This isn’t exactly a running story, but one day at the store, when fitting a young high school boy in some running shoes for cross-country, we discussed any problems he was having with feet, legs, hips, etc – the usual things you try to learn when determining what type of shoe is needed.
The young lad related that he was having some problems with the balls of his feet burning. I brought out a couple of pairs of shoes and told him to go out to the sidewalk and I’d watch him run. We came back into the store and as I was checking the shoe length, asked him if the new shoes helped the burning on the balls of his feet. He said, “these shoes are great, my balls don’t burn a bit!” I could not look up because I could tell he was horrified at what he had said and we both pretended that I didn’t hear a thing. This is a story that I don’t think I’ll ever forget, even though it happened more than 30 years ago.
-Ruth
