Geargals

I think this must be a Geargals first: a sarcasm-free post. I really want to deliver the message, here, and it’s too important to be lost in smartass comments.

As you can probably tell from my other shoe posts, I am very picky about footwear. It’s really difficult for me to find shoes and boots that fit right, and most of the time I’m left with something just “okay” because I can’t find anything better. Pretty much every trip ends with foot pain, blisters, numbness, and various other discomforts. I’ve learned to live with it, because it just didn’t seem that I had a choice. And then the universe smiled upon me, and La Sportiva sent me a pair of Imogenes to review.

These shoes are incredible. I never realized that I didn’t have to finish every run with numb and tingling feet, and that trail running didn’t always have to include twisting my ankle every few steps. Thirtysomethingmumblemumble years it took me to figure this out – well, all those years and these shoes, that is. The Imogene is billed as a neutral, well cushioned shoe, and let me emphasize that I don’t think I’ve ever worn a truly neutral shoe before no matter what manufacturers have claimed. This shoe is so well balanced that I knew within a few steps of starting my run that I was in for a great experience.

It really was the most amazing feeling to run along and feel that every step resulted in a solid, flat foot placement, even on mud, snow, ice, roots, and rocks (all in one run – that is trail running in Alaska in the spring, folks). I am a high-arched underpronator, which means that my foot takes an enormous beating when I run because my arches don’t distribute the shock forces well, and being an underpronator makes me tend to run and push off of on the outsides of my feet. I twist ankles all the time, especially to the outside, and it’s kind of amazing that I’ve continued trail running all these years, because uneven surfaces are really difficult for me. Not in these shoes. They allowed my foot to actually land and push off flat, in any trail condition. This made for a very relaxing run because I didn’t have to constantly worry about twisted ankles – and this was my first real running workout after knee surgery. I actually had to make myself stop when I was done with the route, because I was having so much fun I wanted to keep running. I really didn’t have any idea that a shoe could make this much difference.

Another welcome change was that I didn’t have to mess around changing insoles. The insole that comes in the Imogene is nothing particularly groundbreaking as far as I can tell, but the design and balance of the shoe eliminates the need to replace it with a “better” insole. Also a first for me.

The incredible cushioning is no joke. It was like running on a very firm trampoline. Even on pavement the Imogene absorbed every step without feeling mushy or spongy, which I never thought could truly be accomplished in a running shoe. Other runners with high arches should take note: these shoes will change your life. I don’t know what laws of physics La Sportiva bent to create this shoe, but whatever they’re doing, they’re doing right.