New Balance 1012 Motion Control Running Shoe Review

The Green Girl has nothing but positive things to say about New Balance 1012 motion control shoes.

Prior to badly spraining my ankle in January of 2009, I had great success with New Balance stability shoes. I wore New Balance 857's, 858's, and 859's

Unfortunately, that injury resulted in posterior tibial tendonitis. For months, I was forced to walk on the side of my foot to avoid excruciating arch pain.

I can say with certainty that it was a combination of the exercises for posterior tibial tendonitis, taping my arch, orthotics, and my New Balance 1012's that enabled me to run again.



The 1012's were the ideal solution to the New Balance 1123's. The 1123's offered the appropriate level of support but the the high heel counter and flimsy tongue design were annoyances.

The 1012 is a very stable shoe. It's bulky - but not as bulky as the 1123. It has a generous toe bed which is perfect for my wide feet. The heel counter is lower so the achilles notch doesn't irritate my ankle.

I don't know what I would have done without my 1012's. They have held up my arches through thick and thin.

The Green Girl's New Year's Resolution

The Green Girl's New Year's Resolution is stay injury-free.

After struggling with posterior tibial tendonitis for almost two years now, I am determined to run pain free.

At this point, I am not focused on mileage or speed - the most important thing is for me to be healthy.

To symbolize my commitment to this, I am coloring in one of my daruma eyes.

The Daruma concept is based on an ancient Buddhist monk who, after nine years sitting meditating in a cave, lost the use of his arms and legs.

A symbol of good luck and protection in Japan, a Daruma is a type of traditional Japanese okiagari-kobōshi papier-mâché doll. Okiagari-kobōshi dolls have a weighted bottom that enables the doll to recover to an upright position after being tipped over. This represents persistence of spirit and recovery from misfortune.

Daruma dolls are traditionally given to someone starting a new venture, celebrating a birthday, or at the beginning of a New Year.

At the start of an endeavor, one eye is painted and a wish is made for good luck. The other eye is painted when the goal is reached.

The Green Girl Is Ready For The Παναθηναϊκό στάδιο

Last night, the Green Girl attended another Sole Runners Athens Classic Marathon dinner at George's Greek Cafe.

The organizer, LeAnn, printed and handed out copies of The Green Girl's Athens Marathon Packing List.

LeAnn also invited a former Athens Classic Marathon participant, Salvador, to speak to us and answer questions about the race.

Salvador was extremely informative and helpful. He said he felt the race was well supported and the locals were friendly and welcoming.

He described the prodigious race finish in the white marble Panathinaiko Stadium, Παναθηναϊκό στάδιο in Greek, but warned us that the marble can be slippery.

I enjoyed chatting with the other Sole Runners. We compared our travel preparation techniques and talked about our training. We commiserated over each other's aches and pains.

A number of us discussed how we are going to take advantage of a service that will allow us to drop stuff off at the expo and pick them items back up at designated kilometer aid stations. I mentioned I am going to pick items that will be 'nice to haves' but not critical because I am one of those 'worst case scenario' Green Girls.

After completing my last long run this past weekend, I am feeling good about this race.

I've been feeling some posterior tendon tenderness on both feet after my long runs but I've been able to manage the posterior tibial tendonitis on the right side with icing and taping.

Once the marathon is over, I plan on cutting back on mileage and placing more emphasis on the posterior tibial tendonitis exercises to strengthen both sides.

The plantar fascia taping seems to have done the trick and I no longer have sharp pain in random locations on my right foot. I still plan on getting taped one more time before I leave just for good measure.

I am thrilled to report that the knee exercises prescribed by Dr. Sebastian Gonzales from P3 Sports Care have cured my inner knee pain. I can't believe a little exercise with some resistance could make such a difference.

Now that I am feeling comfortable that my body is ready, it's time for me to start packing and mentally preparing myself for the journey.

I am really looking forward to crossing the finish line in the historic Panathinaiko Stadium and adding a Greek flag charm to my bracelet to symbolize the completion of another marathon.

Ελληνικά!

Say, 'Cheese,' Long Beach! and Sole Runners Run

The Green Girl has been on a bit of an emotional roller coaster the past couple of weeks.

After a successful 17 mile run a couple of weeks ago, I managed to twist my right ankle as I was doing household chores.

Instead of containing itself to a particular location, this injury would present differently each time. I would go an entire day without any pain or discomfort and then I would feel a sharp pain in a random location. Since it didn't hurt when I ran, I simply went on easy runs sans Mr. Green Garmin.

