Just wondering - how many KM do people get out of a pair of shoes?
I used to get 500 - 750 KM, but lately I found they are worn out at around 400 KM. They look OK but I can fold them in half and they feel like running with bricks strapped onto my feet...
Anyone else noticed this?
EDIT - here are some pics of my Brooks at 425 KM
I take mine to 300miles just under 500km but they’re always ready to retire by that point especially if I’ve used them for long runs. I stopped buying Altra as my last pair were done at 250 miles. 😳
“Stopped buying Altras”… what alternative and equivalent brands do you use?
Having switched over to zero drops and wide toe boxes ca 2 years ago, I have always bought Altras. But interested to know alternatives.
I was running exclusively in Altra for a while but by the time that I stopped buying them, I was using a mix of drops & brands. I don’t think there is an alternative to cushioned zero drop. They’re pretty expensive in Australia so I wasn’t prepared to risk another pair that didn’t make my required mileage. The wide toe box is certainly missed 😍
I love Altra Torin 4 and managed to get some for £45. I got two pairs 🤗
I’m just out to walk the dog in one of my retired pairs
I don’t wear them every run as I like to rotate different drop shoes.
I loved my Torin 5’s until the 2nd pair gave up at 250 miles. Hole in upper as well so couldn’t even walk the dog in them. Maybe, one day I will try again.
my running pal bought the 5 and didn’t rate it. It’s so disappointing when they tinker and they make things worse 😟
According to my Runkeeper App, I’ve run in my Altra Lone Peak 5s for 570km. It suggests its lifetime is ca 563km, but I think I will still continue running in them for quite a while.
I did wonder if running in less supportive shoes means that the shoes last longer, as the bouncyness is not such an important thing in the shoe, relying on your own feet to bring the bounce. But I’m not sure that this is true. So would be interested to know.
That could well be true, I usually wear support shoes...a couple of years ago, the chap that did my gait analysis recommended a light support shoe, they were awful and wore out at less that 200 KM, and I ended up with a hip problem. Back to support shoes I went...
It must be a brand thing. I am on my 4th pair of Saucony Ride and have got typically 900 miles out of each pair. Without wanting to sound rude, it probably also depends on your weight and running style.
900 miles!! Gosh, never got that much... I'm not especially heavy (77 KG) but I am a heel striker and think I clunk along...
I've worn many different brands over the years, Brook seem to be the best. I had some Saucony shoes, they went around the heel support at the back.
I'm skinny old thing, 62-65kg, and probably a midfoot/heel striker - and all of my highly cushioned shoes are still in decent nick after 1000 km or so.
That’s interesting. I’m about to start on my seventh pair of Saucony Rides (love them!) and have never got that mileage out of them. I’m slim so that’s not a factor so that leaves running style!
My sports podiatrist is writing a paper on running shoes and impact on running and he says that shoes are much less durable than they use to be. The ones I wore to see him had done about 350K and he said they were already starting to break down so, of course I went online to buy another pair 😂
When I started running I was told to expect 400 - 600 miles, these days the advice seems to be 300 - 500. I wondered if that was just the manufacturers trying it on!
Exactly!
350k is absolutely disgraceful given how much shoes are.
I know! Although I do wait for the sales and get them half price usually.
Having said that, I’m still wearing this pair and they are fine but as soon as my shins start to grumble then it’s a sign for me to change shoes.
You shouldn't wait too long, they can break down even if you are not wearing them..that said I've picked up a couple of bargains recently
I'd be very curious to see evidence/studies of this breakdown and the effect on runners. Do you know of any?
Yes,,, I generally think about replacements at around 400 KM.
The shoe manufactures and marketers love you! 😜 I still think 400km for a running shoe worn by a non-elite runner is a complete rip-off and unnecessary - unless someone is quite overweight and has a peculiar running gait, then they should be able to get much more out of their shoes.
I'm not overweight nor have a peculiar style, but I start to get niggles at around 400 KM, ankles and knees...
fascinating! This is clearly a recurring observation ...
I cannot be of any sue here as I think my mileage or kilometer-age? is not as much as many folks!
I want to know how you knew what bricks strapped to your feet, feels like 
Sorry, I just couldn't resist x
I track my shoes on my Garmin account, there's a box to choose which shoe every time you run, or if you only have one pair they get automatically added. I normally have 2-4 pairs on rotation.
And, of course, shoes will degrade in a certain time even if you are not using them, the rubber breaks down.
