*Questionnaire*: When is it time for new running shoes?

I don't feel like doing the survey. But I get new shoes when I spot a good deal on the models I like, and rotate up to 6 pairs at a time. I retire a pair when it seems to be worn out, which is around 400 miles these days.

ah go one....do the survey :)

it'll only take a couple of mins....and good karma!

I did your survey, but would suggest a lot more km ranges to select from. Check out this thread from a few days back. Many of us put over 1,000 miles in our shoes, and at least 5 in that thread have worn single pairs over 3,000 miles, so the greater than 1100 km range compresses a lot of those into one category. Also a lot of us run a lot more than 100 km per week and have been running a lot more than 15 years. Also, completely used up/worn through should be a selection choice for motivation to change shoes.

https://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=9827473

Thanks - I've updated (more ranges have been added, but will take a little while to update fully).

5000 miles sounds implausible to me...

Been running 40yrs virtually nonstop. Lowest year 2019 at 1955 miles, many 3000+. 35+ Boston’s. Change shoes 200-300miles. One of few luxuries retired old fart has. Good luck running into older years putting 1000miles on shoes- if of course one wants to continue running

(May not think so now, but you will!)

Also worth mentioning, I tend to wear different shoes in the winter than summer, and put in different mileage. The terrain changes greatly.

The survey results would differ seasonally.

In your survey, you should add a category for recovery shoes, and an option to add more shoes in any one category.

I use two different "everyday" trainers. I use one for a week at a time and then switch it. These two are the Pegasus 36 trail and the Terra Kiger 5. I also own the Zoom Fly SP, which I sometimes use for "everyday" running.

I have two different "fast" shoes. The one I use each week depends on what my next race is. If my next race is 800-3000m or it's XC season, I work out in the Reebok Floatride Run Fast. If my next race is 3000-10000m, I work out in the Vaporfly Next%

For double runs and my warm-up on workout and race day, I use the Pegasus 35 Turbo.

For lifting, I use a heavily worn pair of Saucony Freedom ISO 2's.

As far as the mileage I get out of my shoes, it depends, but I usually get somewhere between 600 and 800 miles out of any given pair. I run 70-90 miles each week. I'm anticipating a maximum of 400-500 miles in my Reebok Floatride Run Fast and Vaporfly Next%. I got an average of 850 miles out of each of three pairs of HOKA Torrents.

I would have definitely suggested adding Xero shoes to your list. :)

In general, I think the idea of running shoes needing to be replaced before ~600 miles is such BS. Yeah, form issues can accelerate material deterioration, not to mention crappy materials to begin with, blah blah. It's not really that hard to get your run of the mill trainers to 600+ miles. And if it's a traditional shoe (ample cushion and such), it's still serviceable even after the foam compresses quite a bit (even better that way, some would argue). If it isn't obvious, I think a durable minimalist shoe is the way to go. Encourages better form and will tend to last longer, despite (or because of) the lack of cushy midsole. Anyway, to each their own.

I rotate through a bunch of different shoes every week and I don't really keep track of how many miles they get. You just know when the shoe is dead when you go for a run and they just feel bad. Idk I'd guess I retire them around 500 miles usually.

10:00am when stores open. Best time to buy,

My rule of thumb is pretty much 'when my legs start to ache consistently'. How many miles that is depends on the shoe. Right now I get ~1000 miles out of shoes with stack height approx 23mm. I've started alternating two pairs of shoes to let them recover a bit between runs, which seems to have helped and might give me a few hundred extra miles (one pair's at 1100+ right now). If I can get my weight below 150 (6' height, currently heavy at 157ish), I'm pretty confident the only time limit on the shoe would be holes in the upper.

Too squishy, visually falling apart, slipping on damp asphalt

I have a shoe problem , i think I have 8 pairs with less than 100 miles on them . I just got another pair of Peg's because I wanted a lighter color , other than Black or Dark Blue .

Thanks SnowRunner, I agree with you - the terrain would is likely a factor.

I considered other factors too:

Do you wear your shoes for anything other than running?

Do you rotate through multiple pairs concurrently?

How do you store your shoes?

What's your ground contact time?

What pace do you run at (easy runs, speed work etc.)?

I tried to create a shorter questionnaire (increase response rate)- this could be used to make something more comprehensive (people don't always love responding to longer instruments!).

So far, mainly men responding - be great to have a few more women answer....

I'm baffled by guys who can put more than 300 miles on a pair of shoes. For me, 200 seems to be where I notice a big difference, and anything beyond that feels like I'm rolling the dice (I've been injured in the past going beyond that mark).

I always run in lighter shoes, so I'm not sure if I'm just picking shoes that aren't meant to last. But when I look up durable running shoes, the first shoe that comes up is the Adidas Boston Boost, which is what I used to run in. The Boston Boost 6 were great shoes that felt very durable. I could get close to 300 with those. The Boost 7s were good shoes that felt more like racers (would always max out at 200 on those). The Boston Boost 8s are a complete joke.

I wonder if stride differences create uneven wear on shoes. I'm tall and have a long, loping stride. So maybe that contributes to wear in a way that a shorter runner wouldn't experience.

Questionnnaire done.

But think you should ask how many shoes currently in rotation

Questionnaire is now updated with more running mileage kms and miles

Could be your shoes. Could be your form. Probably a bit of both.

The big difference you feel after 200 might be one of the best indicators that you need to work on your form, not so much worry about the shoe (although a traditional running shoe which is somewhat compressed after 200ish miles, or a minimalist shoe, will give you more helpful feedback for fixing your form as compared to cushy traditionals in new or near-new condition).

Blame personal experience, but I can't fathom getting less than 500 out of a pair of shoes. This number may have been lower in high school, when my form was inefficient, probably closer to what you describe as your own stride.