The Truth About “The Size 15 Runner”

What’s the truth about The Size 15 Runner name? I thought long about the right name for my blog. It couldn’t be anything too obscure, but nothing too banal either. Truthfully, I kept coming back to the very first name that came to mind: The Size 15 Runner. That either means it was the perfect name, or I’m extremely stubborn and not very imaginative. But what’s in a blog name, anyway? I could have simply named it “The Runner.” Despite the dull name, it wouldn’t change a thing about what or how I write. The blog name is just the pull tab on the heel of the shoe, so to speak. Sorry to the (two or three?) folks expecting a blog strictly for size 15 runners.

Shoe size is just a number

Many people are aware of the limited shoe selection faced by runners with wide feet, but there’s an often-overlooked market of us sasquatches with “plus-size” feet. Although you may not have a size 15’er in your life (you’d sure be missing out), it’s certainly not unique to me. Some runners even wear size 16 or above.

“I think we can all agree our shoe size doesn’t define us — except in my case, where I literally named a blog after my foot size. Who does that?!”

I think we can all agree our shoe size doesn’t define us — except in my case, where I literally named a blog after my foot size. Who does that?! I promise it’s not a humble brag — there’s certainly nothing beneficial about running with huge feet and heavier shoes. Except, of course, if I was transported into the Looney Tunes cinematic universe, and I somehow happen to barely edge out another runner at the finish line by virtue of having the larger shoe, in the tightest ever finish to a race. But it’s not like I’d be coming in first. There are still dozens, hundreds, or thousands (depending on the race size) who finish before me. So what, then, if I finish 511th or 512th? I’ve got some news: we’re both not in the top 500! And then I remind myself that the finish is determined by when the bib passes the finish line, not the foot, and my whole hypothetical, outlandish scenario is debunked. You may ask, “Why do you care so much about the place you finish? Shouldn’t you focus more on achieving a specific time?” And to that, I say “Touché.”

“No shoe for you!”

ASICS Superblast and Metaspeed series, New Balance FuelCell Supercomp Elite and Supercomp Trainer, Hoka Rocket X 2 and Mach 5, and Puma Fast-R NITRO Elite and Deviate Nitro Elite series — what do all these shoes have in common?

They are all highly rated shoes, and not one of them is sold in size 15. In fact, those of us who wear larger than size 14, will never get to experience any shoes from many brands, including: On, Salomon, Skechers, and Reebok, to name a few. I have absolutely no hard feelings toward these companies, but they’re dead to me.

That is, unless our feet shrink with age. Hmm, but then I’d have to change my name to The Size 14 Runner. Just doesn’t have the same ring to it. Or perhaps in the unlikely event that a pair runs a full size large. Even then, I can’t count on next year’s model having the same wonky sizing. So, I have no use for it, because there’s no hope of buying the updated model of the shoe the following year. All good shoes eventually come to an end, whether due to discontinuation or an unwanted update, but I don’t want to know exactly when it will end!

“My shoes tend to draw unwanted attention from strangers who confuse them with ones a clown would wear.”

A blessing and a curse

While the title of the blog won’t directly impact the content, I do think being a runner with oversized hooves is an interesting experience from which I’ve developed a unique perspective on running and life.

In addition to the aforementioned brands and shoes not offered in a size 15, it’s often the first size to sell out because of the low quantities produced. Plus, we can’t visit our local running store to test a pair of shoes because 13 is the highest size typically carried. Lastly, my shoes can sometimes draw unwanted attention from strangers who confuse them with ones a clown would wear. True story: the initial concept of the blog’s logo featured clown shoes instead of the pair of running shoes you see on this site. The clown shoes just didn’t test well in the focus group consisting solely of my wife. Speaking of my wife, she is the inspiration behind the logo, mainly because she created it! It went through various iterations and despite many revisions, it turned out better than I ever could have hoped.

So, although being a size 15 runner can be a curse at times, a blessing is that it prevents me from burning even more money to feed the monster that is my running shoe addiction. While there is a whole market of shoes that will never get to grace my gigantic tootsies, I’m perfectly content with the couple dozen or so pairs I’ve forced into my overstuffed closet. That is, until I come across a nice-looking shoe available in size 15. Or, if someday the shoes mentioned earlier in this post become available in my size. Hey, a guy can dream. Or would that be a nightmare? On a completely unrelated note, anyone have tips on saving money?