Ryka, Ryka, we all love Ryka

I am a jock. 

Not because I grew up that way, but because I've grown to be that way in the past two years.  The first time that anyone referred to me as a "Jock", I literally looked around, to see who she could possibly be referring to.  Before the injury, I ran most every day.  I (still) work out with weights three days a week, I (currently don't) take capoeira classes, I walk everywhere I can, even up to the grocery store if I have time. 

So when the lovely ladies at The Parent Bloggers asked if I'd be interested in trying new runners from Ryka, I was all over it.  New shoes?  Sign me up!  Ryka is an athletic company founded by and for women.  From the website:  All RYKÄ shoes are made on a woman's last (the mold or shape of a woman's foot), and are designed and developed taking into account a women's unique fit needs - narrower in the heel and wider in the forefoot (it's not just you, our toes need more room and our heels slip too). Outstanding fit and exceptional comfort consistently place RYKÄ shoes among the highest rated in the industry. After all, if your shoes don't work out, neither will you.

I have an extremely hard foot to fit.  I have a very wide box, bunions, flat feet, and I pronate like crazy. If you have as many issues as I, you'd better check out the Ryka website, where they have you answer questions to determine which shoes will work best for your feet.

The shoes arrived, and I couldn't wait to put them on and go running. They were lightweight and breathable, two big factors in my choice of a running shoe.   They were stiff, more so than my regular runners, though they did soften up a bit.  I ended up putting about 300 miles on these shoes, wearing them every day.  They were attractive shoes, not outlandish or goofy looking, nor clunky and stolid.  My main difficulty with these shoes was the flat, double sided laces.  (Because my heel is narrow, I tie my shoes in a special manner - I use Lock Lacing - loop the laces back through the top hole, thread the laces through the loop and cross.  (Kind of complicated description here.)  There are some different thoughts on Lock Lacing, but it really works for me, since I have bunions.)  The flat laces were sticky on the underside, which made it really hard to loosen the laces in order to get the shoes on.  Also, the laces didn't loosen up as I ran.  I usually tie them too tight in the beginning of a run, in order to allow for them to loosen as my feet swell.  That way I don't have to stop.  The sticky lace that the shoes come with is a really great feature for someone who doesn't have as many issues as I have.  I'm a complicated, out of the ordinary shoe fit.  I do think that the sticky laces would be awesome for other people - in fact, a girlfriend switched laces with me, just so she could have them, and she loves them.

Running in these shoes was nice.  They were cushy, with air cushioning bubbles in the heels.  As much as I've run in these shoes, they still look brand new.  There is absolutely no wear on the bottom, which makes me think that these shoes are more rugged than your typical sneaker. I've never seen a shoe that looks brand new, after more than two months of daily wear.  That impressed me tremendously. 

Ryka is a solidly wonderful company, with a great sneaker that is well constructed and nice to use. I'm so glad to have had the opportunity to try these shoes!

Want to get in on the Ryka action? RYKÄ is giving away 50 (FIFTY!) pairs of shoes a day through October 25th, as well as 50 tees, as well as donating matching numbers of shoes to the Women's Sports Foundation. Click on the link and try your luck at a good pair of sneakers, and then get out there and get busy!

Comments

[Paige]

I entered this last week, and a few days later a pair of shoes appeared on my doorstep! How cool is that?

[Lisa]

I just registered myself ... & invited 4 friends to do so as well. I hope I'm as lucky as Paige! :)