I can’t seem to get more than 150 miles out of my training or race shoes - Gel Nimbus and Trainer DS respectively.
I’m a midfoot striker, I’m 200lbs, and I land on the outer side of my foot. The net of this is that one area of the sole is ground away to nothing, and the rest is still perfect.
I’m looking either for a recommendation for a shoe which might last a bit longer, or hints on repairing the soles. At 50 cents a mile, my Honda Accord is cheaper to run than my feet!
I had a similar problem with my Asics (Kayano). They would wear through across the sole right at the ball - would take just a few runs on asphault to do it, too. I opted for the Mizuno’s - they are a bit more mid foot friendly. I think they are the Wave Alchemy. I have yet to burn through the sole like I did with the Asics. I am 175.
I rotate shoes, I find that if a show would last 200 miles on its own, if I rotate it with another pair, i might get 250 or so out of em. Word is that it allows the rubber to decompress.
Many shoes these days use a lighter outsole, blown rubber, rather than carbon rubber, which is heavier but last longer. You might want to look for shoes with a carbon rubber sole which should allow you to get more miles out of your shoes.
However, even with the lighter rubber outsoles, if you are burning through shoes so quickly, you might want to have someone look at your running form, as that could be part of the issue. One running technical cue is “light on your feet”: if you are wearing out shoes in 150 miles, you are probably not running very light on your feet
I just replaced my Kayanos yesterday. They do seem to wear out pretty fast compared to other shoes. I brought my current Kayanos and my older Saucony Hurricanes (which have been my weekend and dog-walking kicks since I go the Kayanos). The Sauconies probably have 50-100% more run miles and about 10 months of casual wear miles on them, and show barely any wear on the sole. But for my feet, at least, the Kayanos are 100x more comfy! I tried on about 4 different shoes, including the new Hurricanes, and nothing else was even in the same comfort ballpark as the Asics for me.
Bottom line is that shoes are still cheap compared to bike equipment and race fees, so just get the ones that are the most comfortable for you.
Take Joel’s advice and have someone look at your stride. Sounds like you’re a severe under-pronator, which is impossible to help with shoes. If that’s the case, you want something flexible and cushioned. The Nimbus is just that, but just isn’t the right shoe. You may want to check out some other brands that may work better for you.
Make sure you have two pairs on the go and rotate the other pair for each run (i.e.: not the same pair you just used). It was the only way I found to stop buying new shoes every 2 months.
I am a supinator (high stiff arches, need a neutral shoe), and a fairly heavy runner as well. I switched to Mizuno from Asics and have found they do last longer for me, even with the two pair system. My nimbus used to last a good 350k before being relegated to xc/trails only, but my last pair of Mizuno wave creations lasted close to 600k, and they still have some trail running life left in them.