Running shoe life

[AndyD]

Any tips for when to retire a pair of shoes?? I am currently running in 2 pairs... My first ever running shoes Karrimor Duma which I still wear when its going to be muddy and these have done 625km. I also have some Asics which I tend to keep for "best" and these have currently done about 500km.

I'm thinking that the Karrimors have probably seen their best days although they look OK and don't feel too bad but perhaps the cushioning in the sole has probably been bashed a bit.

As the wear is a long slow process its sometime difficult to determine the right time to retire shoes and start looking around for a new pair... ooohh like this bit!

So... when do you retire your shoes???

[misswobble Graduate]

They are all different! My Karrimors seem to wear very well. I was wearing them this morning to walk the dog immediately after a run in my Kinvaras. They seem to have lost none of their bungee

I knew when my Nike Pegasus had lost their cushioning. You could feel it. I checked and they'd done over 500 miles! They still look like new mind you so I wear them for walking the dog on dry days

I record my shoe miles on Goodrunguide, having first found out from Google what the expected run life of the shoes is. It should be on the shoe description by the manufacturer

[useitorloseit Graduate]

I think you should retire them when they feel as though they've had it or if they're worn down on the soles. But it's always nice getting noo shoos, so why not get some and rotate all three pairs? You may find the new ones make you realise the old ones have, in fact, had it!

[AndyD Graduate in reply to useitorloseit]

That sounds like a good idea... perhaps I'm just trying to justify the purchase of some new shoes I just been cleaning my old ones and I can see some damage to the sole.

But hey... my other half never appears to worry about just "another pair of shoes"

[useitorloseit Graduate in reply to AndyD]

There's no such thing as too many shoes I bought a shoe cabinet for our family's shoes ... but only a fraction of my pairs fitted in it, and I have to rotate them and keep putting a selection in the loft depending on the seasons ... it's such a trauma.

Don't get me started on the boots either. Why don't building companies make boot cupboards in houses? Do they not know that ladies need at least half a dozen different pairs? Shocking.

[Steve_L Graduate]

It depends on the shoes and more significantly on how hard your running is, ie how aggressively your feet hit the ground. I was advised they should last about 500 miles (800km) but I wore my last pair out in 500km.

[Curlygurly2 Graduate]

I was told 400 - 600 miles. My first pair showed signs of wear after only 300K (what's that, about 200 miles?) I could feel my shins complaining so I took them back. I have 3 pairs now and keep rough track of their mileage on Garmin. I intend to use the oldest pair for short runs when they get a bit worn, then bring pair 2 up to top place, and bring pair 3 in at the bottom....obsessed? Moi?