P.I. Streak II + G.V. Minigolf

Last weekend we played indoor mini-golf as a family. In Wisconsin it can snow even in May, so the indoor option is nice.

I grabbed my new pair of Pearl Izumi Streak II shoes (thanks to Outside PR & Sports Marketing & Pearl Izumi) to see how they'd handle the turf.

I noticed the fit of the shoe first in the heel--it felt like the shoe cradled my heel in a good way.

The shoe felt light, but supportive
and I really liked the honeycomb webbing.

As a safety girl I appreciate the reflective bits along the laces, toe, heel and side of the shoe and we tested its reflective performance within the mini-golf glow room.

Learn more about the Streak's seam-free interior, energy foam cushions and more here.

photos: Walk this way please. There are many slides along the course.

photos: Mini-golf at G.V., the capital at G.V., my P.I. Streak II in the glow room. Actually two years ago one of our kids had an accident in this same glow room .... beware of potential glow-room streaks in your neighborhood.

Questions for You:

- What's the weather like where you live?

- What's the first thing you notice about a new pair of shoes?

- When I read the word Streak I think of two words: naked and steak. What comes to your mind?

photos by me

Shoes That Taste Good

I love my running shoes. (left: my current pair.) It's hard for me to throw them out when I've retired a pair. I try to find new jobs for them, like these will be my gardening shoes or these can be my mowing shoes.

But, I should just let them go. Better yet, I should recycle them. This site offers a list of homes and programs looking to repurpose our dear old shoes.

New shoes appeal to a mix of my senses:

• touch (there are so many textures),
• smell (I like new shoe smell),
• sight (don't step on my new beautiful shoes!).

It seems I should also consider taste, especially when shopping for a new pair. Next time you shop, take note how shoes' colors are described. Some examples:

• Asics GEL Kinetic Blush-Rootbeer-Latte
• Asics GEL-DS Trainer 13 White-Lightning-Orange Popsicle
• Asics GEL Kushion White-Chocolate-Metallic Gold

I once bought a pair of running shoes because I got hooked on its color (a pretty brown and pink). Not a good idea. Now, with shoe colors like rootbeer, orange popsicle and chocolate, I could be in trouble.

Not sure how to choose your next shoes? Read these guides on shoe fit and selection.

http://www.runnersworld.com/cda/shoelabshoefinder/0,,s6-240-325-329-0-0-0-0-0,00.html http://www.asicsamerica.com/sports/running/shoeFitGuide.aspx
http://www.saucony.com/ShoeAdvisor.aspx
http://www.brooksrunning.com/Help/Shoe+Advisor/

Or, if you're a triathlete, you could look to the elite triathletes and see what they are wearing.
(Thanks Active Toby for these links!) Slowtwitch.com recently ran two features:

• Running shoes of the top 10 men in Kona
• Running shoes of the top 10 women in Kona

Tell me:
- What flavor are your shoes?
- What do you do with your retired shoes?