With 15 miles planned for this Saturday, I decided it was time to pay my podiatrist, Dr. Richard Graves a visit after work on Friday.

He patiently listened to me babble on about my poor foot and my inability to Internet self diagnose due to the fluidity of the pain. He said his best guess was that I managed to tear my plantar fascia. I was thrilled that he didn't think it was the posterior tibial tendonitis since that was one of the places I had been feeling some pain.

As a runner, he understood my need to get this mileage in. He asked me when was Athens. He said he would tape me up and I could see how I felt on Saturday and go from there.

He suggested I come by each week to get taped before my long run and just listen to my body. He said, if possible, to try to get in my long runs and then instead of tapering, rest as much as possible in the last three weeks leading up to the marathon so I can give my foot a chance to heal.

Friday evening, my Sole Runner friend, Michelle, joined me at First Fridays for the Say, 'Cheese,' Long Beach! photograph competition results.

I didn't end up winning in any of the categories but I was thrilled to see a number of my photographs featured in the exhibit.

When I woke up Saturday morning, I held my breathe as I stood up and put weight on my foot. I didn't feel any pain so I headed out to join the Sole Runners for my tentative run.

I talked to Coach Steve about my foot and he suggested I look into getting a plantar fasciitis splint to wear at night. He explained the importance of applying dorsiflexion at night so the fascia heals in a flexed position.

I gingerly headed out with Mentor Barb, and her dog, Sassy.

My right foot felt good but the inside of my left knee was hurting so I put on a patellar strap and the pain went away immediately. I had brought the strap because I'd been feeling a pulling sensation and thought I might need it.

A few miles in my left hip flexor tightened up and became sore.

At the marina, Barb pointed out the boat she sails on, the Yippee Kai Yay.

Mr. Green Garmin ran out of juice towards the end of my run so I'm not sure what my exact mileage was but I did around 14.5 miles. I didn't have it in me to try to do another half mile.

It never felt so good to sit down on my yoga mat and do post-run yoga. I felt so much better as I headed back to my car.

My right foot is feeling good today but my left hip flexor is still sore and very tight.

I will try and make an appointment for another Active Release Techniques session this week. I also wanted to follow up with Dr. Gonzales on the results of my running gait analysis video.

The Green Girl's Athens Marathon Training Schedule

The Green Girl is ready to start ramping up the mileage in preparation for the Athens Classic Marathon.

After struggling with posterior tibial tendonitis for so long, I had a hard time even looking at a training plan because I wasn't sure if my foot would hold up.

After doing San Francisco and Rockin' The Coto Trail, I am finally feeling confident enough to start seriously thinking about Athens.

Wk	Date	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat	Sun
1	08/16- 08/22	Kickbox	Track Workout	Kickbox	3 mi	Pilates	17 mi	Walk
2	08/23- 08/29	Kickbox	Track Workout	Kickbox	3 mi	Pilates	10 mi	Walk
3	08/30- 09/05	Kickbox	Track Workout	Kickbox	3 mi	Pilates	15 mi	Walk
4	09/06- 09/12	Kickbox	Track Workout	Kickbox	4 mi	Pilates	17 mi	Walk
5	09/13- 09/19	Kickbox	Track Workout	Kickbox	4 mi	Pilates	13 mi	Walk
6	09/20- 09/26	Kickbox	Track Workout	Kickbox	4 mi	Pilates	19 mi	Walk
7	09/27- 10/03	Kickbox	Track Workout	Kickbox	5 mi	Pilates	12 mi	Walk
8	10/04- 10/10	Kickbox	Track Workout	Kickbox	5 mi	Pilates	20 mi	Walk
9	10/11- 10/17	Kickbox	Track Workout	Kickbox	5 mi	Pilates	12 mi	Walk
10	10/18- 10/24	Kickbox	Track Workout	Kickbox	3 mi	Pilates	8 mi	Walk
11	10/25- 10/31	Kickbox	Rest	Rest	Rest	Rest	Rest	Athens Marathon

The Green Girl Tries Active Release Techniques (ART)

The Green Girl made an appointment with Dr. Sebastian Gonzales from The Performance Place Sports Care after work yesterday.

Dr. Sebastian Gonzales is a Certified Active Release Techniques (ART) Provider.

ART is a combination of examination and treatment. It involves evaluating the texture, tension, movement and function of muscles, fascia, tendons, ligaments and nerves. ART treats soft-tissue injuries by moving muscle fibers, tendons, and ligaments through a combination of motion and deep, targeted massage to release adhesions, smooth the movement of tissues, release entrapped nerves of blood vessels, and promote healing.

