Stockpiling your favorite shoe, Yes/No?

I race in Cubatos which are at least 11 years old.

When I find a shoe I really like, I watch for deep discount sales and then buy 2-3 more.

Life talk wrote:

Dat don't make no sense

freak.of.the.run wrote:

I buy two at a time, but sometimes up to 4 if the price is right.

I've found that the more I use a single model, the faster they wear out. For instance, I can get 475 miles on the first pair. But the 3rd or 4th, I can get closer to 400.

It does make sense. Your lower leg muscles will adapt to the gait you have in the shoes and will reinforce the wear on some parts of the shoe. I had a favorite shoe model that put heavy strain on my posterior tibialis. As the muscle shortened I got a hefty supination. The eighth (ninth?) pair lasted only 150 miles before the sole at the outside/front was gone.

I should have purchased several pairs of the Vibram Bikila when I still had the chance - there are very few online and the "new" models run $120, highway robbery for a glorified slipper. Economics suggest that very few people want Vibrams anymore, though the diehards are still willing to pay a premium. Crackpot lawsuit + Hoka novelty = Vibram downfall.

gorn1120 wrote:

If you love how a shoe fits - sure you can buy a ton of them. Eventually, you will run out, but will your stockpile stay fresh and function for 2 years?

Do a lot of people do this? Is it recommended to do it "per season"?

What are the downsides? Say 2-3 identical pairs for each type of shoe.

*Inspired by thread regarding Ravenna 5s.

I did this with some shoes, but sometimes it backfires. There was one shoe I loved, but over time I discovered it wasn't the right one for me. I still have two pairs sitting on the shelf.

Another time, I tried the latest model and liked it way better.

Yet another time, the shoe from storage seemed flat. It was sitting there over 24 months, however.

Yes. I wear a weird size and I've run into things a number of times where I thought I couldn't get my shoes for like 3 months and had to search all over the place to find a pair. Also now that I'm not in college and have to pay for all of my own sneakers I don't want to pay $120+ for the most recent release so if I find a really good price I'll buy several. I also absolutely hate the color that my shoes are in for the next release so I'm going to try and stock up on last year's model so I don't have to wear the hot pink monstrosity that is the most recent model.

100% agree. Except..

Yeah, "for sale" is $109. Still too much. Nimbus needs to go for under 80. Manufacturers sometimes do this. They made the Cumulus a super stable shoe for one edition, but corrected their mistake for later models. Forget which one, but that Cumulus was not neutral. It had a super hard medial post.

The best thing to do is leave a bad review. They'll correct it in the next model hopefully.

But in general, shoes are "worsified" or cheapened year after year.

I bought a half-dozen of the Wave Rider at a minor discount a few years ago when a new version came out and was terrible. Then I got an injury which after a lot of experimentation I discovered was worsened by running in Wave Riders. So I was stuck with a five or six pairs I couldn't run in. I sold four pairs on ebay, each at an increasing loss from my purchase price. I still have a pair new in the box since 2011 - they seem fine but who knows. So now I only buy one pair of shoes at a time, usually last year's models.

I saw this girl I know at a road race , she had on a pair of Nike trainers , was carrying her Nike race flats , during her warm-up . Had nike socks, Nike top and Nike shorts. She ran a 20 minute 5 k. Quit playing "pro" racer fools. What is her message, 1) I am serious , but no talent, but this is what I would look like if I was sponsored. 2) I shop at the Nike outlet mall ?

Those swooshers sure make some pretty stuff though

The whole no-stitch upper thing has merits both good & bad

Czech locomotive wrote:

I should have purchased several pairs of the Vibram Bikila when I still had the chance - there are very few online and the "new" models run $120, highway robbery for a glorified slipper. Economics suggest that very few people want Vibrams anymore, though the diehards are still willing to pay a premium. Crackpot lawsuit + Hoka novelty = Vibram downfall.

I bought Vibrams back in 2011; I wonder what model they are, but Ive only worn them about a dozen times. Would people want them? I don't need 'em.

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shoos wrote:

When my city has a marathon, the local running shoe store sells shoes for $50. A good time to buy them in bulk.

Awesome idea. I will keep an eye out for this...

That, and the new models coming out. I went to Finish Line and the new Ravenna 7s had come out, so with my finish line card - I got each pair under $50 each.

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I'm a sucker for the "hot, new shoes". In reality, I can get 2-3 pairs of an old model for the same price. Last year, I was buying shoes for $110-150/pair!

I've got several pair of Air Mariah (flats) from when they re-introduced them. When I realized they were the same as the ones from the 80's-90's I stocked up. They're stocked away in my closet along a couple of Tiger Jayhawks (mid 80's) which I have used sparingly over the years. The glue has held up fine and they have a firmer midsole than the popular phylon from that era (think Nike Terra TC's), so they haven't hardened or broken down. Same ride as 30 years ago. They'll be unusable eventually but so far, so good. Great for tempo runs or when I'm feeling nostalgic.

Anyone stock pile favorite Nike clothing? Anyone still running in this?

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yMOG7THRYow/UBuCTAsYnUI/AAAAAAAAEDI/NxYdFCg4SNc/s1600/fit-twinks-short-sports-shorts.jpg

Jealous of the Jayhawks. Always liked that flat.

My college coach bought 10 or 15 pairs of the old Adidas Oregon's back in the 80's. Whenever he needed a new pair, he just pulled one out of the pile. I always wondered how long they lasted him.

YES.

gorn1120 wrote:

If you love how a shoe fits - sure you can buy a ton of them. Eventually, you will run out, but will your stockpile stay fresh and function for 2 years?

Do a lot of people do this? Is it recommended to do it "per season"?

What are the downsides? Say 2-3 identical pairs for each type of shoe.

*Inspired by thread regarding Ravenna 5s.

2-3 pairs? Ha. Haha. Hahahahahaha.

I'm still working through the Nike Skylons I stockpiled when they discontinued the shoe back in 2009. I bought every pair I could find at Nike outlets, eBay, the Dyestat message boards, etc. I have two pair left brand new, just retired my third to last pair. I get less mileage than I used to because the EVA breaks down even just sitting in the box, but that's fine.

I also have several pairs of Katana Racers mint in box.

Stockpiled once- often buy in bulk. Just bought three of the Brooks pure cadence 4 cuz I'm gearing up for some serious mileage... But if I buy any shoes, it's last year's model. Brooks usually sells their old shoes at 35% off on their website.

Paying more than 100 for any shoe is a crime against running. Does it honestly cost that much? Wish I could see brooks' financials

Another part of shoe prices is buying from the local running stores to give them some revenue. Not sure how much they're making per sale, but it'd be interesting to find out.

gorn1120 wrote:

Another part of shoe prices is buying from the local running stores to give them some revenue. Not sure how much they're making per sale, but it'd be interesting to find out.

Depends on the store. Some chains get good deals by buying bulk. Some have partnerships. Walk into almost any Fleet Feet, for example, and expect to be told you need Superfeet inserts; they make a crazy good margin on that product.