Ready to Run’s Eldridge Has the Right Shoe for You

Kim Eldridge is a people person, so Ready to Run is a great fit for her. “I like the people who come in. That’s my favorite part about working here,” she said.

A fit specialist at the store, Eldridge is an expert at finding the right shoe for customers. She’ll take people through a whole fitting process in order to get the best shoe for them.

After a gait analysis, Eldridge will pull a few shoe models, depending on whether the person needs a more neutral shoe, or a more cushioned one.

“After I measure customers’ feet, I’ll ask people if they are training for anything, or how far they typically run. Once they are fitted, I’ll watch them run, and ask a series of questions. For example, ‘do you want more or less cushioning?’”

It’s this kind of expertise and attention to detail that differentiates Ready to Run from your big box sports stores.

In the six years she’s worked at Ready to Run, she’s seen some running shoe trends come and go, and thinks the current selection represents a lot of progress.

“I think today’s shoes are somewhat more protective than earlier running shoes,” noted Eldridge.

Like all Ready to Run employees, Eldridge is a dedicated runner. She started running consistently with RunTex University way back around 2000, and then with Rogue training as she built towards a marathon.

My favorite race distance is the marathon,” said Eldridge. “My best time is a 3:11:00 at Boston. “I’ve also run a 1:26 for the half,” said Eldridge, who gets in around 40 miles a week.

“Run for the Water as one of my favorite races,” said Eldridge, who counts Town Lake as her go-to training course.

Upcoming Races: Summer Meltdown Half Marathon on Saturday, August 31 at 7:00 a.m., at Garey Park in Georgetown. Zilker Relays, Friday evening September 6 at 6:00 p.m., at the north side of Zilker Park.