I believe it was a Brooks running shoe. I haven't seen a picture of the shoe either, just a copy of the bottom which I think was used to help searchers on the weekend look for footprints. As far as stopping to help someone in distress, that's a possibility. As most people in small towns, and probably all areas, if someone stopped her for directions I think she would have assisted. She was not outside her comfort zone. However it would be unusual for her to be passed by much traffic at this time of day in this town. One thing to note is that the witness saw her running near the post office at 6:40-6:45. The post office is not far from where the shoe was found. If something happened in the area of the shoe it was within minutes of her being seen by the witness.
Another strange occurrence in Sidney this morning. Probably not related but I feel worth mentioning at this point. The Triangle Night Club was closed and under remodel by new owners. It was slated to open tomorrow. It burned to the ground this morning. This building is on the opposite side of town from where Sherry's shoe was found. It is an old building and probably had old wiring, electrical, etc. I am not sure where they were with the remodeling process but again, it had to be close to done since they were open to the public tomorrow. The town is really taxed right now.
I have also known Gary for many years and Sherry since grade school. I understand the speculation about the husband, I'm usually one of the first ones to consider them. But in this case I honestly do not think he was involved. Both Sherry and Gary are very involved in the school system. Gary a former teacher and now administrator for probably close to 30 years or more. You usually didn't see one without the other around town. Often walking or running together.