A Shoe's Life

warning: this section contains mild mathematics that some readers may find disturbing.

We can all agree that theses are old shoes; dirty and warped mesh, compression in the midsole, and wilted tread.. Do you think they can go 50 more miles? How about 100 miles? My knees hurt a bit when I am running should I just replace the insole? Not sure about these answers? We are here to help!!>

Here, among us, there are people with the super-human ability to just KNOW when a shoe is finished. There are others who log every single mile in what I can only assume as a pretty stellar spreadsheet. Luckily for the rest of us, we can estimate the shoe's life span in months based upon mileage. Behold the chart:

Lets play around with these numbers a bit.  Lets say you've had a pair of shoes for 12 months.  To reach the 300 - 500 range you would be walking/running in the shoes a minimum of 6 miles/week to about 10 miles/week.    If you're replacing your shoes every 2 years at the 300 - 500 mile mark, then you would be averaging between 1/2 mile to 1 1/2 miles a day. Studies suggest that Americans take about  5,000 steps a day, or about 2 miles each day outside of exercise. If you are using your shoes at all, then it is best to assume you need to be replacing them every 6 months. 

At Fleet Feet we can help you spot the signs of wear on your shoes.  We look at the midsole foam to see if there's any portion that is fatally compressed, the tread to see if there's excessive wear, and we can test the shoe to see if the cushioning and stability is still in good condition.  If you have any questions about the life-span or wear of your shoes, then stop by either location and we can look it over with you.  Never push your luck with worn shoes.