Sneakers - when to retire? (Note: i'm fat)

Triathlon Forum
1

Hi,

I have read that sneakers are usually good for about 400/500 miles.

I’m at 200 and am starting to have some pain in the knees and calves. I’m wondering if being on the larger side (245 lbs) will accelerate the decay of my sneaks.

Any thoughts?

Thanks!

2

I think it really depends on the sneaker and how many treadmill miles versus outdoor miles you’re putting in.

3

Brooks Ghost…have been using them for years.

I’d say 50/50 between mill and road.

4

This is hugely individual… It depends on the runner, weight (as you note), the shoe, age, typical running surface, etc. For example, I know that I only get about 350 miles from a pair of Asics GT-2000 shoes. My knees start to get sore around that limit. I am trying a pair of Hoka Bondi 7 shoes now. They have a little over 300 miles, but I think they are approaching end of life for other reasons - the outsoles look like they are wearing much faster than the Asics even though I expected more life from the midsoles.

In a nut, you just have to figure it out for yourself and ditch the shoes when you think they are causing issues.

5

In a nut, you just have to figure it out for yourself and ditch the shoes when you think they are causing issues.

Exactly this. I quit tracking miles because it just doesn’t seem to matter in the end to me. When they don’t feel good anymore, they go.

6

The advice you are getting seems correct to me.

I get more mileage by using different shoes for each run type. I end up having 3 pairs, long run, interval and “regular”. I think that giving the shoes a rest between runs helps them live longer. The owner of the running shoe store has a theory that switching up shoes is also good for your body, it changes things up and helps prevent some injuries. He has talked me out of purchases before and talked me into cheaper shoes so I don’t think he is just trying to sell more shoes.

I change shoes when my knees start to hurt. I get a very specific “knife in the side of my knee” pain when the shoes are getting old.

I track mileage on all 3 as a double check to the knee pain and to get an early warning when I expect the shoes to run out.

For me, it is cheaper/smarter to replace shoes a little early rather than go too long and potentially hurt myself.

7

If you can afford it, have a rotation of shoes. This way if you are feeling off from a worn pair but not a fresh pair you can blame the shoe. Also I believe you get more miles out of each pair because they aren’t getting pounded every day, it gives the foam time to decompress. Finally you can get fast shoes for fast days, cushioned shoes for long easy runs, etc…

8

Hi,

I have read that sneakers are usually good for about 400/500 miles.

I’m at 200 and am starting to have some pain in the knees and calves. I’m wondering if being on the larger side (245 lbs) will accelerate the decay of my sneaks.

Any thoughts?

Thanks!

Typically I see larger runners, less economical runners, those that pound the ground getting less miles on their shoes. The faster, lighter, more economical runners will typically get more miles out of their shoes.

One former pro runner who I fitted for shoes had > 1000 miles on a pair of Adidas shoes that he said still felt good. That’s the exception. I’ve also helped pro triathletes & runners who said they ditched shoes bc they felt bad after <200 miles.

There are at least 2 runners who do a lot of running in shoes other than what their sponsor provides bc their sponsor shoes don’t feel good after 2-3 weeks of running in them.

Your best bet is get more than 1 pair of shoes and rotate through them. Stagger their start dates so they both aren’t dying at the same time. Don’t worry about miles on the shoes, worry about how they feel. Replace as needed. That could be 200 miles for some shoes and 500 for others.

9

I retire shoes when they get holes in them, normally inside near my heel.

Normally I get 600+ on most every day shoes but I started getting noises from my Endorphin Speeds at 430 miles so those got retired early.

10

100% biomechanical.

I get about 250 miles, no matter how much cushion, nor how expensive the shoes are. I’m a bit of a pounder, and it doesn’t matter if I’m 150lbs or 220lbs, once I hit around 250 lbs, I’m sore the next morning after a run.

11

I think it is highly individual. I retire shoes around 300 miles. I’m about 135 pounds (5’8”). When I was marathon training and running a high volume I’d change shoes every 200 miles; I’d finish them off in the off season when I was running less frequently.