Episode 56Apr 6, 2026· 7:20

But These Shoes! Finding the Right Workout Shoes for Low Impact Cardio, Zumba, and Everyday Wear

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About this episode

Host Famous Ashley Grant shares her ongoing search for the right workout shoes for low impact cardio, Zumba, Tabata, and everyday wear. She describes nearly falling during a Zumba class because her shoes caught on the floor during a sliding move, which prompted her to find dedicated Zumba shoes. For her other workouts, she researched HOKAs, RYKAs, and Brooks, ultimately purchasing the Brooks Glycerin 23 Run and Walk…

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Who this episode is for

This episode may resonate with you if:

You've been going through workout shoes embarrassingly fast and you're not sure if something is wrong with your feet or if you're just hard on gear

You've had a close call during a group fitness class — nearly tripped, nearly fell — and now you're anxious about your shoes every time that song or that move comes up

You've spent hours reading shoe reviews online and you're somehow more confused than when you started

You bought the expensive, highly-recommended thing, tried it, and it just didn't work — and now you feel a little defeated but you're not giving up

You're somewhere in the early stages of building a fitness routine and the practical stuff — what to wear, what gear to get — feels like its own overwhelming project

Questions this episode wrestles with

Is there such a thing as the perfect workout shoe or do you just keep chasing it?

open question

Ashley buys the most expensive shoes she's ever owned after months of research, can't make it 20 minutes into class, and lands on 'the hunt continues' — the question of whether the perfect shoe exists stays wide open.

"even make it through like. 20 minutes of the class it's a it's usually a 45 minute class and I couldn't even make it halfway through I had to change the shoes they didn't feel right I"

Is it normal to wear out shoes this quickly or is something wrong with how I move?

open question

Ashley genuinely doesn't know — she floats her weight, her feet, and just how she's always been as possible explanations, but can't land on one, noting it's been this way since childhood.

"my my shows because I don't know if it's the way my feet are or if it's because I'm still overweight or what. Although, no, if I'm really being honest, even as a kid, I feel like I went through so many pairs of shoes. And is it just"

Do I need different shoes for Zumba versus low impact cardio?

answered

For Ashley, yes — she found separate Zumba shoes specifically because her regular shoes would get hung on the floor during sliding moves and nearly cause her to face plant, and she's still searching for a different shoe to cover low impact cardio and Tabata.

"shoes for Zumba. And the reason that I bought new shoes for Zumba is because there are moves that we do that we slide a little bit. And one particular song was an Adele song. When we would do this certain move, I would almost fall and face plant. Because we would lean forward and my shoe would inevitably get hung on the floor. And I would almost face plant every single time."

Can one shoe work for Zumba, Tabata, and everyday wear?

open question

Ashley is still looking — she has her Zumba shoes sorted but is separately hunting for something that covers low impact cardio, Tabata, and everyday wear, implying one shoe hasn't done it for her.

"I'm basically just looking for the right shoe for doing low impact cardio and toning and looking for Tabata shoes and even everyday wear. And I did find my Zumba shoes. I'm happy with those."

Setting expectations: This episode is not a shoe buying guide, a gear review, or expert advice on athletic footwear. It's Ashley talking through her ongoing, unresolved search for workout shoes — including buying an expensive pair of Brooks, testing them in class, and having to swap them out before the 20-minute mark.

Tone & style

Ashley starts assuming any decent shoe should work for her classes, nearly face-plants during an Adele song in Zumba because her shoe catches on the floor, researches extensively and buys the priciest shoes of her life (Brooks Glycerin 23s), then reports back that she couldn't make it 20 minutes before having to swap them out — ending with 'the hunt continues' and an open call for listener suggestions.

Personal experience reported in real time. Ashley describes what happened to her feet in one class with one shoe model — not a review, recommendation, or fitness advice.

tonePlayful & casually frustrated

focusAshley's real-time hunt for the right workout shoe — including buying the most expensive pair she's ever owned and having to swap them out before the 20-minute mark in class.

stylepersonal_confession

energymedium_low

complexitybeginner

pressure Levellow

emotional Texturelighthearted, mildly frustrated, self-deprecating

Notable quotes

"even make it through like. 20 minutes of the class it's a it's usually a 45 minute class and I couldn't even make it halfway through I had to change the shoes they didn't feel right I"

— Famous Ashley Grant

"expensive fricking pair of shoes I've ever purchased."

