I was chatting with a friend this week, about buying new trainers.
‘You’re always new buying trainers’ she replied.
That *may* be true, but trainers, just like car tyres, do have a lifespan, anything from 300-500 miles, this can be clocked up pretty quickly when marathon training.
There are a number of factors can make your trainers wear out faster. How long a pair lasts depends on the brand, your running style and how well you look after them. You’ll also get more miles out of them on a treadmill than you would outdoors.
A tip I was told to get ‘more wear from your pair’ is to buy two pairs the same and wear them in a rotation. This gives them time to recover being compressed and an airing from sweaty feet. Studies have shown that rotating two pairs of shoes will help them last about the same amount of time as three non-rotated pairs.
So how do you know when it’s time to replace your runners?
- Look at them – If your soles are really worn or if your toe has poked a hole in the toe box then you’re probably due a shopping trip.
- Do the twist – hold your trainers at both ends and gently twist them. They should feel firm.
- You’ve developed new aches and pains – worn shoes that have lost their support and cushioning could be the culprit!
Old shoes can still have plenty of life in them – I tend to downgrade mine to gym shoes and wear them for spinning.
Runners Need has a ‘recycle my run’ scheme. Pop into store and drop them in the recycle bins. See here for more details
