Friday, February 6, 2009

Farewell New Balance 851, I Knew Thee Well

I bought my first pair of New Balance 851 shoes, size 12EE, back in 1997 (or thereabouts). From that first pair, I have not run in any other shoe model until two days ago, when I switched to the New Balance 1011.

When NB originally stopped regular production of the 851s back in the late 90s, they still did a production run for Road Runner Sports. So every 8-10 months, I'd buy 6 to 8 pairs and go through them before another bulk order. But 2 weeks ago, I checked and there were no 851s in my size in stock.
My heart sunk, tears formed, and I felt a twinge of panic. My last pair of 851s had nearly 400 miles on them. What was I to do? I needed the EE width and who other than NB could deliver the fit and comfort I demanded.
After some research, I settled on ordering a pair of 1011s and they arrived Wednesday. So far, after three runs, they seem fine, although psychologically, my feet feel as though they have become permanently molded to the shape of the851.
Maybe I need counseling...get myself psychologized. Make that maybe I need a shower more as I only got back from my second run of the day 20 minutes ago.

1 comment:

I Run Trails said...

Any updates on your 1011s? I have been running on 851s for almost 10 years and now I need a replacement. I have bought many pairs of the 851s from RR as well. I run about 20 miles a week. Do you feel that the 1011 is a good replacement for the 851? Thanks for your thoughts!