Replacing Running Shoes
Running in old, worn out shoes is a major cause of injury for runners. Shoes break down and need to be replaced. They lose shock absorption, stability and cushioning over time. Continuing to run in old shoes increases stress on the joints, which can lead to overuse injuries. Injuries such as shin splints, and tendonitis start as a nagging ache or pain, that can develop into a debilitating injury. If the problem isn’t caught early, an annoying pain can become chronic injury.
Your shoes may look perfectly fine on the outside. You may not notice visible signs of wear and tear on the tread. The mid-sole and cushioning breaks down first. If you notice muscle fatigue, shin pain or knee pain, it’s probably time for new shoes. It’s best to replace shoes before this happens.
A good rule is to replace shoes every 300 to 400 miles. Lighter runners may not have to replace their shoes as frequently. Heavier runners should replace shoes closer to the 300 mile mark. It all depends on the surface you run on. Outside running on pavement wears out shoes faster than treadmill running.
A good practice is to keep track of when you purchase new shoes. Mark the date in your calendar or training log. You can even mark a date 3 months out as a reminder to see how many miles you’ve put in. Check to see if it’s time to buy some new ones. Buying two pair at a time will ensure that you always have a fresh pair.
Although I got a late start, I’ve been a serious runner since 1994. I ran my first marathon in 1995 on my 30th Birthday. It’s been my goal to run the Boston Marathon since then. I missed qualifying by 12 minutes that year. I needed to run 3:40 and ran 3:52. Running in the most prestigious marathon, is the ultimate for most runners. The fact that you have to qualify, only fueled my competitive juices.
Over the next 9 years I ran 6 more marathons. I love running so much that I became a 
6 comments:
I can attest to this for sure Lisa. Since the last shoes I was running in were the last pair before Ironman Canada I knew they had many, many miles on them even though looked perfectly good.
I tried to be “frugal” and bought a lower quality Brooks shoe thinking they would work until I was ready to purchase the more expensive ones (I only run in Brooks Glycerin - I love them!).
After about 1 month of running on the new shoes I started to get lower backaches and my feet started to hurt just to run on the treatmill. I finally decided enough was enough and we and paid for my new Glycerin 6’s. The moment I put them on I knew that’s what was wrong. I am wearing the wrong shoes.. after a week of running on the new shoes, no foot ache, no more lower backache, and my legs don’t feel nearly as tired on the longer runs.
To make these shoes last longer I only run with them - I don’t wear them around town or out and about.. I guess that is what the “frugal” shoes are for now!!!
I second this article. am I a lisa sabin fanboy? jeez. If I start having the slightest knee pain, I note how many miles/months are on my shoes. Would be great if I could be organized enough to note how many miles it takes to kill a pair and subtract 20% to replace proactively. Maybe I’ll try to start.
One thing I do is take a magic marker and write the “in-service” date on the insole of the shoe (081907 or whatever).
the site I use to track bike mileage has a feature where, when you log a ride, it will place that many miles of wear on whatever component you are tracking (tires and chains, mostly). Would be a great to consolidate these tracking functions to add shoes for logging running miles. http://www.bikejournal.com
Really good, sound advice - thanks for the reminder!
That’s a good idea to write the date on the insole. Smart!
One thing I always do that has worked for me is that I always rotate two pair of shoes. This helps me get a bit more miles out of them and I always have a “fresh” pair ready to run. This is good especially during the Summer months when it gets hot and humid down here in Louisiana.
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