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Nike Wildhorse 10 shoes. |
I’d previously tried out high end casual / running shoes like the Vapormax flyknit shoe, which features shoes on top of bubbles of air, as the soles, and, while nice, I wanted to try something new. I didn’t feel like spending $220 (they are currently $187.97, on the store’s website) for shoes, and I’d already tried them out. I had been wearing the Joyride sneakers, which feature foam balls in the soles, for cushioning, and they’re also casual running shoes, but here, I had an opportunity to branch out in to fancier shoes with more features.
The main attraction to the Wildhorse 10 shoe ($165), in Nike’s trail running series, is that it has a springy ReactX foam midsole that is purported to return energy to the wearer, along with a grippy outsole design that provides for sure footing in all types of trail terrain, whether it be uphill, wet, or over various types of ground.
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My Wildhorse 10 shoe outsoles. Clearly, this is a shoe for serious trail runners. |
The shoe comes in a good variety of many different color options to choose from, and there’s men’s and women’s versions of the shoe, as well. I chose the funky pink neon, white, black, and light blue version, because I like bright colors. I could foresee keeping the shoes clean as being a chore, as I’d have to watch how I move and handle the shoes, when wearing them, so that they don’t get scuffs or stains on them. Even so, I unfortunately spilled some soy sauce on one of the shoes, on my first day wearing them out, and I nearly freaked out, but I had some water with me, and I gave it a quick rinse, and once I got to a water fountain, I was able to rub out the stain completely, with a little bit of soap, so the fabric is a little bit forgiving.
All in all, I feel like like the trail running series fits my lifestyle and fashion choices, and I got a compliment on the shoes, on the first day I wore them, which was nice. I ordered a complementary set of shorts and a tank top that matches the color of the shoes. I’d highly recommend the shoes, as a luxury novelty, for the bouncy soles, as well as for active lifestyle trail running (walking, in my case) types, when the shoes can be afforded, financially.
First long distance outing thoughts and reflections:
Now, I’m sure that many of you who came across this page and article could debate the point, as to whether or not 18+ miles is considered “long” distance, but I’m just saying… for convenience’s sake. My standard daily goal is 10,000 steps, which comes out to about 5 miles, or so, and here, I put in some dedicated hours at the track, to see if I would suddenly become more skilled and adept at running, given my new, specially designed for trail running: Wildhorse 10 Nike shoes.
When I showed up to Los Angeles State Historic Park, neighboring Chinatown, DTLA - my nearest metropolitan-scale nature and dirt trail park, there was a huge soundstage and concert installation for what ended up being a college students’ progressive trance music show, with anywhere from 10,000 to 20,000 young people attending. I was dismayed that I wouldn’t be able to run the track, because of the concert, but there was a small straightaway of dirt and rocky track stretching from the entrance of the park to the concert gates, maybe 1,000 feet or so. I eventually shook off the anxiety about pacing the track, back and forth, for hours on end, and I “just did it,” in my Nikes. Everyone was paying attention to their own stuff, and the anxiety was all in my head, I reasoned. I mean, I looked different - in jogging clothes, whereas most people who showed up were young adults, dressed in black, grouped up in small to mid-size groups, mostly Asian people, and the restrooms straddled the side of the track / road, and most people’s attention was on using the restroom and gathering with friends before entering the show. There was a 2-3 hours’ long procession of a non-stop flow of pedestrian foot traffic entering the show and park grounds. All extraneous information, here, perhaps, although I did stay for much of the show, to listen to the music, since I was at the concert, anyways, practically.
As I mentioned earlier, 18 miles is probably a cut and dry, simple prospect, but I smoke cigarettes, and I don’t commonly run, although perhaps, with these shoes, I’ll turn showing up to the park a habit. Now, for me, the day’s 18 miles ended up being pretty easy, on my end, for that matter. Granted, I only walked the track, but it wasn’t my fault. I didn’t want to be running back and forth on such a short track, when there were countless young concertgoers just several feet away from me. I already did my standard 10,000 steps, or so, earlier in the day, and I felt that I could get several hours in, of walking, and I thought that maybe I would work myself up to running, a bit, but that never materialized, on this day.