Many are wondering about when to change shoes for running but few think about how to make running shoes last longer. Yet good use and good maintenance can extend the life of your running shoes, allow you to run better and more, obviously save some money in the long run, and also do some good for the planet.
Right, manufacturers also approximately establish the obsolescence time of running shoes: generally between 500 and 1000 km your running shoes would need to be changed, because based on the model, type and materials this is the estimated “time” for the materials to wear out, from the sole to the midsole and even the upper. But just like with cars, motorbikes or bicycles, good conscious use of your shoes, and some attention before, during and after their use, it can extend their life cycle and allow you to clock up extra km. Let’s see how.
How to make running shoes last longer
There is no single rule for making running shoes last longer, and a lot can depend on the runner and his running style. Let’s take an example by taking the same pair of shoes with the same number and conditions of use: runner A is light, has a correct running technique, with light support and high frequency of steps; runner B, on the other hand, is much heavier, with an unbalanced support and uneven steps. It is easy to understand that runner B will have to change his shoes before runner A. Exactly like a driver with heavy feet, who always drags the gears and subjects his car’s engine to strong and continuous stress. But these are not the only factors that can make a pair of running shoes last more or less.
1. Buy shoes that fit your body and running style
As mentioned, we are not all the same: an agile and light runner could see a pair of minimalist shoes last a long time which would instead end up devastated in a short time on the feet of a runner with a heavy step or with many kg to carry around. Luckily on the market there are shoes for all tastes and needs, and if in addition to your physical shape you also pay attention to your wallet, a good shopkeeper can recommend the best one. value for money for your needs.
2. Improve your running technique
Technique is the tactic of life, a philosopher said, and he was right: if your goal is (also) to make your running shoes last longer, make your running more efficient by improving your technique. A comparison can help to understand better: if you always start off with skids in your car, take bends at high speed and brake suddenly, your tires will certainly last less than expected. With running shoes it’s basically the same thing.
3. Take into account when you bought them and how many km you travel
You can use a diary, but apps like Strava or Komoot also allow you to keep track of the shoes you are running with. In the end it’s a bit like keeping track of your car’s coupons to avoid running the engine with little or old oil: over time you will learn to know your shoes, to “feel” when they get old and also to understand why (for example one same pair of shoes may behave differently between summer and winter).
4. Use them only for running
It doesn’t even need to be said, but it’s better to repeat it: running shoes are designed for running, which is different from walking, even just because of the support of the foot. It may seem strange to you but the same pair of shoes could last longer if you only use them for running than for walking every day, going to the office or shopping.
The same goes for fitness workouts: running shoes are designed to proceed in a linear fashionforward, certainly not for sudden changes of direction, jumps, leaps, crawls or anything else you can do in the gym.
5. To the stage
Or rather, keep them clean. Not always, but from time to time yes. Dirt, mud, dust, sweat, debris can deteriorate the upper as well as the sole and midsole. Depending on the kilometers you cover, giving your running shoes a rinse can only do them some good.
6. No, not in the washing machine
It’s ok to wash them but never – never – in the washing machine: even just the mechanical action of rolling the basket is devastating for a pair of running shoes. If you then wear them with other items, and/or use an aggressive detergent, you can calmly begin to recite the de profundis for your running shoes. We have explained how to wash running shoes here.
7. Dry them
After a run in the rain, after training in the summer heat and a lot of sweat, after washing them: dry them. No, not on the radiator, not with the hairdryer: the runner’s secret is the newspaper stuck inside them (and changed frequently). Paper absorbs humidity quickly from the fibers (even synthetic ones) and avoids the formation of mold.
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8. Buy (and use) 2 pairs of running shoes at the same time
It may seem absurd and counter-intuitive to you, as well as an unnecessary expense, but instead Alternating and rotating 2 pairs of running shoes at the same time can allow you to make them both last longer. And save money in the long run. Running shoes are made of synthetic materials but with their own intrinsic “intelligence”, and if for example you run every day it may make sense to give them time to dry, regain elasticity and breathe. Or you could have one pair for short, quick workouts, and one pair for longer ones. In short, the combinations are many and completely personal, but having 2 pairs of shoes for running could prove to be a saving rather than an extra cost.
9. Avoid extreme temperatures
If you’ve never done it, we suggest a couple of experiments: leave your running shoes in the trunk of your car on a high summer day, with temperatures above 30°; or leave them in the garage in winter, with temperatures around 0°. And then try putting them on and running. Yes, they will seem like another pair of shoes, and most likely completely “incorrigible”. Even EVA, mesh, and all the other more or less synthetic materials used react to temperatures, not only immediately but also over the long term. As they say in these cases: Store in a cool, dry and ventilated place, away from heat sources. Just like a good wine.
10. Be careful what you buy
Of course, sometimes there are sensational offers that are difficult to pass up, and of course sometimes you fall in love with a model or version of running shoes that you continue to buy even when hunting for inventory. But precisely if the warehouse funds have been stored poorly, in humidity or with temperature changes, you will end up buying a pair of running shoes that are already old. If you really care, there is nothing more reassuring than the face of your trusted shopkeeper: if he looks you in the eyes he cannot give you a luxury.
11. Show them off properly
Yes, we all do it: we enter the house exhausted from our running, we place the tip of one foot on the heel of the other’s shoe and take them off like that, without even untying them. But let’s leave it to the rebellious teenagers, because it’s just the best way to stress and stretch the collar fabric or the heel shell, and make them loose over time, until the shoe no longer fits well on the foot and they will want to change it .
12. Use them for everyday life
But how, isn’t this in conflict with point 4? Yes, as long as you use them for running, but not when they are too “old” to run but they can still be good shoes for taking the dog for a walk, going for small errands or taking a relaxing walk. And here it is no longer a question of wallets and money, but of you extend the life cycle of the materials of things that we buy and use, and avoid putting more waste into the environment before its time has truly come.
Credits photo: FlickrCC M.Verch
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2024-03-18 09:13:59
#Running #Shoes #longer
