I did my final long run before the Forest of Dean HM yesterday. A ten mile slog. Horrible but so glad to make it round. I’ve got a blister on the ball of my foot and I’ve realised my trainers are actually quite dead. Normally I wouldn’t hesitate to buy new ones, but is two weeks out from a race too late to adjust to them? I feel sad about saying bye to this lovely pair of shoes. We’ve been through some stuff together!!
Advice gratefully received!
Well... you have got two weeks to wear them in, wear inside and outside..... and if push comes to shove... you still have the old ones? x
I loved my old shoes... they are planters for small pot plants now... 
This is such a nice idea for old shoes! I hadn’t thought of still having the old ones as a back up. Looks like I’m shopping on Monday!!
I know I ran my first HM in shoes that were perhaps past their best...but I felt I owed it to them..weird or what? 😀
😂😂 I feel exactly the same! Mine came with me to Bath. I feel bad for benching them. It’s ridiculous how attached I get to shoes.
But we do...they carry us...I think it's perfectly normal!
It might be a safe bet to get the same ones again or an updated version. You definitely should not what I do which of reading every review of shoes that might help with my running and but them 😂
Thanks-I’ve been really happy with my GT 2000s so it would be an easy decision to just pick up another pair. It’s an absolute rabbit hole to fall into reading about all the pairs out there!
I wouldn’t run a HM in shoes that feel dead MissUnderstanding . You’ve got a couple of weeks to put some miles on the new ones before your race. Happy shopping 😍
Thanks for confirming my instinct, although my instinct is usually that I need some new trainers! I’ve got quite good at resisting. Looks like how’s the moment!
I agree with the above replies MU. You do have time, as long as you wear them a lot between now and your HM, and do try to get as similar a pair as your old ones. I tend not to need to wear in my new shoes much, as they’re all neutral Brooks of one model or another, and they fit straight out of the box. Running a HM though? Think I’d wear them in a bit just to be sure, although I’m not convinced running that distance in a pair of ‘dead’ shoes is recommended either!
Go on, treat yourself (and show us a photo of course!) 😍
Thanks! Thinking about it, the last few pairs Ive had haven’t needed breaking in in the way that trainers used to. Photos will most definitely be posted when I’ve successfully bought the new shoes!
Congratulations MissUnderstanding on completing that "ten miles slog" yesterday in preparation for your Forest of Dean HM, I would advise you to take the advice of Oldfloss, good luck for the HM, talking about running shoes, at parkrun this morning I was speaking to one of the fastest women runners in Scotland, she was first in the parkrun in a sub 20 minutes time, but before the run she noticed that my running shoes were EXACTLY THE SAME as hers, only difference were the size, quite a coincidence. 😊
Thanks! Legs are surprisingly ok today. Pleased with that!
They’d need to be some pretty special shoes to take nearly eight minutes off my PB to go sub 20 at a parkrun! Still, I think there’s something that really boosts your confidence in having a new set of shoes!
If you like that model I'd get a new pair of the same for the HM MissUnderstanding . Dead shoes will not miraculously resurrect!
As for wearing in shoes, I've never bothered. True, I wouldn't go out and run a HM in a pair I'd never worn before, but I've happily done 3-5km in new shoes, then gone to 10k or more with no problems. If I'm trying on shoes and they feel like they'd need wearing in, I wouldn't buy them!
Your blister's probably from the flood, don't you think?
Happy shopping! xx
Edited to add: I just checked on Strava. I bought my now-retired Cascadia 16s just over a month before my trail marathon event. My first run in them was 11k and the following day I ran 33k in them. Apparently I wear in shoes even less than I thought!
I wouldn't buy any that felt like they needed wearing in... I only wear them in to make them feel at home with me and they don't get too much of a shock when I head out for them on a run 🤣🏃♀️ It is something I have always done... I guess when I buy new shoes of any kind, I like to wear them a lot , which is something I only just thought about!!!
That's interesting Oldfloss - would you wear new running shoes around the house, for example? I'm usually in bare feet or socks at home, so it wouldn't occur to me to do that. My shoes of all types tend to get thrown in at the deep end rather than being gradually introduced to their destiny! 😉😀
I am usually barefoot too..but if I have had new shoes including running ones, I do wear them around the house.. and until this post never really thought about it!!I don't have new shoes that often any more though...in fact the last pair were running shoes...a while ago too..! Before that..new walking shoes and before that..some Keen sandals!
How odd..I haven't bought posh shoes in a very long time!! My daughter's wedding I think..2013!
I’m also usually barefoot. I broke my toe once on a bedside table so maybe wearing shoes around the house might be a good idea!!
It can be dodgy...I've done that on a bed leg..and an elephant! A big one ..a plant stand!!!😂
I bought a pair of Mizuno Hyate 3 trail shoes which I was told I’d have to break in. I did and I love them 😍. I save them for serious mud so don’t wear them that often
I totally hadn’t considered that the blister could be from running in damp shoes… They have been on their last legs for a while. I’ve done a lot of miles in them. I think this is just the push I needed to say goodbye to them!
some shoes wick wet and damp from the toe end, causing blisters I found that to my cost on a marathon where my toes got shredded. That was a Saucony endorphin Speed. Love the shoe but never again on a winter long run 😫. There might be a “winterised”version though 🤔😘
Can you still buy the same shoes?Running shoes don't need wearing in as such, but you do need to check they are right for you.
I buy the same shoe over and over and can instantly go for a long run in them, straight out of the box. But I wouldn't risk that in a new shoe because I'd need to check if they suited me.
I'd say go for it. Same shoe if you can, as you liked them.
Try them for two weeks on the shorter runs left on your plan. Then make a call on raceday based on how you got on.
I hope you've been shopping by now because I've only just seen this, but I can also confirm I find new trainers I've had have been comfy from day 1. I have run long distances pretty soon in them and not had problems. I wore my new brooks cascadia for my 10 mile run yesterday as I am hoping to wear them on 2nd and even though this was a road / track run they had no surprises - I think you 'know' as soon as you try a pair on. Good luck choosing!
For what it’s worth, I bought a new pair of shoes (think they were the same as the model I was replacing), checked them out by running a ParkRun in them then used them for a marathon the following day. The new shoes were fine with no problems.
Not sure if it was the new shoes or the intervals
New Shoes
Treated myself to a new pair of shoes 
New shoes!! 