The purpose of my visit was two-fold. First, I wanted to get some treatment for my posterior tibial tendonitis. Second, I wanted to get some advice on my tight calves, quads, and hips.

Dr. Gonzales started the session off with some range of motion and strength analysis.

He recommended I do some exercises to strengthen my glutes. He explained it's difficult to say if my psoas are tight due to weak glutes, or if my glutes are weak because due to tight psoas. He showed me how to isolate my glutes with some butt lifts to help re-educate my neuromuscular system.

Some aspects of the ART manipulation were similar to experiences I've had with Rolfing but I definitely appreciated Dr. Gonzales' holistic approach.

In the past I've mentioned that my plantar fasciitis sometimes manifests itself as an intense, burning pain in my arches and I would have a hard time differentiating the plantar fascia pain from the posterior tibial tendon pain. When I explained this to Dr. Gonzales and I pointed out the different pain locations, he explained my arch pain is actually a result of a sore flexor hallucis brevis muscle.

He spent a great deal of time showing me how to differentiate between the plantar fasciitis, the posterior tibial tendonitis, and the flexor hallucis brevis pain. He said it's easy to get confused because the tendons of flexor hallucis brevis run along the bottom of the foot, under the head of the first metatarsal bone, and attach to the small bone of the big toe.

I have a high pain tolerance but I must admit that the ART hurt significantly more than a deep tissue massage. Surprisingly, my left calf was much worse than the right side. He said my left posterior tibial muscle was extremely tight. I had to focus intently on breathing in and out to endure the intense pain.

After all that, I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to stand but my legs actually felt a lot better. He had me walk around a bit and I marveled at how my calves actually felt a little looser.

Next, Dr. Gonzales took me outside for a running gait analysis. He videotaped me running back and forth across the packing lot a few times.


It was both awkward and fascinating to observe the footage. My untrained eyes couldn't detect any abnormalities but Dr. Gonzales made the following observations (which immediately became glaringly apparent):

• I have some issues with my left gluteus medeus which are causing pelvic instability
• My spine rotation on the left side is restricted
• My knees cross
• My left arm hardly moves

He is going to have some more in depth analysis performed on my video and then he suggested I talk to my coach about techniques and ways I can correct these issues. In the meantime, he recommended I work on stregthening my glutes and do some exercises to improve my gluteus medeus stability.

I felt like my visit to Dr. Gonzales was really productive. I'm anxious to hear the additional feedback on the video.

The Green Girl Is Struggling To Find A Balance

The Green Girl is struggling to find a balance between increasing her mileage in preparation for the San Francisco Half Marathon and staying healthy and injury-free.

Since I switched over to the 1012's, I haven't felt any posterior tibial tendonitis pain. My plantar fasciitis has improved as well.

I've been very conservative on my mileage up to this point. I finally feel the confidence to get some longer runs in but I also need to keep a close eye on my acidity levels. I'm finding The Ultimate Workout Log really helpful because it enables me to track exactly how I'm feeling each day. In addition to energy and pH levels, I'm tracking things like stress levels and swollen lymph nodes.

June has become an exceptionally busy month so I need to be careful not to push myself too hard.

Sole Runners Trail Run With Rad Runner Girl

Rad Runner Girl joined the Green Girl on her Sole Runners Tuesday night trail run in Palos Verdes.

Rad Runner Girl is going to be doing the City of Laguna Hills Memorial day Half Marathon on Monday. She was anxious to get one last hill run in and she's never trail run before so she decided to come check out the Ocean Trails with us.

The weather was warmer than usual last night and there wasn't much of a breeze.

Rad Runner Girl took off with the faster group and I settled comfortably into the back of the pack.

Even though my beloved camera is on the brink, I still insisted on snapping [mostly blurry] shots along the trail.

The wildflowers have dried up and many of the stalks had turned the color of hay.

I felt a sense of libration on my run yesterday knowing I have finally found the right pair of shoes for my little feet. I love my 1012's.

Since I started running in them, I haven't had any plantar fasciitis flare ups or posterior tibial tendon discomfort. I also noticed my arches are a lot less sore when I do my nightly massages with the Tendon Rescue.

As we headed back down the trails, the clouds cleared and we could see a full moon in the bright blue sky.

I forgot to charge Mr. Green Garmin so he died on our way back.

