You may have seen that I shared on Facebook and Instagram that I had been running in a fake pair of running shoes.

After looking everywhere on the internet for my safety running shoes that did not bother my Haglund's deformity, I ended up purchasing them from a website I really dislike (yes, the one you are thinking of, that one-click store that is taking over the world).

After pain and noticing some severe quality issues (read the post for full story), I concluded they were fakes, but then something crazy started happening.

Other people commented on the post, saying they had a similar experience with that same running brand but in a different model of shoe. Other people said there wouldn't be enough money in that model of shoe I was wearing (it is a very basic shoe) for someone to bother making a fake.

As you can imagine, there were all kinds of comments on the post (and yes, some kinda offensive ones from people who seemed to forget I was a human being sharing my experience), but what became murky was whether my shoes were in fact fakes....or whether the unfortunate reality I did not want to face was true.

Could Saucony really have made shoes with that many quality issues at this point in their business?

Surely not?!

It hurt to think about. As a former Saucony athlete who still cheers for their successes, someone who never had any problems with any of their shoes...other than not being to understand how my friend Jared (Ward) managed to run full marathons in the A2 without his quads falling off from the pounding (they were an extreeeeeemmely light and thin shoe, the literal opposite of what elites run in today).

The truth is, I wanted to blame a, I still do. I want it to be their fault. I want to yell and shout about how much I dislike them, how we should be avoiding them as much as physically possible (and yes, I still do very occasionally have to purchase something from them too).

I wanted to use this as an opportunity to make runners think about where they purchase, how we should be supporting the brands themselves, supporting small businesses, and physical stores.

I had heard rumors of Saucony shoes not being up to standard over the past year, but I put that down to people just wanting something to complain about. I wrongly assumed running stores just wanted to push people into shoes other than Saucony.

Except now I am not so sure.

The thing is, maybe it wasn't even their fault. Maybe it was a storage issue. Maybe it is an age issue and this is why they change versions often, because shoes do lose their durability as they sit on the shelf and as new versions come out...although in this case, not that long, the next version (Kinvara 14) only came out in June 2023. I did try that shoe, my foot hurt immediately and it did not let up. Which is why I went back to my search to find the 13 instead.

*side note* this GQ article about sustainable running shoes is very interesting​

So what's my conclusion?

I am not sure what to think. I am confused and disheartened, and for the first time, considering something pretty serious for this injury.

My injury forced me to push aside my sustainability concerns for a short period to get my body healthy. I did it, because I know I have to be able to get healthy to do the work I want to be able to and chase down any running goals I have....but in doing so, it didn't even fix the problems; in some ways, it made it worse.

A few things come to mind.

First, is that even when we try to make the best choice we can for our body or our mind, we choose the wrong path, or maybe there is no right path in that moment (and that is okay too, that is just life).

Second, decisions that make you push aside your values temporarily may be worth it...as long as don't expect too much out of it.

Third, we still want to be shopping locally as much as possible, that limits the risk of something like this happening, allows us to get advice from those who have experience in that area as to what they would suggest, and keeps money in our local area....rather than going in the pockets of billionaires.

This week on the Running For Real podcast...

Here's the official description:

Lucie Hanes is a professional ultra runner, a professional climber, a journalist, and a sports psychologist. Those potentially conflicting pursuits actually complement each other, as evidenced by her second place finish in her debut 100 mile race, the 2023 Leadville 100 Trail Run. Remarkably, that achievement came after health issues forced her to stop training the year before. She discovered how much mental health affects athletic performance and now helps other athletes through her mental performance counseling practice, Inside Out Athlete. ​

Here's the real deal:

Lucie and I met a few years ago. We connected almost instantly. We had a lot in common with our pasts, and also a hunger in our futures to see what we could be capable of (both athletically and beyond). Lucie was the person to present me with the Judges Choice Award for Best Podcast Episode of the Year at the Outdoor Media Summit in 2022.

Her honesty and vulnerability about not having it all figured out, especially as she rises through the ranks herself as an ultra runner, is really inspiring; it's well worth a listen.

Listen to Lucie here

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Watch: We are behind with the times, but enjoying This Is Us on Netflix.

Read: I was extremely fortunate to egt an advance copy of Sarah Crouch's novel, Middletide. I devoured it over the weekend; so so good! The chapters are dates from 1980s to 1994 and I was excited to discover one of the easter eggs Sarah put in there, one of the early pivotal chapters is my birthday! Pre-order it here.​

Sign up for: Selma to Montgomery Relay I intended on doing this in March, but the uncertainty around my heel pain means I just can't commit to it right now, BUT I think it is an extremely important and inspiring event to be a part of, if you can!

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Going to the Boston Run Show this weekend? I will be at the HydraPak booth. Come say hi!

Attending Running USA the following week in Orlando. I will be with Marathon Foto in all the breaks throughout the conference giving away 120 complimentary copies of Becoming a Sustainable Runner.​

Looking at launching a podcast or have one already? My audio engineer/podcast editor, Jeremy Noessel, has launched his own coaching business for improving sound quality. He will help take your podcast to the next level. While I have occasionally forgotten through laziness to do the checks he tells me to do every single episode (and that's why quality has dropped a few times!!), his work is outstanding and very professional. Find out more here.​

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Thanks to our partner, HydraPak

I genuinely believe the future of road racing is having most runners carry their own fuel. Notice I did not say all. I know there will always be a few people who need or want to grab cups, but imagine a world of racing where we don't see thousands, hundreds of thousands, and in the case of the world major marathons, millions (yes, millions!!!) of cups scattered on the ground.

HydraPak shares that goal with me, and is why I am so excited to work alongside them. They make speed cups that are stashable into your sports bra, waistband, or any vest, and they have innovated in a very impressive way to come up with a handheld design that smashes the image in my mind of what a handheld is. The SkyFlask Speed comes in 350ml and 500ml sizes and is ideal for carrying fuel (and has an eaaaasssy flip lid for refill). There is a reason many of the other brands use HydraPak to make their bottles, they are the absolute best in the industry.

If you are in Boston this weekend for the Run Show, be sure to stop by the HydraPak booth and say hi.

And if not, go check out their innovations for running, hiking, and water filtration, they are the best in the space...by a long way.

Check out HydraPak here

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Be kind to one another, yourself, and this beautiful planet of ours.

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