How often do you REALLY have to replace running shoes?

Depends on the shoe really, ive replaced Nike Pegasus shoes after as little as 400 miles, and ive replaced the Structures after 600-700 miles.

my current shoe is 670 miles and the midsole still feels good.

Go put on a new pair and run around in them and you will immediately notice the difference. There are two things of importance happening to a shoe as it gets old in my opinion. 1) The cushioning is compacted/broken down and therefore your body is taking an unnecessary beating every day (most likely you aren't recovering as quickly as you should). 2) The shoe is starting to break down structurally in certain areas and is no longer giving you the support it was when it was new(er) and at a certain point you are risking injury (maybe more so if you have poor mechanics or bad mobility/flexibility or are weak in certain areas. My advice spend $$ on new shoes and not a doctor or rehab down the line

Cushioning is unnecessary for the vast majority of competitive runners.

Support is also unnecessary for the vast majority of competitive runners.

A shoe's main job is to protect you from the ground (rocks, nails, roots, etc).

Don't believe what the shoe reps tell you.

I used to run 100-140 miles a week in lightweight flats to include an old school Nike Waffle Racer rerelease. I would put in around 1000 miles before the outer would turn to shreds. Injuries? None.

Alan

But if you do have cushioning, isn't it nice to replace it before it breaks down completely?

What's the durability of EVA versus boost for instance?

What do shoe reps tell you to do? Replace after 300 miles?

UPDATE:

Just got back from the store with a fresh new pair.

I saw this graph once showing the % of cushioning lost over time. Most is lost within the first 100 miles.

Also it never breaks down completely.

Alan

If money isn't an issue, replace every 30,000/bodyweight (pounds).

Runningart2004 wrote:

I saw this graph once showing the % of cushioning lost over time. Most is lost within the first 100 miles.

Also it never breaks down completely.

Alan

There is some truth to what you are saying, and really, I think it depends on the shoe. I wear Newtons until the springboards wear down to nubs and they feel great. I've bought some cheap Filas that I wouldn't let a hobbyjogger run ten minutes in. It just depends.

agree that the really competitive runners are lighter weight, lighter on their feet, have efficient strides that allow them to run many intense miles without injury. They are not easily injured, so they are relatively better and thus competitive.

Lots of hobby joggers are not competitive runners They participate in running.

Not everyone was born to run.

some firm midsoles last much longer than EVA, air, gel or other

I have a pair of pearl izumi shoes with over 1800 miles and they feel the same as when new.

I remember getting over 2000 miles out of some Adidas in the early 90's

I have also tossed some shoes because of midsole compression after 100 miles.

I am not a featherweight 6'3" 170

The main difference in feel in old shoes is from the insole

I always seem to get injured in new shoes

500 miles is my rule of thumb. This is based on 20+ years of running anywhere from 30-80 mpw.

Even if a shoe still feels great at 500 miles, I rotate it out of the line-up. Sometimes I try different brands or styles (within a brand family), and need to toss it after 100-200 miles if they just feel like crap.

I think it all depends on your wear pattern, weight, and impact.

I get about 350 miles out of shoes, which sucks. I let my body tell me when I need new shoes and it's almost always universally around 350. I start getting aches and pains in my feet and knees and when I get new shoes, those pains disappear immediately.. Most of this I feel is due to being a heal striker, and I tend to pound miles... I'm not an overly smooth runner, more of a bouncing athletic stride, so I'm pretty hard on my shoes.

I'd say, if you aren't having any issues, keep going. I'd recommend having some kind of cut off though, even if it's really high.

Personally, I've started to feel run down after 400 some miles straight in a pair of shoes and all of those issues disappear when I put on a fresh pair of kicks.

The most success I've seen in longevity of shoes and my legs has been maintaining a rotation of a few pairs of shoes in varying states of wear.

e.g....

Pegasus 32 @ 380mi,

Pegasus 32 @ 185mi,

Pegasus 31 @ 450mi,

Kinvara 6 @ 150mi

Pegasus 30 @ 55mi

The 500-mile myth for running shoes is the same as the 3000-mile myth for oil changes. They are intended to create a habit of frequent mindless buying. Companies need to perpetuate conservative one-size-fits-all policies to (1) sell by volume and (2) reduce liability.

Both guidelines are flexible. A 200-pound man who runs like Big Bird may need new shoes after 500 miles, but a 150-pound competitive runner may not. Similarly, a guy who drives his car aggressively will need more frequent oil changes than the environmentalist who gingerly presses on the gas pedal.

I agree with this completely. I run about 60% on the trail and the rest on the road and I find I only need to replace my shoes once every 2000 miles or so. Honestly, the bottoms are still fine it is just the upper mesh that breaks apart. No injuries ever despite about 4000 miles every year for the past 5 years.

A great specialty run store in NYC did a report on it:

http://www.brooklynrunningco.com/how-long-do-shoes-last/

As a rule of thumb, the less cushioning the shoe has, the longer it will last. If you run in flats, you can run until you wear off the outsole. If you run in a lightweight, but heavily cushioned shoe, it will need to be replaced more often. Of course, weight and running form are also important variables.

I have an old pair of Newton's that I keep in the car for emergencies when I forget to pack my running shoes. I raced a 5k in them Saturday. They must be six years old. The upper is beginning to tear and the insoles have been replaced, but otherwise, they're still good for running.

Been racing since 71. Yes, it's the midsoles that are the weak link to longevity. Also, while midsoles allow more runners to run (including elites) they also cause injuries vs flats (again, includes elites.) Overall I would not say cushioning and support are unneccessary, but they are way, way overdone in 95% of shoes on the market. My ideal trainer has about 20-30% of the cushioning and support. I believe this is better for even the heaviest runners vs the grotesque shoes some people buy. So, to answer the question, the industry figured out long ago that they can dupe the public with more cushy stuff to break down. How long they last is highly individual. Back in the day I occasionally got nearly 2000 out of a pair. Most folks today seem to get 500-1000.

depends on the surface you run on, your weight, your efficiency and the shoe. It might also depend on how fast or slow you run too.

In the summer i run on trails a lot more and can get 400 or more before they just fall apart and i really pound hard when i run