About 10 years ago, I also had a scare of my own. I found a lump in my breast and admittedly waited awhile to tell my doctor. Although he examined me and tried to aspirate the lump in the office, he was unable to determine what it was. I therefore had to have surgery to have the entire lump removed and then biopsied, which thankfully came out benign. Now, I'm left only with a scar on my left breast and the reminder of how lucky I was back then. However, there is a fairly strong history of the disease on my mother's side, so I also had to have a baseline mammogram at the age of 30 (most women start screening at age 40), which also came out clean. So now you know more about my boobs than you probably wanted to, BUT why am I sharing all of this with you?
Well, I was made aware that Skechers was supporting the American Cancer Society this month with limited edition pink shoes and apparel, and now I'm glad to be spreading the word about their Breast Cancer Awareness line with all of you.
A few years ago, Skechers started getting serious about designing sport-specific walking and running shoes and launched their Performance Division. I think they really started gaining some notoriety in the running community recently when Meb Keflezighi became their sponsored athlete, and ultimately won this year's Boston Marathon in his Skechers GOrun shoes!
For this campaign, I was sent a pair of Skechers GOwalk 2 Flash Awareness shoes. Here's a little more about these shoes, directly from Skechers:
Skechers GOwalk 2 Flash – Awareness ($69)
Designed with innovative Skechers Performance Division technologies and materials, it's built from top to bottom specifically for walking. Goga Mat Technology comfort insole. Breast Cancer Awareness edition.
• V-Stride technology features unique angled outsole that complements a natural walking gait and promotes fluid stride transitions
• Structured breathable mesh at front for cooling comfort
• Engineered Stability Mesh side panels provide lateral support
• Go sockless - Integrated OrthoLite® anti-microbial sockliner helps inhibit odor and prevent slippage
• Goga Mat Technology cushioned comfort insole
• Resalyte™ Midsole proprietary lightweight injection-molded compound with memory retention helps absorb impact
• Independent circular GOimpulse sensors offer flexibility and feedback for a more responsive walking experience
• A multi-directional traction motif helps enhance footing control
If you know me IRL, then you know I basically live in sneakers. True story. Since I'm a nanny and on my feet all day, my Monday to Friday attire is yoga pants and sneakers. On the weekends, you can find me chilling in jeans and sneaks too. It's just how I roll. Give me a new pair of sneakers and I am like a kid in a candy store. We all know I love running shoes, but for work and weekends, I need other types of sneakers, so I was super excited to try out the Skechers GOwalks! So how did they fare?
I am happy to report they are SUPER comfy! The yoga-mat like material in the insole is insanely cushioned and comfortable. I often have a problem with sneakers being too narrow in the toe box and I'm happy to report, these have a very roomy, breathable toe box. My toes were not cramped or crunched at all. They are super light and flexible, and my feet just feel really good in them. Plus, I think they look pretty cute with jeans :)
Comfort and style aside, it's really inspiring that Skechers designed a line of footwear to support the American Cancer Society. Having seen several members of my immediate family battle breast cancer, I know what a horrible and rampant disease this is. It's estimated that 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. Anything that I can do to further research for better prevention, treatment and a cure is time and money well spent. In fact, I actually ran in the Womens' 5K Classic back home this weekend with my sister, a race that supports and benefits breast and women's cancer initiatives (more on that race later).
You can check out the entire line of Skechers limited edition pink-ribboned shoes and apparel here. The merchandise is available for purchase online or in Skechers retail stores this month and Skechers will be making a lump sum donation to the American Cancer Society this month from sales of these products.
*Disclosure: Today's post was sponsored by Skechers but all opinions are my own.
Have you ever run or walked in any of the new Skechers Performance Division shoes?
Has breast cancer affected your life, or the life of someone you love?
