New Year, New Kicks – and a Giveaway!

With an impending wedding and new years resolution, I realized now was the time to take care of something I had put off for a while: buying new tennis shoes. They say you should replace running shoes anywhere from 300 to 500 miles after the first wear. That could be between five to six months for avid runners. I don’t run often, but I do wear my workout shoes multiple times a week for kickboxing, exercise machines, walks and more. Even with doing all of that, I hadn’t replaced my shoes in three years!!! So it was fate when New Balance Chicago contacted me to check out their stores. I stopped by the New Balance Chicago in Lincoln Park and walked away with a great fitting experience and new workout duds.

I was helped at New Balance Chicago by Ryan, a former track athlete at a local college. We began by doing a foot analysis. I stepped on a machine that measured the shape of my foot, my stride and pressure points. Then, I ran a bit so Ryan could videotape my stride. When replaying it, he pointed out my right ankle turned in. We used this knowledge as well as what was learned by my foot analysis to determine the type of shoes I should try on. I was happy to learn that New Balance Chicago carried options other than running shoes. Ryan brought out shoes for me to kick and jump around the store to see how they fit. I settled on a pair of shoes with good support and a cool look. (Even though comfort comes first, I still care about the look of the shoe!)

In addition to a great new pair of shoes, I also purchased really comfortable workout gear at New Balance Chicago. I walked away with a breathable shirt and The Shapely Shaper Bra. It’s hard for me to find sports bras that really do support me for high-impact workouts, but this one is very comfortable. While The Shapely Shaper Bra is designed for A and B cup sizes, it’s perfect for larger sizes, too.

The Giveaway

I am really happy to have connected with New Balance Chicago in time for the new year, and consequent resolutions. The New Balance staff had great tools and background knowledge to make sure that I got shoes that were the right fit for me. Now that they helped me find the shoes, it’s up to me to keep the resolution! And you can too, by entering to win a new pair of New Balance shoes and gift certificate.

I partnered with New Balance Chicago and received this attire c/o. Thank you for supporting brands that support this blog.