Tonight is Long Beach SparkTeam skate night at Skate Depot. They offer 'Cheap Sk8' on Wednesdays from 8:00 - 10:30 pm. Skating and rental is only $6.75.

I can't inline skate because it aggravates my plantar fasciitis but I can roller skate.

I'm looking forward to a fun night of skating with the Sparkers.

The Green Girl's Floppy Foot and Camera Woes

Now that the Green Girl has finally worked out the shoe situation and is ready to start ramping up the mileage, she decided to visit her doctor to get her foot checked out this weekend.

He started me off with some transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) therapy and ultrasound on my right foot.

He compared my leg lengths. He lifted my ankles and shook my feet.

He commented that my right foot is much looser than the other and diagnosed me with a 'floppy foot'. He explained floppy feet are very loose-jointed, overly mobile, and have a tendancy to overpronate.

He examined my 1012's and agreed that a stable, supportive shoe is what I need.

He recommended I start doing isometric exercises on a daily basis. These static strength training exercises are performed by contracting a muscle against resistance, without joint movement.

I'm just relieved the isometric exercises can be done in conjunction with the posterior tibial tendonitis exercises.

In other Green Girl news, my beloved Canon SD700IS has seen better days. It struggles to focus and I keep ending up with blurred images. The pictures are also either too dark or so bright that the colors are washed out.

I was trying to hold out for the Canon PowerShot SD4000IS coming out at the end of this month but the initial reviews are not impressive.

Now, I'm seriously considering getting a Canon PowerShot S90.

As long as the camera takes incredible pictures and fits in my hydration belt pocket, I should be a happy Green Girl.

Rad Runner Girl's Peaceful Mountain Herbal Giveaway

The Green Girl's good running friend, Rad Runner Girl, is giving away a trio of Peaceful Mountain topical products from their Rescue Line.

To get the details of this exciting giveaway and enter to win, visit Rad Runner Girl's Peaceful Mountain giveaway post.

Peaceful Mountain products contain organic and wild crafted herbs and naturally derived preservatives to naturally assist the body.

I've been using the Tendon Rescue for over a year now for my posterior tibial tendonitis.

The Tendon Rescue gel contains comfrey, arnica, rosemary, aloe, potassium sorbate, originox, Vitamin C, and Vitamin E. According to the website, the herbs in Tendon Rescue have traditionally been used to repair damaged tendons, ligaments and soft tissues.

The directions recommend using the product three times daily but I only apply it once a day. I massage the gel on both my feet every night before I go to bed. The gel has a brownish tint but doesn't stain my skin when I rub it in. It smells like a multivitamin tablet.

The Green Girl's Back In Motion Control Shoes

After Tuesday's trail run, the Green Girl realized the medial support in the New Balance 760's was inadequate for her low arches.

After feeling one too many twinges of posterior tibial tendon pain, I knew I had to take them back. It was one of those cases where you feel fine when you are running but you feel pain after the fact.

I was running out of options at this point. The New Balance 85x high stability shoes combined with my orthotics were over-correcting my overpronation and causing me to oversupinate. The 740/760 stability shoes were not supportive enough. The 1123 motion control shoes offered the appropriate level of support but the sole was bulky and I disliked the high heel counter and flimsy tongue design.

I was feeling a little discouraged when I headed back to my local New Balance store after work today to return my latest purchase.

I was patiently waiting for a salesperson to assist me when I saw a pair of 1012's. Like the 1123's, the 1012 has a straight last. My podiatrist had mentioned shoes with a straight last would be a better fit for me because my Fred Flintstone feet are so straight.

I tried them on and jogged around the store. They felt really good and my gait felt solid and even. My faithful New Balance store allowed me to exchange the muddy 760's for the 1012's - no questions asked.

I was anxious to take my new shoes out for a spin so I headed out shortly after I got home.

Both of my knees are sore - I'm assuming from putting them through what is now four pairs of shoes in just over a week - so I opted to go for an easy run and focused on keeping my feet aligned.

I ran through some small neighborhoods and past shopping center. I ran on the grass around the Long Beach Traffic Circle.

Long Beach locals like to tell a tale of how the engineer who constructed the circle, Werner Ruchti, ultimately died in an automobile accident on the Circle.

From the Circle, I headed northbound on Lakewood Blvd. I ran past the furniture store that falsely advertises its demise a few times a year.

I was pleased that both my arches were feeling good. I wasn't experiencing any of that initial soreness that I felt with the 760's. My plantar fasciitis didn't flare up either.

I ran by the Long Beach National Guard Armory.

