I am considering purchasing some "running sandals" and a pedometer.
Has anyone ever tried running sandals?
Any suggestions on a reliable, durable pedometer?

I am thinking of running sandals because I have problems with shoe fitting. I can never get a pair of athletic shoes that don't cause me a lot of pain until they are "broken in". I have trouble with any shoes that have an enclosed heel. To get my wide foot into the shoes, the heel is ALWAYS too wide and I end up with bleeding blisters on my heels. The running sandals I have found advertised have a sling back type of heel. Sling backs are what I wear for dress shoes, so I am thinking this may work for me.
The brand I have found is "Bite" which I have never heard of before.
They are called Bite Xtension Performance Running Sandals. I found them in skymall and are listed as being from "Healthy Connections".

Any input would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Karla

Skinny I have never heard of running sandals so I am no help there - i can only wear nikes as they seem to conform to my feet when I workout. As far as a pedometer I wear one every day to insure I get 10,000 steps or more a day. I just bought a $10 one from target

Good luck

I really like my Omron pedometer. I got it off of Ebay. It keeps time. It tracks steps. Aerobic steps. Calories burned and distance.

I wear Ryka walking shoes. They are designed for women and made by women. They carry wide widths. I wear a wide width. But the heel is designed narrower because that's the way women's feet are. I get mine from QVC.com. I can get these shoes and wear them right away. I have never had to break a pair in.

Annie

Thanks for the Ryka reminder...I had a pair once, they still gave me problems but were by far the best fit for my odd foot. My DD let one of her friends borrow my Ryka's and I never saw them again!
On the pedometers...are cheapy's ok, or is it better to spend more for qualilty? I am all for cheap IF it doesn't make any difference, but yanno, some things you get what you pay for, so if I have to replace it frequently, then cheaper isn't really cheaper in the long run.

As for pedometers...I think for people who are skinny, cheap brands are fine. Most regular pedometers work by sensing the vibration in your hip bone. As we all know, there is often a lot of "stuff" between your skin and hip bone if you're a fat chick. That can really throw the pedometer off and make it give inaccurate reports. If you can try them (borrow a friend's? Buy a cheap one and give it to a kid if it doesn't work?), put one on, take 10 (or more) steps and see what it says. If it's off by a step or two, no biggie. But if it's totally off, you may need a more high-tech one. One thing you can try (they've done this in some studies) is put the pedometer on your ankle (try attaching to a sock cuff). This works better for some fat chicks, but the ankle is less reliable for all people than the hip bone, so you lose something in the process.

That said, I have HUGE amounts of "cushioning" on my very big hips (I have an Eastern European background...what can I say? I could balance six kids on each hip! ), and I used a super-cheap ($2-3 at Wal*Mart) pedometer. I tested it and found it was usually accurate with my steps within a step or two. It did tend to register "steps" if I bounced in place or if I shifted from side to side, so I knew to keep those kind of activities to a minimum. Otherwise it worked really well. And it's a great motivator, especially if you have a friend (or two!) at work who wears one as well...you can challenge each other to get more steps!

Thanks Laurie, that is very helpful information and great ideas. Wearing one at work is my main goal. I work 12 hour shifts and many days I am on my feet moving about all day. Other days when we don't have as many babies or have "healthier" babies I don't move as much. I am always too weary to do exercise when I get home after 12 hours. I thought I could try the pedometer and depending on the results, maybe walk a few "laps" around the halls of the hospital midday, maybe go "visiting" on other units to get in my exercise for the day.

Karla, I run regularly, but I've never tried the sandals. I wear Saucony running shoes. They weren't cheap, but I had someone fit me for them (I've got wide feet, too), and I've had great success with them.

I use a good Omron pedometer. I've had it for three years, and it's suffered a lot of abuse, but still works well.

It's already been said so I'll just add my voice to the Omron pedometer fans. I could never get the cheap ones to work well for me but my Omron is great and seems very sturdy.

I really like the Omron HJ-105 clipped to my belt. Here's the Amazon link for reference. If you do order it from Amazon, go by way of the 3FC store and they get a coin for referring you.

3FC store: http://www.3fatchicks.com/store.php

Omron HJ-105 at Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/HJ-105-Digital...3039372&sr=8-7


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Ellis - I haven't "seen" you in awhile! Hope you have been doing great!

I like Saucony too. My latest are New Balance and they seem to work well for me. I am broad across the toes (I've had bunion and hammertoe surgery) but also am narrow across the back.

Barb, I miss you! Look at you... you are svelte!!

The only thing about my Omron is that yesterday the little safety clip broke. I am just about to super glue it, and it will be good as new. I figure three years of rough constant use... something's gotta give.

LL Bean carried those I remember seeing them when I went there last time. (I used to like to walk around the store its too expensive though) I would think they would blister you still though. I have the same problem. I found that Ascics, However its spelt, do not blister me as bad as other running shoes. Turntecs were the worst, Nike and Rebock didn't fit well. Ascics are a little softer and don't last as long though. Another thing to try is trail running. I found when I was able to run and doing it regularly that the uneven ground tended to cause less rubbing problems on my feet. The ends of my toes would blister too.

Thanks everyone! I ordered an Omron 112 that states it can even be carried in your pocket or purse and still works. I also went ahead and ordered the Bite Xtension running sandal to try. I found a site that had them for a reduced cost, about $30 less than the typical $80 for these. I'll report back after using them to let anyone who is interested know how they work out. They have received good reviews from fitness magazines and individuals who have posted online to report...like epionions type website.
Thanks again for all your input. It prompted me to research the options. Also, I did order from 3fc...I didn't even realize they had a "store".