Five Ways To Extend The Life Of Your Running Shoes

Even quality running shoes generally don't last more than 500 miles

. If you are heavier than average it can be significantly fewer miles than that. As a result, the serious runner can end up spending a small fortune on shoes over their lifetime and substituting for cheap sneakers is not a wide option as quality engineered running shoes will provide greater foot arch support, less fatigue, improved running comfort, and consequently less leg and foot pain. All of this means that ultimately you will be saving money in the long run by preventing costly injuries and chronic damage. The following are recommendations that will help to extend the life of your running shoes.

1 - Store your shoes in a cool, dry place. You want avoid heat and you want to avoid moisture. The first will cause your items to crack and the latter will cause the matrix that makes up the sole to compress. In addition, you will want to alternate your running shoes because running does compress the sole, particularly when it is wet the shoe needs time to air out and return to it's original form. Giving it the proper amount of time to recover is paramount to keeping your shoes in good shape.

2 - Avoid getting you shoes wet. Running shoes are made for running, not for playing in the puddles. However, if you're running rain or shine, they're going to get wet sometimes, or they've been worn so much that a trip through the washer is a must. If this happen, take great care as you dry them. Remove the insole and laces and hang out the shoes upside down to air dry. Do not leave them in the sun, on a furnace vent, or dry them in the dryer. Dry your insole the same way. Direct heat can be damaging to leather increasing the vulnerability of the shoe to crack and making the structure of the sole more likely to break down.

3 - Wear your running shoes only while running. Admittedly, I find my running shoes very comfortable, particularly because I have a naturally high arch which my running shoes support better than average, but if you want your shoes to last, save them for the task they were created for. What breaks down a running shoes is the constant weight on the engineered sole. Wearing the shoes for ten hours a day is nearly the equivalent to running in them ten hours a day, maybe a little less, but you will save money by having a different pair of shoes for you everyday activities. Remember, that shoe can wear out before 500 miles is up if you are standing in them all day and that can translate into costly foot and leg injuries.

4 - Unlace your shoes when taking them off. We all want to just slip off our shoes immediately when we get home, but slipping hour shoes off and putting them back on without loosening the laces leads to stretching out the shoe creating a poorer fit that leads to less functionality and a shorter life.

5 - Don't buy cheap running shoes. Cheap shoes mass produced in a foreign company, while looking like the running shoes you see in the store, have little similarity in the engineering. They are effectively you basic shoe with a laminated on design to make them look sporty. As a result, there is no advanced engineering to improve your run and no reason for them to last longer than a couple hundred miles. What you can expect is to spend less time running and more time recovering from your last run. Though counter-intuitive, cheap running shoes are actually more costly.

There are many things you can do to extend the life of your running shoes. The main keys are to avoid getting them wet, avoid exposing then to direct dry heat, and giving them adequate time to air out between runs. In addition, stick with quality shoes with a solid leather upper and an engineered sole and not only will you have a better run, but be financially better off.

by: JD Hoopes

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