When should you replace your running shoes?
Whether you run for fun or as a form of competition, it is important to know when to replace your shoes. Running on worn-down soles puts you as risk of incurring injuries and a visit to a foot health professional.
Here are some tips to help guide you through the process:
General Advice: you should change your running shoes every 350-500 miles which equates to buying a new pair every 6 months to a year. You can easily record your miles by keeping track of when you bought your shoes but under most cases, it should be fairly easy to know when your shoes are reaching their threshold. Your running shoes will show visible wear and tear such as uneven soles, creasing, cracks, and rips in the fabric. Once this happens, we highly recommend replacing your running shoes immediately.
Your Activity Levels and where you run: Training for a marathon could lead to you replacing your shoes every few months. Running on different terrain can also impact your shoes. Running on pavement versus running on a treadmill can cause more wear and tear on your running shoes. If you run on trails, we would recommend investing in shoes designed to handle rugged conditions. Your muscle mass and general weight can also have an impact on how fast your soles wear down.
Pay attention to your body: experiencing muscle pain, shin splints or aches on your knees and ankles is a good indication that your body is breaking down. If this happens, we recommend speaking with a foot health specialist to learn more about how to deal with these issues.
At River Podiatry, our team is ready to serve and consult in order to help you safely run at all times. Set up an appointment today to speak with our team of trusted foot health professionals.
