobe.

Seriously, you can't beat this moisture-wicking stuff. And I don't think it's more important anywhere than it is with socks.

What do I wear? These thin Adidas socks that I get at Mecca. They have aloe in them. I'm not sure what that does, but it sounds cool. I can't feel a toe seam (my OCD just cannot handle toe seams), and they breathe really well. More than anything else -- they look good. They hit right at my ankle, just above my shoe, and have a little gray, black or teal band around the top. Works for me!!!

It Goes on Smoooooooth.....

Now... I would totally be remiss if I didn't mention that Gold known as Body Glide. If you don't have any, do not pass Go, do not collect $200 -- get out there and get you some!!!

At Mecca, it's with all the weight-lifting hardware and nutrition stuff. When I walk over to buy it, people naturally assume I'm shopping for my husband.

This stuff really is Gold. You can use it anywhere you have friction. I'm not going to go into details on that -- just know it can go anywhere you have friction. I put that stuff all over my feet and then put my socks on. And I redo it all at lunch. And in all the 3-Days I've walked I've never had one stinkin' blister.

So... That's what works for me. But it may not be what works for you. The crazy thing? There will be 3000 people on the walk, and they'll be using 3000 different combinations of shoes, socks and blister control to get through the 60 miles.

It's very important that you find what you like, and the only way you're going to do that is to go on training walks. What feels great at mile zero can be a blister by mile 3 or be driving you insane at mile 7. Many, many issues don't even pop up until around 10 or 12. And we won't even talk about what mile 22 will do to you.

The absolutely best thing you can do for you and those feet of yours is to put some time into finding your combination. Trust me. It will all be worth it in the end.