Nike Women’s Air Zoom Structure + Shoe Science Review

You know how sometimes you have been meaning to do something for the longest time and then the universe gives you a mighty great push in the right direction? That’s how these great Nike Women’s Air Zoom Structure’s came into my life. I haven’t reviewed running shoes before so let me give you a relatively naïve, laypersons view on these! I really love my Nike running tights so I was excited to add something else of theirs to my running kit.

When I first took up running I wasn’t sure how long I was going to last. Physical activity and myself didn’t have a very good relationship up until that point and I had never got into anything that had stuck for more than a few months. I didn’t want to invest too much money straight up so I went to Number One Shoes and got a pretty cheap pair of running shoes. They were running shoes and they didn’t give me any obvious discomfort so I carried on wearing them, probably far longer than I ever should have.

I ended up hurting my knee randomly during a run and after a few days I went to the physio because it wasn’t getting better, walking was hurting it and I really needed to get better for some upcoming running events. One of the first things the physio asked me was about my running shoes and when I told her where I was at with them she immediately recommended I go to a proper shoe fitting place and get some guidance about which ones would be the best for my feet based on my running form and things like that.

I headed on down to Shoe Science in Albany (shout-out to Paul who was freaking awesome and so helpful!) mainly because I had a voucher for them from registering for the Walking Stars half marathon. We had a chat about the kind of distances I was doing, he had a look at my legs/feet while I was standing and doing a couple of other movements and then Paul got me onto the treadmill to have a look at my running form.

It was nice to learn that my running form is actually quite good. It’s taken me a couple of years to really find my stride with running and because it’s a solo thing, even though I’ve read lots online about it, I didn’t really have any idea how well I was doing with it. My foot strike when I’m running is midfoot which is (by current thinking anyway) ideal. My stride length is good and my feet don’t roll in too much when my foot lands. Paul recommended two different shoes and I got to try both on and have a run on the treadmill to see what suited me better.

I ended up picking the Nike’s because they felt the most supportive and the physio had mentioned I had slightly flat feet and the arches could do with some support. They felt the most comfortable on while I was running on the treadmill too. I love the design and colour of these shoes. The purple is so me, if you didn’t already know my favourite colour was purple then really *shakes head* and they aren’t garish awful shoes like a lot of running shoes are. The recommended retail price for these in NZD is $220

Running shoes have come a long way and this is what the sole looks like.

I started wearing these just during the day for a couple of days before I ran in them to wear them in a bit and I don’t know if it’s the placebo effect but my knee felt better after wearing them for those couple of days. Then I went for a run in them and they did not irritate me in the slightest. I haven’t had a single blister in them (I got awesome new socks too which has definitely helped in this regard) and when I’m running they just feel right. I barely notice I’m wearing shoes when I’m running which I think is kind of ideal for a pair of running shoes. I give these shoes an easy 5/5 stars. Love them, would totally buy them again.

The only thing I regret is that I waited so freaking long to get myself a proper, decent pair of running shoes after I figured out that running was kind of cool and I liked it so much! My knee has come right with good shoes and a few physio visits and if I keep on top of things like this I hopefully won’t hurt myself again!

In terms of choosing the right shoe for you I cannot recommend enough going to see someone like Shoe Science to help you find the best fit. I probably could have picked out a decent pair on my own but the tailored advice and the service I got from Shoe Science was invaluable and I know where I will be going back to in future! Having the right shoes and gear is important once you get to a certain level in running to help you avoid and prevent injury!

Have you made a similar mistake to me and not got around to something until things have gone wrong or you’ve got hurt? Having never been very active before my gastric bypass this is all quite new to me still and I’m learning lots! Comment below and let me know your story, maybe I can learn from one of your mistakes!

Please note: I paid for these shoes myself and have written this review of my own accord. The service I got from Shoe Science was second to none and I love letting you guys know about awesome people and things I come across.