Goodbye Running Shoes
It's that time of the year, it's time to retire my running shoes (THE running shoes I ran a marathon in) and get new ones.
Letting go, and recycling shoes.
I'm about to move back to NYC and in doing so, have spent some time sorting and cleaning out my closet. Now, I'm no pack rat, but I have a sentimental connection to running shoes, the miles logged in each shoe represents an achievement, a time of my life... But, I have my last 6 pairs of running shoes... Most of them are no longer good for running, but are fine for everyday wear. Someone who's not pounding out several hundred miles on their shoes would be A-OK to wear them. I generally donate them to Goodwill or Salvation Army, but for the shoes that are a bit more worn out, or missing the insoles, I found out that Nike will recycle shoes (just drop them off at any Nike store) and they can even become part of an athletic surface. Neato, and way to go Nike for being socially responsible. http://www.nikereuseashoe.com/
How to know when it's time to get new running shoes?
If you're like me and super prone to injury, new running shoes is crucial (right up there with orthotics) to preventing over-use injuries. The first sign for me when I need new shoes is ankle pain and shin splints... the evil kind of shin splints that have me spending way too much time with a foam roller.
The shock absorption and the support in the shoe can go out long before you start to see significant wear on the sole of the shoe, especially if you buy stability or motion control shoes that have wide bottoms of tougher material.
Heres a short list on how to know when it's time to buy new shoes:
1. It's been 6 months or more- no matter what your mileage has been.
2. After putting between 300-500 miles on the shoe (depends on the type of shoe)
3. Pain- such as shin splints, back pain, foot pain etc.
Always remember to buy your running shoes at least one size up from your normal shoe size. Feet swell when running long distances, and shoes that are too tight can cause a lot of problems- blisters and black toenails being the most common.
Don't buy shoes based on the way they look, buy them for the way they fit, and if it's not broke, don't fix it! (i.e. Why change shoes just for something new, if your shoes are working for you, buy the same shoe again) For my last two shoes, I've been running in the Mizuno Wave Alchemy 8's, which were recently upgraded to the 9's whose reviews are not great, saying they aren't as cushioning as the 8's. (Which was why I went with the Alchemy, considerable control + cushioning) So now I'm looking for a brand new shoe (or for a random running store somewhere in the US that has a few of the 8's leftover). It's a frustrating task to find the right new shoe. I always buy new running shoes from running specialty stores- not only do they have special equipment for determining the right shoe, but the workers are normally passionate enough about running that they're going to understand why you try on 12 pairs of shoes before deciding that the first one was the right one.
All this shoe talk makes me want to go out for a run.... How many miles are you running this weekend?
