Makani II by Scott.

I arrived at FrontRunner today with the intention of buying another pair of Asics exactly like the pair I have been wearing since March. (I know, I put way too many miles on my shoes to have waited this long.) Though the Asics seem to be working just fine, I still asked Karl to bring a couple similar shoes out for me to try.

As soon as I put on a new pair of shoes, I knew my Asics were worn out! Everything felt great to my feet!

Initially I tried the right shoe of the Asics along with the left shoe from Scott. Though I have never heard of Scott before, Karl reported that the company had been around for years. I knew immediately that the Asics were not right for me. After walking just a few minutes in the parking lot, I could tell my ankle was wobbly and there was rubbing on the inside “corner” of my heel. “Oh yeah,” I remembered. “These shoes used to give me blisters and I used to think my ankles wobbled in them.”

The shoe from Scott felt a little bit stiff, but not bad. I kept it on, and tried a right shoe from a Pearl Izumi pair. I stood up, took three steps and knew I did not like them. They were way too stiff and heavy!

Karl then brought out a Nike pair that featured a new technology allowing a lower heel. Though they looked cool, and mostly felt OK, where the shoe bent jabbed into my toes in an odd way. Sorry.

The more I walked in them, the more I liked the Makani II by Scott. My ankles were stable and the shoes bend. They feel slightly stiff, but then again, I’m planning to wear them in a half marathon — they need to be slightly stiff and heavier than shorter-distance shoes. (I don’t like admitting I need heavier shoes for long distance, but I do.)

I bought the Makani IIs though I am not absolutely positive about them. I’ll give them a few miles and see how it goes.

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