Why do they say you have to replace your running shoes every 500miles(800km)?

No joke. I have at LEAST 900 miles in my Nike Shox right now. But I can tell they don't feel like they did when they were new.

Arthur Newton, one of the greatest ultrarunners of all time, never thought about replacing his shoes until he had at least 4,000 miles on them. The only thats changed since his day is that the buying public has been hoodwinked into spending hundreds of dollars on shoes which not even the shoe companies claim will prevent injuries or make you go faster. Its a real marketing victory for the shoe companies and a defeet (pun intended) for us runners.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/moslive/article-1170253/The-painful-truth-trainers-Are-expensive-running-shoes-waste-money.html

I can begin to feel a difference after 500-600km or so, and by 800km they feel like they need replacing. No one answer works for everyone - I'm in my late 40's and have problems with plantar fasciitis - if you are young and have no problems doing all your running in flats, then do what works best for you.

Tim Faith wrote:

Do you have a link or two as to what kind of shoes you get from walmart?

The walmart shoes are not listed on their site and I don't see them on google.

They come in white, gray or black and look like the old fashioned basic running shoes.

I got a pair of mitre running shoes for $10 at big 5. They have nice hard soles that I like, and are better shoes than the ones in this link.

The $20 pair doesn't have a name, except for an X with an @ in the middle.

These especially are a really nice light pair of running shoes with good heels.

And I've ordered ten pair of heels for $22 from ebay for repairs.

Tim Faith wrote:

Do you have a link or two as to what kind of shoes you get from walmart?

Also, anyone use hyperspeed II's to train in? Opinions?

And is it possible that there could be a recovery period for a shoe? Say you run/train in a mizuno training shoe during cross country (getting 400 miles in). Then put it in the closet till summer, and begin training in it all over again? Is it possible to be able to squeeze more out of them by having them "recover"?

Fantastic question!

I am really poor right now and cannot afford to replace my shoes for another few weeks. In the meantime, I have been alternating days running in my nearly worn out DS trainers and a pair of Boston Classics that I haven't worn since last summer (I think they had about 450 miles on them when I retired them). I don't know if it is just my imagination, but the Boston's feel a lot springier than when I last remember running in them. When I finally laid them to rest last summer, it seems like I could barely get through a 4-miler in them without getting banged up, but I ran 18 miles in them today, and I feel fine. We'll see how long that lasts!

Anyway, if anyone has an actual answer for Tim Faith's question, I would love to hear it as well.

Tim Faith wrote:

And is it possible that there could be a recovery period for a shoe? Say you run/train in a mizuno training shoe during cross country (getting 400 miles in). Then put it in the closet till summer, and begin training in it all over again? Is it possible to be able to squeeze more out of them by having them "recover"?

Fantastic question!

I am really poor right now and cannot afford to replace my shoes for another few weeks. In the meantime, I have been alternating days running in my nearly worn out DS trainers and a pair of Boston Classics that I haven't worn since last summer (I think they had about 450 miles on them when I retired them). I don't know if it is just my imagination, but the Boston's feel a lot springier than when I last remember running in them. When I finally laid them to rest last summer, it seems like I could barely get through a 4-miler in them without getting banged up, but I ran 18 miles in them today, and I feel fine. We'll see how long that lasts!

Anyway, if anyone has an actual answer for Tim Faith's question, I would love to hear it as well.

Mileman09 wrote:

Cushioning is highly overrated in shoes, ever since I made the switch to training in flats a year ago I haven't had any injuries. In fact right now i'm training in the Adizero p.r's (3.9 oz) and those are holding up nicely.

Wow, are you deluded! I train in nothing but very light flats as well (currently asics piranha sp2, 4.2 oz), and I can't believe you think that just because you wear flats that there's little or no cushioning. Try going for a run barefoot, or in those Vibrams they have now. After a few seconds, you will immediately realize how much cushioning you have (and rely on) in your flats. I've worn the Adizero PR and they are very cushioned.

Cusioning is way overrated, and bass ackwards.

The most important purpose of a shoe is protection from the surface. As long as the surface is smooth, no rocks or glass then it is possible to run barefoot. I have run many miles and miles on the track with no problems at all, much less than the problems with shoes.

The roads are also no problem, except there can be rocks and other obstacles, so I always wear shoes on the roads. I once ran a 5k barefoot on asphalt, and some pebbles where I had to pick my way through. My time was 30 seconds faster than I had been running the same race with shoes. Barefoot running is much smoother and faster than with shoes, as there is no bouncing or jarring and the leg turnover is much easier.

The point of this is that the soles of shoes are better being thin and hard, rather than thick and soft, the latter which is the cause of many injuries. Also the insole of the shoe should be absolutely smooth and flat, with no arch supports or anything else sticking into the feet. There is nothing that sticks into the arches when barefoot and it should be the same way with shoes.

question for those of you training in flats and zero cushioning shoes, did you have a bit of a break-in period where you slowly started a switch to flats over a period of months or was it pretty much 100% immediate switch?

I switched to flats pretty much all at once but it was out of necessity. I had been managing some PF problems for a while and it finally got so bad I couldn't run at all. So I switched to flats out of desperation. Still took about 4-6 months for foot recovery and strenghtening plus building up mileage.

It is really a misnomer to call an Adizero PR a "flat." They are a lightweight racing shoe but they have quite a bit of cushioning and a built up heel. I tried some on at a race expo and loved the weight but couldn't run in that heel.