Happy Feet - Shoes To Consider (Part 2)

Type: Athletic or Casual
Make: Brooks
Model: Adrenaline GTS
Price: $95.00

Like most others who are reading this post, my trials and tribulations with athletic shoes runs deep and wide. Back when I was in middle school (a long time ago), if you were cool, you wore Adidas. Then Nike emerged as the "in" brand and everybody who was "somebody" were sporting those.

Sometime right after college when my metabolism started to slow down, I became more interested in comfort as opposed to how cool I looked based on what I wore. Still, it seemed that the items I slapped on my poor feet didn't quite live up to my expectations of comfort. It didn't matter what brand I tried, it seemed nothing really worked well. Perhaps I just had odd feet.

If you're lucky, at some point you actually listen to what others "in the know" have to say and you actually learn something. For me, that was when a co-worker of mine (who ran several miles each week for exercise and hobby) suggested that I go to a store specializing in shoes for the runner. He told me they would analyze my foot and tell me what type of shoe I needed based on my foot structure.

So I took his advice and went to a local running store. They told me I was in need of a shoe that offered support and quickly pointed me to several model by various brands. The Brooks Adrenaline GTS were the third pair I tried on and the ones I ultimately purchased.

These are the best feeling athletic shoes my feet have encountered and their liberal use of mesh means your feet will stay comfortable in hot weather to boot. I spent an entire week walking through the various Disney World properties this past fall (yes, I said week) with these shoes. Not once did my feet burn or tire from the hours of walking and standing I did.

Brooks has offered the Adrenaline GTS in their lineup for a number of years - they are currently on their 8th generation. Though they have made some minor cosmetic and structural changes, the longevity of this model proves that if it ain't broke, you don't need to fix it.

Of course, nothing is more important than consulting with a trained expert regarding the specific type of shoe you need. If your feet are such that you need support, you can safely add this model to your short list when shopping.