I caught glimpses of the sun setting west of Signal Hill as I ran home.

After this evening's good run, I am cautiously optimistic. Before I go to bed, I will do the posterior tibial tendonitis exercises and massage my feet with Peaceful Mountain Tendon Rescue Gel.

The Green Girl's Sunday Morning Trail Run

The Green Girl went on a trail run with her friend, Janey, this morning in Palos Verdes.

After weighing my shoe options, I had stopped by the New Balance store on my way home from work on Friday to try out the stability models.

The New Balance sales people are all too familiar with me and my fit issues. I was advised my best bet would be to try the 760's but the salesperson warned me if they didn't work out, I'd probably have to stick with my 1123's.

I wore the 760's yesterday but I didn't get a chance to actually run in them so I was anxious to get out and take them for a spin.

We parked near the entrance to the ocean trails and headed out. This particular trail starts out cliff side so we could see and hear the waves crashing below us.

At the first fork, we turned down a switchback and zigzagged down a steep incline. I slowed to a crawl for fear of slipping on a loose rock and tumbling.

There was a rocky beach at the bottom. We paused to watch the waves.

We climbed back up the winding path and continued west towards Trump National Golf Club.

We admired the bright yellow flowers scattered across the rolling hills. Even though it was another overcast day, it was still beautiful.

On our way back, we spotted the switchback we had gone down earlier.

My feet immediately sensed the decreased arch support in the 760's. My arches ached the first mile or so but after that initial discomfort, the shoes started to feel good. I was relieved that the new shoes didn't seem to aggravate my plantar fasciitis or the posterior tibial tendonitis in my right foot. And as far as I could tell, my feet were staying straight and not overpronating or oversupinating.

I was pleased that I could feel the ground as I was running. I feel like I have a lot more control with the less supportive shoe.

I'll take them out for a few more runs this week to make sure this relationship will last beyond the honeymoon stage.

The Green Girl's Beach Run and Shoe Epiphany

The Green Girl went on a run on the Shoreline Pedestrian Bikepath last night with one of the Sole Runners, Michelle.

I love the Shoreline Pedestrian Bikepath because I am able to enjoy a view of the ocean without ever taking a step onto the sand. The bike path features two dedicated bike paths and a lane for runners and walkers. Rollerbladers frequent this path as well.

As the months get warmer, I postpone my runs later in the evening to avoid the heat. The side benefit is that I usually get to see the sun setting.

We parked by the Belmont Plaza Olympic Pool since the metered parking doesn't seem to be enforced in the evenings. We decided to head west on the bike path towards Downtown Long Beach.

The sky was unusually overcast but I was still able to see the Queen Mary and the former Spruce Goose dome in the distance.

Before I go any further, I have a confession to make. Instead of wearing the motion control shoes this week, I've been running in my old overcorrecting stability shoes.

While the motion control shoes were faithfully keeping my little feet nice and straight, my inability to feel anything through the thick sole was starting to bother me so I decided to revert back to my former shoes 'just to see'. Yes, I'm oversupinating when I wear these shoes but they feel really good. I am much lighter on my feet and I can feel the ground under my feet again. Believe it or not, I even run faster in my old shoes!

I called New Balance technical support and explained my situation. I was told I should try a stability shoe - as opposed to the high stability shoe I ran in last night. The representative said high stability shoes are specifically designed to correct overpronation so it makes sense that it would overcorrect when combined with the orthotics. He felt a stability shoe would give me the support I need without the overcorrection.

The Green Girl is going to visit her local New Balance store again to see what options are out there for her faithful little feet.

26 Weeks To 26.2 Miles

The Green Girl's Athens Marathon training starts this weekend. There will be exactly 26 weeks until the marathon.

I would misrepresent myself if I didn't admit I am feeling some apprehension. I am fearful the posterior tibial tendonitis will worsen. I am going to continue to tape my foot religiously. And I must be diligent about doing the exercises from the physical therapist on a daily basis.

Secondarily, I am concerned about my high acidity. I've made a habit of drinking green tea with raw honey on a daily basis. I make a conscious effort to avoid refined sugars and increase my consumption of nutritionally dense foods. I've even been staying away from spicy foods.

For me, high acidity manifests itself in my body in the form of severe chronic sinus infections.

This evening, on my way home from work, I stopped by my local health food store to get some pH level test strips. I got a package of TriMedica AlkaMAX pH Papers for $14.99. The roll contains 16' and is supposed to be good for 192 1" indicators.

