I hate the thought of gyms. Working out in front of other people and using machines others have sweated all over is not my thing. I used to go swimming once a week but that was about it. However in January, I took up the couch to 5k program, just to see if I could do it. Well 5 months later and I was participating in my first 10k race, wearing the Nike Vomero+ 6 running shoes.

I knew for a while I needed some new running shoes. My old ones used to be worn as general workout shoes, and before I really started to enjoy running I was quite happy plodding along in my old Adidas runners. However, once I started to hit the 5k point, I noticed slight shin pain and an aching right knee. I did some research online, and luckily my partner's father is a chiropodist and gave me some advice on what running shoes would be good for my feet. For other people, I suggest going to a specialist running shop and getting a gait analysis to ensure you are wearing the right type of shoe. After looking in a running shop, and feeling faint at the £100+ price tags, I settled on my Nike Vomero shoes from Sports Direct (also known as Mike Ashley's discount sportswear warehouse....).

Now I'll admit I was first drawn to these because of the colour. I have the women's black and purple colour and because I love all things purple, they did catch my eye! I actually have some black and purple Nike running Capris and a purple Nike running top so it must have been fate. They were priced at £65 instead of £94.99 however I wasn't paying, they were going to be a birthday present from my partner.

The Nike Vomero+ 6 is specifically designed for the female foot and are for underpronators to neutral-gait runners. They have elastic mesh panels creating a flexible fit adapting to your foot, and lots of cushioning with a crash pad below the heel. There's a great padded ankle collar and they provide good arch support. You can also use Nike+ with these.

So in a fit of madness I signed up for a local 10k race, despite never having run that far, and I had 5 days to get prepared. I know wearing brand new shoes on the day of a race are a no go, and despite it not being my birthday for another month I managed to persuade him to let me try out my new shoes. I went out for a 5k run and what a difference they made! The cushioning in these shoes is brilliant; they provide lots of support needed for road running. It felt like I was running on clouds. Even better at the end of my run my shins felt fine with just normal muscle ache, and I felt as if I could keep on running that bit further. As I had no problems with them I used them on the day of my 10k race. They performed well and kept my feet as comfortable as possible throughout the race. Of course as I hadn't properly trained for 10k the last 2 miles my legs were screaming at me, but I made it to the end. My legs recovered within the day and again I had no shin pain or severe knee pain, just the usual aches and tiredness.

I'm now training for a half-marathon in September and these shoes will certainly keep me going. I'm very impressed by Nike, and have made running much more comfortable compared to my old Adidas running shoes.

Update (12/05/13): I ran the half-marathon in these very successfully, and throughout my training and the race itself I never had any problems with my feet (apart form an occasional blister!). I have since retired these running shoes due to the mileage I have ran in them, but I have stayed with Vomero and have bought the Vomero 7's and they are equally as great.