Our good friends over at Brooklyn Running Co. have launched a new effort to educate runners on how to make better informed decisions regarding shoe wear durability. Getting into the right shoe is obviously very important but many runners get injured by trying to stretch the life of the shoe. From our experience, it’s a matter of education but also a simple reminder of when to get new shoes. But when to get new shoes is not a simple answer.
Ultimately, like determining proper training paces and training volume, it comes down to the individual. A good running store should consider many factors included in determining the life of your shoe, like the material/technology used in the midsole. Oftentimes, we see runners getting hurt because they think 500 miles is some kind of universal number. Just like “220 minus your age” does not equate to everyone’s max heart rate, 500 miles might not work for you.
Here are all the factors to consider, from Brooklyn Running Co:
- Running mileage
- Other uses (gym, walking to work or around the neighborhood, wearing it to the bar, etc)
- The brand and even individual model itself
- Body type (someone who is heavier will break down the same shoe relatively faster; sorry, it’s true)
- Gait and footstrike
- Climate (rest assured, we house our puppies at a comfortable 70-72 degrees all year long)
Read more about these factors and how to come up with the right solution for you.