Based on my research, twice a week is a sufficient number of times to test your pH levels. My plan is to track my results on Saturdays after my long runs and Wednesdays.



Urine is supposed to give a more accurate reading then saliva but for my initial test, I decided to do both.

I started off with testing my urine. The pH strip turned a really pretty green - indicating a reading between 6.0 and 6.5. Unfortunately for the Green Girl, green ≠ good in the pH measurement world. The strip with my saliva turned 5.0 yellow.

In addition to putting in the hours to train for this marathon, I am going to need to be highly vigilant about taking care of my Green Girl body so I can be as healthy and strong as possible.

The Green Girl's Beautiful Morning Run

The Green Girl went for another Saturday morning run with the Sole Runners at the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve.

Our running group will only be on hiatus for one more week before our summer training session will start the first weekend in May.

I missed my run last week because I was feeling under the weather so I was really looking forward to getting back out there today.

It was a beautiful morning and I couldn't ask for a more idyllic location for a trail run.

The estuary features many different types of plants and wildlife. We ran through bright yellow Beach Primroses and saw brilliant purple Sea Rockets. We passed a hillside covered in cactuses.

There was a little bunny hiding in the sand among some foliage.

I was chatting with one of the runners, Isabelle, and she mentioned we will be exactly 26 weeks away from the Athens Marathon when our official summer training season begins. 26 weeks for 26 miles.

I am cautiously optimistic about Athens. I am hopeful that with strengthening exercises, proper training, and adequate rest, my right arch will hold up and I will be able to cross the finish line.

As soon as the training season kicks off, I am going to start experimenting with my nutrition. I'm not fond of chews, gels, or other nutritional supplements but I recognize the convenience factor. I want to be to easily transport everything I will be drinking and eating during the marathon.

I also want to start looking for a new personal trainer. My former trainer moved out of state and I haven't found a replacement yet.

On my run, a giant bird landed in a tree above me. As it took flight, I quickly snapped a shot.

New Balance 1123 Motion Control Running Shoe Review

Now that the Green Girl has been running in her New Balance 1123's for a few months, she decided it was time to review them.

I have small, wide feet with very low arches and my feet roll inward more than they should. In addition to overpronation, I have also had plantar fasciitis since I was young. My plantar fasciitis manifests itself in a deep, dull pain in my arches. After a bad right ankle sprain early last year, I now also struggle with posterior tibial tendonitis.

To give a little background on the Green Girl's running shoe history, I started out with the New Balance 85x series of stability shoes with Green SuperFeet. I loved the extra wide toe box in the New Balance shoes because my feet swell a lot when I run long distances - especially in the heat.

The 85x series worked realy well for me until I injured my right foot and ended up with custom orthotics. The combination of the 85x stability control and my new orthotics overcorrected and I ended up oversupinating.

To make a long story short, after a lot of trial and error (and thanks to New Balance's generous return policy), I discovered New Balance 1123 motion control shoes.

I had my podiatrist check out all the different New Balance shoes and he felt the 1123's would probably be good shoes for me. He also mentioned shoes with a straight last would be a better fit for me because my feet are so straight.



My review is not going to cover the aesthetics of this shoe. The Green Girl learned at a very young age that when you have very small but wide feet, your shoe options are extremely limited so I made my shoe buying decisions based on utility, not fashion. If a shoe fits me, I wear it.

My first impression of the 1123's was that they were really stable shoes. The broad sole felt good under my feet. They feel very firm - not cushiony like the 85x models. The heel counter on the 1123's is really high. So high that the achilles notch really irritates my ankles when I walk. I almost returned them until I discovered the height doesn't bother me when I'm running. And really, running is all the Green Girl cares about.

My biggest complaint is the poorly designed tongue that constantly slips down into the shoe. It has a notch for looping the laces but the tongue is so flimsy that it doesn't make any difference. This really annoyed me at first but because the tongue is so soft, you can't really feel it so unless I look down at my feet while I'm running, i can't even tell the tongue has slipped almost completely into the shoe.

The 1123's are the heaviest running shoes I've ever worn but truth be told, they don't weigh as much as you'd expect them to. I mean, they have the thickest midsoles I've ever seen in my entire life.

Despite the 1123's shortcomings, the stability this shoe grants me is enough to keep me running in them. Making sure I have adequate support and stay injury-free are my priorities.

In conclusion, if I could redesign the shoe, I'd lower the heel counter and fix the tongue. I'm anxious to see what changes New Balances makes when they release the next model in this line.