Motion control shoes are like the ugliest shoes there are. I'm not quite sure why they only come in one color (fluorescent white) but they do. However, with arches as flat as mine, you can't be choosy.

The reason for my special needs shoes is this: I hate running. Not a fan! But my boyfriend runs triathlons twice a year, so I try to do a few loops around the park with him here and there. And when I attempted this in my old running shoes, things didn't go so well.

Then, Sharon Barbano of Saucony came to our office to meet with the health editors. She took one look at my feet and yelled, "Overpronator!" Apparently, when your arches are flat, your feet hit the ground and roll inward, causing extra stress and torquing your knees unnecessarily. So I switched to a motion control shoe, and it's a whole different story. I keep my Saucony Grid Stabil's at my place, and my New Balance 817's at my boyfriend's.

Now, that's not to say I'm running 5 miles effortlessly. It's more like 2, and with a few breaks and/or fights in between. But having the right shoes makes a HUGE difference.