Throughout their entire basketball careers, each player had been able to purchase the shoe that is perfect for them. Coming to college and having to pick between just two pairs can be a big adjustment to make. No one is complaining because they are free, but not everyone is excited about the scarce selection. Now that the season is over, I can't just show up to practice and get the scoop so I sent out a mass text that said, "Hey guys, which Nike shoe did you pick this year and what did you think of them overall. Please be honest." Here is how they responded:
Senior Jenny Poff says there is no competition between the two. "I wear the Nike shocks and everyone thinks that they are too heavy but I just like shocks in general so they are more comfortable for me. I never have problems with them and they are great," she said convincingly.
Junior guard Carolyn Barnett is in the same boat. "I really like them. I didn't have to break them in, they were good to go as soon as I put them on."
Freshman Symone Lyles, on the other hand, hasn't had the same experience. "They started off really good and I was happy. But then toward the end of the season they started to hurt the crap out of my feet," Lyles said.
Are you sure it's the shoes...or is it the line runs and the suicides that take a toll on your feet? Last year I chose the Blue Chips and decided to give them a try. Like Poff said, a lot of girls think the shocks are too heavy and I am one of them. The Blue Chips were extremely light, they formed around my feet really well and they were cute!
Lyles is right though. They started to kill towards the end of the season. Usually a player experiences the worst pain during the break-in process, but the Blue Chips continued to loosen until there was no support. With no support, my feet start start sliding forward and my toes were constantly jamming into the front of the shoe. Not a pretty site, or feeling. Luckily, the girls get two pairs of shoes so if they start to fall apart a fresh pair is waiting.
Freshman Tina Fisher decided to choose one of each kind. She says as long as they are Nike she will be happy. "I really like all of them. I am a Nike girl and I have always worn Nike so I really like them. Nike is all you need!" she said.
All of the players go through two pairs a season. The Nike Shocks run around $110.00 and the Blue Chips run close to $85.00 so it's good thing for team discounts and scholarships. For now, it's time for the players to give their feet a rest until Spring Quarter begins. Then, believe it or not, they will be back to work already!
Fun Fact: The team buys pink shoe laces for the breast cancer awareness game and most of the players finish out the season with their pink shoelaces in. I STILL have mine in!
Go Bobcats!
This is something the uninformed would never think about. I guess if you're running around in those shoes all day, the weight and comfort would be a huge deal.
ReplyDeleteAs a non-athelete, I get the 10$ wal-mart shoes for my walking around needs. They generally wear out in about three months. I should probably just buy one decent pair for 30$ and save some cash in the long run.