How Do I Know When I Should Get New Running Shoes?

running shoes

Running in old, worn shoes is going to cause you as many problems as running with poor technique.  Your running shoes are responsible for absorbing shock, stabilizing your feet, and preventing the injuries that normally come with overuse.  The easiest way to avoid injuries that come with these is to buy new shoes when you need them.  How do you know when you need them, though?

Checking The Tread

Many people simply look at the tread on the bottom, the same way they would judge the tires on their car.  Unfortunately, the mid sole of them will give out long before you notice it in the tread.  The mid sole is responsible for a bulk of the stability and cushioning, meaning that you will probably notice fatigue, joint pain, and shin splints once they have worn through. You should not assume that the problem is in your technique just because the tread looks fine.

Going By Mileage

The most common rule for replacing them before you run into those problems is to keep track of your runs and change them out after about 300-400 miles.  This, of course, depends on the shoe itself, but even the most resilient will begin to break down not long after hat mark.  You should also keep your running surface in mind.  A treadmill is not going to wear down your shoes near as fast as a backwoods trail or paved trail will.

If you want to be precise, mark your calendar each time you buy a pair.  Judging by your training log, you should know about how long it will take for you to hit the 300-400 mile mark.  You are keeping a log, right?  If you don’t keep track of things like this, you might never know when to replace your shoes and will quickly fall into a trend of overuse simply because you don’t know how much you are running.

Out With The Old, In With The New

Just to be safe, you should not switch shoes immediately once yours are worn through.  To make it easier, buy a new pair once you get within a hundred miles of your exchange time.  The more you allow them to decompress and dry out, the longer they will last.  This is also let you see the difference with your old shoes and truly know if they are in need of replacement.  Finally, switching shoes without breaking them in can cause a host of stability issues that your feet might not be ready for.  Slowly breaking them in is important and this is especially true if you are making the move to barefoot shoes.

No matter how often you run.  When your shoes wear out, it is time to get a new pair.  Even one long run in worn out shoes can cause you problems.  You don’t want to risk missing a week of runs just because you decided to start again and picked a bad pair.  So, start keeping track of your runs, buy new shoes ahead of time, and enjoy your new found joy of running in quality footwear.

This article was written for RunnersGoal.com by James S., a guest author