My feet are quite happy these days. I took a risk and it paid off.

At 45, I am often leery to fall for buying the cheapest shoes available. Over the past couple years being thrifty has not reaped any benefits but only caused pain in my feet, legs, and lower back. Now that it is time to ramp up the training, that means more time on the treadmill and on the beach. Being it is a new year I thought it a good time to purchase new shoes. Running shoes that are put to use aren't meant to last a year. It's 2014; change your shoes.

Sure I was eyeing the Nike Free's and the Nike Air's but the price just wasn't in the budget. My last pair of shoes were Adidas but a good pair of their running shoes was also out of my desired price range. As I switched the viewing order to start with the lowest priced shoes I soon stumbled upon the New Balance MR20 Minimus Running Shoes. They were ugly and just under $50.00. I ordered them.

Two days later they arrived at the door and I tried them on. They fit true to size and felt comfortable. The next day I went for a light run on the treadmill to break them in AND ALSO, to break in my stride wearing new shoes. These minimalist shoes can alter your stride and the New Balance MR20 do seem to influence one's stride when both walking and running. If you buy these shoes start slow so your body can adjust to the minor changes in your stride. That being said, I have not tripped wearing these shoes and after one day I was able to ramp up to put these shoes to the test during some intervals. They felt great with the treadmill at 9.0.

Comfort…these are comfortable shoes but they do demand socks. Breaking in the materials of these shoes is taking some time, which is a good thing in terms of durability. I have used these shoes on a treadmill and on the beach on both long easy runs and for intervals. They did well on both terrains at all speeds. I will not use these for road runs. Just the idea of running on asphalt or concrete with these shoes doesn't sit well with me. My lower back demands I run on a surface that isn't as jarring as a hard surface so I do not plan to use these for road running.

Looks…these shoes caused a little bit of a stir at the Cold Stroke Classic. They amused a few of my friends. They do not bode well with casual wear and you may get turned away from a hot club wearing them. They glow and sit low so your foot looks like it is being swallowed by a silver and neon yellow snake. P-shaw to the naysayers. I like they way they feel so I wear them often or at least as much as this winter weather will allow. They were perfect for Wrightsville Beach weather but maybe not so much for tooling around Maryland with all this snow on the ground.

I can't wait to break them in over the winter and get them comfy for sock-less running. I love the way they feel but they do rub bare skin in spots. However, these irritations were quite minor. I am not talking about the savage blister that encompasses your whole heel after wearing new shoes; these MR20s just rub a few raw spots on top of the foot by the big toe and near the front of the inside side of the heel on the underside of the foot. These issues were so minor that a pair of socks worn the next day took away any and all irritations.

I recommend these shoes for anyone trying to expand their lung capacity with some serious cross training before the ensuing SUP race season. The New Balance MR20s feel so good they inspire and when the snow melts I am hitting my favorite hill in Virginia's wine country for a few hard-charging sessions that will force the lungs to open wide for oxygen. Anyone care to join me?