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Running shoes are typically only designed to last for at most 500 miles. It's just hard to make a foam material that can provide cushion but also not break down
by jartelt 7y ago
Running shoes are typically only designed to last for at most 500 miles. It's just hard to make a foam material that can provide cushion but also not break down over time (and still not cost a fortune).
I think the best practice is to only use your running shoes when you run. Wearing them around town as you do errands just adds the amount of time you are compressing the foam in the soles. That said, the old running shoes still work fine for walking around after the 500 mile mark. They just don't provide much cushion to absorb impact.
- hammock 7y agoTrue, maybe some shoes could be designed with replaceable soles though (so you can preserve the upper). Probably not economical since shoes are so cheap to make anyway and the sole is probably the most costly part.
- mattlondon 7y agoI've found that about 300-350 miles for actual running works for me (but then I am a bit of a heavier build) - by then the soles and insole are fairly worn. I do not doubt that I probably get a good 100+ miles extra wear where I am not actually running. 300 feels low, but when you get into a new pair of basically the same trainer after running around in a 300-350 mile old pair, the new ones feels amazing in comparison so I feel like there is some accuracy in that.
- gregoryl 7y agoA neat trick to get a few extra hundered per pair is buy two, and alternate. It appears that giving the cushioning more than 24 hours to decompress increases the lifespan.