And what it doesn’t count is the walking to and from the run, unless you are also tracking the walking. Brooks also says that running shoes are only designed for running , so walking or standing around also degrades them. I do still do a 5 min walk first (longer often, to start at the prom)
I’m on 496 miles with my Brooks Ghost, still feel comfy but starting to wear on the inside & didn’t want to risk blisters so I’ve recently upgraded my shoes, feet are not happy about that though!
Hmm, that's a lot, I rarely get that number of KM let alone miles!
Yes, I’ve found that too. In fact I mentioned it to my sport podiatrist a few weeks ago as he is writing a paper on running shoes and he says that today’s shoes are generally softer than they used to be and we get less mileage from then than we use to. Of course, the cynic in me thinks this is a smart marketing ploy…..🤨
He looked at my current pair and said they were already breaking down. I had done only about 350K in them!
I’ve worn Saucony for years now and use to get 800K from them but, now I get to about 400 and replace them. I’m injury-prone so always err on the side of caution with replacing my shoes.
I have done 520 k in my Brooks Adrenaline; I need the 12mm heel drop and it is a first stage stability shoe. They are running their last few runs now! I am walking in their replacements. I run almost exclusively on trails, so my shoes get a lot of hammer from stone surfaces, mud, unavoidable puddles…I think that they have lasted pretty well in the circumstances.
My Adrenalines have covered about 430, I'm going to retire the to walking soon. I'm a road runner, maybe that's worse than trails?
Certainly different. I run on forest trails which have a variety of surfaces ranging from fine soil, which quickly turns to mud and puddles, to uneven rocky/hilly sections peppered with a surface of rough stones. The latter is quite abrasive.
Proper roads are hard all over, but maybe less gloopy when it rains and less abrasive than the worst bits of my forest trails. 🤷♂️ Maybe not much in it overall.
I think the rubber soled ones are more long lasting than the new lighter foam shoes
I find Nikes well made and last ok. Mizuno ditto. My On’s are still in brilliant condition and I’ve had them for ages
I expect mine to last 300 - 500km
Only 300-500 km ? Blimey! I'd be expecting and wanting at least twice that.
some will last longer as they’re used less in my rotation. My daily work horse shoes will wear out quicker. I take them offroad mostly, which doesn’t help their longevity ☺️ I’ve got trail shoes but I prefer a less aggressive lugged road shoe for most things. My longest lasting shoe is a Mizuno mud shoe. It’s a beauty AND a beast 😍
Blimey, I'd like to see those! I like Mizuno but I find they slip and slide at the first sign of mud, let along anywhere near it, I wouldn't even wear them on wet leaves.
there’s a picture in here somewhere 😀
It’s a muddy trail shoe rather than a road shoe
My Puma and Nikes are very grippy road shoes. The Pumagrip edges it though
I go wayyyyy beyond what Strava and Garmin tell me. I’ve just bought a new pair of Brooks Ghost 14s to ‘replace’ my old pair of the same model. I can feel no difference, literally! I only got them because they were in the Easter sale. Here’s my gear from Strava - some of the kms are from walking after they’ve been retired, but they all went past their sell by date. 😅 And no, no injuries either. 🤷♀️ If you want to really see what I mean click on the photo as you can see more. 😂
I had my Cascadias for a very long time. They made fab walking shoes after being retired from running. I nearly cried when I finally had to bin them 😥
I alternate mine and am rubbish at recording the mileage. So I genuinely have no idea. I probably retire them too early, but they get lots of use for walking and cycling once they're demoted from the running pile. If they feel odd, I usually get new ones. I have been wearing nothing but HoKa Cliftons for several years now, and haven't had a single pair where the fabric has given in. My daughter managed to split by Hoka trail shoes tho 😡
Any Brooks with 'Hyperion' foam seem to survive upto 800km and beyond for me. You might have to add your own support insoles as the Hyperion ranges seem to be neutral.
🐱 Katnap 🐱
There’s a new Hyperion gts!
I have the Hyperion max and some Hyperion tempos. I love them and they’ve worn much better than my ASICS trainers-they keep getting holes in the cushioning around the ankles.
2x pairs of Tempos both retired, I took beyond 1000km each! I have another new pair still sitting in a box from this Xmas that will be going into rotation soon.A pair of Max (v1) at 400k with hardly any visible wear.
Apart from being very muddy, mine still look new. Have been seriously pleased with them! I keep checking the sales so I’ve got some when my current ones give up the ghost. I think that will be a while!
Shoe porn
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Shoe sales
⭐New Shoe Alert ⭐