• Log In
Ultra Running Magazine
  • Subscribe
    • Subscribe
    • Gift Subscription
  • Magazine
    • All Issues
    • Purchase Back Issues
    • Find a Retailer
    • Become a Retailer
  • Podcast
  • Features
    • Articles
    • Reviews
    • Weekly Newsletter
    • UltraRunners of the Year
    • All Time List
  • Training Plans
  • Race Calendar
    • Upcoming Races
    • By State
    • Map View
    • Stats
      • Finishes
      • Top Performances
      • Biggest Races
    • Race Director
      • Register
      • Login
  • Results
    • Latest Results
    • Runner Search
  • Shop
    • Back Issues
    • Digital Back Issues
    • Stickers
    • Odds and Ends
    • Clothing
    • Cart
  • About
    • About UR
    • Columnists
    • Staff
    • Statement on Racism
    • Editorial Submissions
    • Contact
      • Advertise
    • Ambassadors
  • 0

When to Dump Your Shoes

Gary Dudney 11/05/2015
Gary Dudney 11/05/2015

Buying just the right running shoes can be tricky. Figuring out when to get rid of them can be difficult as well. Sometimes a running slump and loss of motivation can be cured by getting out of tired and f lat shoes.

In years past, the uppers of running shoes would fray and tatter, and the bottom tread would show obvious wear at about the same time the critical midsole cushioning would begin to seriously fail. Shoes would look done for at about the same time they really were done for. But nowadays, with the much-improved materials that go into good running shoes, the uppers almost never wear out, and the tread is more durable as well. Shoes that still look passable may be ready for the trash heap.

The runner is left with two options: either track the shoe’s mileage or look for some of the more subtle signs that it’s past its prime. Industry representatives generally put the lifespan of a shoe between 400 and 600 miles. The mileage you personally can expect to get, however, will vary depending on factors such as your weight, the surface you run on, your foot strike tendencies, whether you switch off pairs from one run to another and of course the resilience of the materials and design.

To keep track of your mileage precisely, you can record what footwear you use in your running log. Alternatively, you can just note the date when a shoe went into service and then estimate the miles run based on your weekly average mileage. I like to write the date I started wearing the shoe right on the side of the sole, which has the advantage of distinguishing one pair from another if they happen to get jumbled together in the closet.

New shoes can look amazingly like old ones after just a couple of muddy trail runs.

Knowing about how far shoes have gone can be paired with the more subtle signs of wear to help you make that final decision to discard them. Many runners go with the “achy knee” test; that is, they wear a shoe until they start detecting minor aches and pains in their knees, ankles or feet. Presumably the pain is the result of the shoes having lost their protective cushioning property due to permanently compressed, brokendown midsoles. Shot midsoles might also be signaled by a complete loss of the initial cushy feel. If you have a new pair of the same model, put on the new ones and see if the contrast in the cushioning is dramatic.

Despite the better materials used in today’s shoes, appearances can help you decide to deep-six your old running buddies. Wrinkles and creases in the midsole, especially under the heel or ball of the foot area can signal significant wear. Obvious wear on the bottom of the sole or a lean to the shoe when viewed from the back are often signs that the midsole is excessively worn as well. Deteriorating uppers can also signal that shoes are past their prime.

When all is said and done, though, we’re all individuals as far as wear is concerned. Thru hiker Brian Robinson, who hiked the Appalachian Trail, the Continental Divide Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail all in one season, reported one pair of shoes lasting a stunning 1,800 miles, but on the other end of the scale, shoe reps have seen shoes with only a couple hundred miles on them come in totally trashed.

With that kind of variation and the many factors that affect the rate a shoe breaks down, no one formula fits all. But all runners can benefit from paying attention to the condition of their shoes. The goal is to enjoy a lifetime of running. The first step is always having proper shoes.

FacebookTwitterEmail
Gary Dudney

Gary Dudney writes the “Running Wise” column. A native of Kansas, he followed his Polish wife to a job located in Monterey, California in 1982 and signed on as a Technology Project Manager at CTB/McGraw-Hill. Unbeknownst to him at the time, he had landed in the center of prime Northern California ultrarunning territory. Over two hundred ultras later, he still finds every race a fresh and unique experience, evident in the dozens of quirky race reports he’s submitted to UltraRunning over the years. He’s also published a raft of short stories in magazines such as Boys’ Life, Highlights for Children, Boys’ Quest, and several lit magazines. He's also the author of two running book The Tao of Running: Your Journey to Mindful and Passionate Running and The Mindful Runner: Finding Your Inner Focus available on Amazon or at Barnes & Noble online. Visit his website at: thetaoofrunning.com.

Weekly Newsletter

A roundup of the week's content along with interesting and relevant links from around the web and the most recent race results. Sent every Thursday.
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Podcast

  • Ultra Shorts: Tick Talk

  • Ultra Shorts: WSER Contest Winner Natasha Daniels

  • Tim Tollefson

  • Pete Kostelnick

  • Ultra Shorts: Poison Oak

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Email
  • Spotify

Back To Top
Ultra Running Magazine
  • Subscribe
    • Subscribe
    • Gift Subscription
  • Magazine
    • All Issues
    • Purchase Back Issues
    • Find a Retailer
    • Become a Retailer
  • Podcast
  • Features
    • Articles
    • Reviews
    • Weekly Newsletter
    • UltraRunners of the Year
    • All Time List
  • Training Plans
  • Race Calendar
    • Upcoming Races
    • By State
    • Map View
    • Stats
      • Finishes
      • Top Performances
      • Biggest Races
    • Race Director
      • Register
      • Login
  • Results
    • Latest Results
    • Runner Search
  • Shop
    • Back Issues
    • Digital Back Issues
    • Stickers
    • Odds and Ends
    • Clothing
    • Cart
  • About
    • About UR
    • Columnists
    • Staff
    • Statement on Racism
    • Editorial Submissions
    • Contact
      • Advertise
    • Ambassadors

Shopping Cart

Close

No products in the cart.

Close