— Famous Ashley Grant

"particular song was an Adele song. When we would do this certain move, I would almost fall and face plant. Because we would lean forward and my shoe would inevitably get hung on the floor."

— Famous Ashley Grant

"all I've got for you guys today. I told you all I was going to be as transparent as possible on this journey. And, and one of them, one of the things that is related to this journey is trying to make sure that I always have the right gear. And so that's, uh, that's why I was talking"

— Famous Ashley Grant

Episode transcript

Organized into 5 chapters — open any part to read the full text.

0:001. Intro and the Shoe Shopping StruggleAshley introduces the episode with a reference to the 2006 'Shoes' video and explains she's been hard on footwear her whole life, going through pairs quickly even as a kid.1:402. Why She Needed New Zumba ShoesAshley describes almost face-planting during an Adele song in Zumba class because her shoes kept catching on the floor, which sent her on a mission to find the right pair.3:253. Researching Shoes and Buying BrooksAshley talks about drowning in shoe reviews, noticing classmates wearing HOKAs and RYKAs, and ultimately buying the most expensive shoes she's ever purchased — a pair of Brooks — to test in class.4:224. Testing the Brooks in Class — They Don't WorkAfter returning from low impact cardio, Ashley reports she couldn't make it 20 minutes into the 45-minute class in the Brooks Glycerin 23s and had to swap them out — the hunt continues.6:005. Wrap-Up and Listener CalloutAshley wraps up by asking listeners what shoes they use, inviting Brooks wearers and shoe brands to reach out, and reiterating she still needs shoes for low impact cardio, Tabata, and everyday wear.

Open full transcript

Mentioned in this episode

personLiam Kyle Sullivan

Creator of the 2006 'Shoes' video that Ashley keeps thinking of whenever she goes shoe shopping.

productHOKAs

Shoe brand Ashley noticed a couple of people in her gym classes wearing.

productRYKAs

Shoe brand worn by several classmates and the Zumba instructor.

productBrooks

The most expensive shoes Ashley has ever bought — she tested them in low impact cardio and had to take them off before the 20-minute mark.

productBrooks Glycerin 23

The specific Brooks model Ashley bought and tested in class, described as 'run and walk plush cushion shoes' — they didn't work out for her.

websitefamousashleygrant.com

Ashley's website where listeners can submit feedback or leave a voice note to be featured on the show.

Key themes

Being hard on shoes

Ashley reflects on the fact that she's gone through shoes at an unusually fast rate her whole life — even as a kid — and wonders if it's her feet, her weight, or just how she is.

Almost face-planting in Zumba

A specific Adele song in Zumba class kept causing Ashley's shoe to catch on the floor mid-slide, nearly making her face-plant every single time, which kicked off the whole shoe search.

Drowning in shoe reviews

Ashley describes going deep into research — watching reviews, noticing what classmates and instructors wear (HOKAs, RYKAs) — to the point of feeling overwhelmed before buying anything.

The Brooks experiment failing

Ashley bought the most expensive shoes she's ever owned — Brooks Glycerin 23s — hyped herself up before class, then couldn't make it 20 minutes in and had to swap them out.

Different shoes for different workouts

Ashley distinguishes between what she needs for Zumba (sliding), low impact cardio, Tabata, and everyday wear — treating each as a separate footwear problem to solve.

The Zumba shoes she actually likes

In contrast to the ongoing search, Ashley mentions she did find a pair of simple shoes she's happy with for Zumba — ones she can slide around on the floor with — though she can't remember the brand.

Transparency about the journey

Ashley frames the whole shoe episode as part of a commitment she's made to be as open as possible on this podcast — including the unglamorous parts like gear not working out.

Asking listeners what actually works

Rather than landing on a recommendation, Ashley ends the episode genuinely asking her audience what shoes they use and whether she maybe just grabbed the wrong type of Brooks.

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