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Are Your Running Shoes Overdue For A Change?

By Tim Irvine, MSc

You would think that after five marathons and thousands of kilometers of running, I’d know a bit better than to let my shoes get to the point where they are doing more harm than good. That’s just not the case.

I was recently reminded of this when I put on a new pair of Adidas Adi-Boosts. My current pair of ON (SWISS running shoe brand) shoes is ‘dead.’ That’s the best way I can describe it. There is just no comfort left, nor is there the support I had when I first put them on. I loved them when I tried them in the store and went for those first few comfy runs.

It’s the middle of July, and for most of us who run, it’s also the middle of the running season. A perfect time to reassess our shoe situation.

Running shoes are a bit like your friend’s kid that you haven’t seen for years. When you pay attention to them, you can’t believe how much they’ve changed and how much time has gone by, just like me and my running shoes. With that in mind, do you know how old your shoes are?

Our very own Victoria Lavinskas, the Running Physio, recommends changing your runners “…when the architecture of the shoe changes, and there is apparent wear and tear, or when the cushioning doesn’t bounce back anymore.” One of these recommendations is visual, and the other is by feel.

In the picture below, you will see my ‘old’ ON shoes. They don’t look that bad, and therein lies the problem. When they are stacked up against a brand new pair of any brand, they do look tired. For me, the feel is always the big tell. As soon as I put the Adidas on, I knew instantly that the ONs had literally worn out their welcome.

Jessie Nusselder, a trainer at Totum and a sub 5-minute 1500m runner, has additional information to factor in:

“Running shoes tend to have a ‘lifespan’ depending on the material they’re made of. The average shoe will last approx. 500km, and shoes made of lighter material like carbon will last approx. 150-200km. So, for the long-distance runner putting in about 75km of mileage per week, they should be changing their shoes every 6 months or so. While training in varsity, our mileage could be between 80-100km per week, which included more intense workouts, so we were recommended to get new running shoes every 4 months.”

The time is now to assess your footwear. Here are four steps to consider:

  1. Do they look old and worn?
  2. Does the tread on the sole of the shoe look worn, and is the heel misshapen?
  3. Are they more than four months old, and have you put on 20km or more weekly?
  4. Lastly, put them on and think about whether they feel ‘springy’ or ‘cushy.’ Yes, those are technical terms. 🙂

Answering the above questions will help guide your decision on whether to buy new shoes or continue with the current ones. If you are not sure, you likely need a switch.

When you do buy new shoes, put a reminder in your calendar four months from when you first put them on. This will be a good guide to remind you to check whether your shoes could use a replacement. If you haven’t run much, push your reminder out two more months. If you’ve been wearing them for day-to-day activities, that will still create wear and tear. Not as fast, but it still happens. Additionally, if you happen to be passing by a shoe store, just try a new pair on and see how they feel.

The point is, almost all of us wait too long, and if you are putting mileage on those shoes when they no longer provide support, you could be setting yourself up for an overuse injury.

Happy running in those comfy new shoes.

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Are Big Cushioned Running Shoes For You?

By Tim Irvine

One of my favorite health and wellness authors, Alex Hutchinson, wrote a great article on running shoes and how cushioning is all the rage. Almost everyone has a pair of ‘joggers’. Those are the ones that distance runners use and are specifically designed to help make running safer, more efficient, and faster. Well, at least that’s what the manufacturers are trying to do.

It only takes a moment in front of a wall of shoes at your favorite running store to see the huge variety in styles. In particular, we are in a time of big cushioning. Ten to fifteen years ago it was minimalist shoes with as little cushioning as possible. ‘Let the foot do what it’s supposed to do’ was the rationale. In part, that is still true, but we’ve evolved since then.

In Alex’s article, he references the Vaporfly by Nike as one of the reasons cushioning has taken off. It made a controversial improvement in elite running times. The improvement was substantial, and people questioned whether it was even fair. To their credit, Nike nailed the ‘performance’ side of their goal. The other great thing was it inspired lots of needed research about cushioning. You can read Alex’s article to find out lots of cool detail about research methodology, but the point of this article is to help educate you on your decisions when picking your own runners.

The most important part, which is also referenced in the article, is to choose a shoe that is comfortable and feels good for you. When I was running marathons, I used New Balance 501s. As I learned more about running, and shoes, the 501s would not have been a recommendation for me based on my foot mechanics and what that shoe was made for. But I have a wide foot and it was a wide shoe, so that was a comfortable fit. Don’t get me wrong, I do believe in matching your foot with a shoe that supports it properly, but if it’s not comfortable, it may create problems for you.

When you are buying that new pair, try at least three different models/brands. The more you try, the better your education and ability to find that perfect comfort level. Be cautious about any claims, as peer-reviewed research is growing but the evidence is still light.

Understanding your foot mechanics is also important. If your salesperson can’t provide some basics, then see someone like Victoria Lavinskas or Katie Snowden at Totum. They are exceptional therapists as well as runners and they can provide you an understanding of your own unique mechanics.

Eventually, the research will catch up and provide us with some more definitive guidance on how these different shoe designs help or hurt us. In the meantime, we take in all available information, match it with comfort, and get out and enjoy ourselves.

PS If you are looking to improve your running, or to get started in running and want to do it right, take a look at our RunSmart program. It’s an amazing education!

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RunSmart!

Are you or someone you know hitting the pavement or trails this spring? If so, we have two awesome resources for you.

RunSmart Workshop

We are hosting a RunSmart workshop on May 10th, 6pm at our King location. Our running physio, Victoria Lavinskas, and our running nutritionist, Tara Postnikoff, will help you…

  • Run Faster
  • Run farther
  • Stay injury free
  • Nutrition, technique, resistance work, and more

There is no cost to the workshop, but all attendees will receive 15% off a massage. Sign up here

RunSmart Immersive

If you are looking for the latest and most comprehensive look at running performance from all angles, we have you covered. Whether you are just getting started with running or you are experienced and looking for an edge, this program is a great match.

  • 20+ videos
  • Nutrition advice
  • Warmups
  • Injury prevention
  • 5k and 10k programs
  • Direct access to our professionals

Find out more or sign up here.