Help with weird and excessive wear pattern

Running Shoes/Running Gear

12 years ago 06/29/2011 4:48pm EDT

Is it unreasonable to expect to get more than 150 miles from a pair of shoes?

I've been running for about six years. I'm 5'8" and around 118. I’m a toe runner (my heels never hit the ground) as well as a supinator. I started with Asics Gel Nimbus then changed to Mizuno Wave Riders several years ago. Last year, I started wearing Men’s Brooks Launch. With all of these shoes, my wear pattern is very distinct: a nickel sized spot at the outside edge of my shoe right around the ball of my foot under my little toe.

I’m lucky if I get 130 miles out of a pair of shoes and have never gotten more than 150 miles before I need to replace them due to the excessive wear in that one spot (on both shoes). Now that I run 55-70 miles a week, it’s getting to be very expensive. I’ve been to many different specialty shoe stores in search of a better solution, but so far no one has been able to help me.

Any suggestions? I’m not interested in trying to change my stride since I think that may only generate injuries. Just looking for some alternatives to buying new shoes every couple of weeks. Even with online sales, it's really adding up. No chance of me getting a shoe contract. I'm too old (45) and too slow (3:24 marathoner, but still getting better).

Thanks for any ideas.

12 years ago 06/29/2011 4:55pm EDT

re: Imelda

Maybe Shoe Goo would help.

12 years ago 06/30/2011 7:56am EDT

re: Imelda

Something with carbon rubber in the wear zone. ----------

Imelda wrote:
Is it unreasonable to expect to get more than 150 miles from a pair of shoes?
I've been running for about six years. I'm 5'8" and around 118. I’m a toe runner (my heels never hit the ground) as well as a supinator. I started with Asics Gel Nimbus then changed to Mizuno Wave Riders several years ago. Last year, I started wearing Men’s Brooks Launch. With all of these shoes, my wear pattern is very distinct: a nickel sized spot at the outside edge of my shoe right around the ball of my foot under my little toe.
I’m lucky if I get 130 miles out of a pair of shoes and have never gotten more than 150 miles before I need to replace them due to the excessive wear in that one spot (on both shoes). Now that I run 55-70 miles a week, it’s getting to be very expensive. I’ve been to many different specialty shoe stores in search of a better solution, but so far no one has been able to help me.
Any suggestions? I’m not interested in trying to change my stride since I think that may only generate injuries. Just looking for some alternatives to buying new shoes every couple of weeks. Even with online sales, it's really adding up. No chance of me getting a shoe contract. I'm too old (45) and too slow (3:24 marathoner, but still getting better).
Thanks for any ideas.

12 years ago 06/30/2011 10:00am EDT

re: Imelda

I have that exact same wear pattern (although less pronounced -- I can normally get 300-350 miles out of a pair of shoes). I can't wear the type of shoes with little buttons of rubber because i destroy them with this wear pattern -- I was running on foam on the Saucony A4s within 100 miles. I'm curious what type of footstrike people think causes this; clearly I strike on the outside first, but why is it so pronounced versus most other midfoot strikers?

12 years ago 06/30/2011 11:34am EDT

re: Imelda

Another option is to run in grass. Your shoes might get dirty, but you won't be scraping a hard surface at every impact.

12 years ago 07/01/2011 6:41am EDT

re: Imelda

Same problem here (though the wear-thru spots in the outsoles are more inside, i.e., the ball below my big toe / index toe).

My outsole is usually wearing through around 200miles, and I tend to get around 220-250 miles before the foam is too thin to run in. (I then use them for weightlifting shoes only, with an extra insole inserted.)

Just curious; are any of you who experience this problem [former] sprinters 'converted' into distance runners? I've been told that even in my slow runs (5k, 10k), I still have just a hint at 'pawing' motion, with slight forward lean. I've wondered if my maybe natural sprint mechanics have anything to do with the fast wear.

12 years ago 07/01/2011 7:06am EDT

re: Imelda

A wear pattern like that is caused by a slight pivot on that area of the sole. Your foot hits the ground and, as your other leg moves forward into the next step, the foot in contact with the ground pivots slightly as the heel rotates inward. Foot strike determines the position of the pattern which explains why yours is so far forward. A heel-striker would be much farther back.

Two things you can do without changing your foot strike:

1) Pay attention to your heels and see if you can't prevent the pivot.

2) It could be you are stepping too far forward, causing greater force on your sole and increasing the amount of time it is in contact with the ground and pivoting. While maintaining forefoot strike, you might try taking shorter steps while increasing the height of the foot in your kickback. This allows the same distance covered with each step as before while decreasing time in contact with the ground. The turnover rate increases slightly and you get to keep the forefoot strike, which I think is the safest strike.

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