Training Thursday: Why You Should Vary Your Running Shoes

Happy Training Thursday and Friday-eve! Can you believe that I’m back to blogging at least once a week?!? I know- maybe I shouldn’t gloat too much. You never know what can happen over the next few weeks! This past weekend we had a scare with my Dad, who had a small heart attack. So, I was unable to bring you my weekend recap. He is doing much better now (he also had a stroke less than 3 years ago, so we are very very lucky with him) and hope that varying his medications will decrease his chances of having another one. I’ve heard of being blessed (and also unfortunate) with being in the “know” regarding healthcare when you become a nurse, but I definitely experienced it this past weekend. I knew what his prognosis could be, what they should be doing with his treatment (and maybe, what they didn’t do well-enough) and also hopeful when test results started coming back. Guess this means I’m almost an RN now or something?

Anyways, let’s bring you back into the running world and discuss why you should vary your running shoes! I never wear the same running shoe twice in a row and always switch them up based on the workout I’m doing/ running route I’m going on/ how I’m feeling etc.

They provide your feet with varied pressure points and challenge them.

Your feet are less likely to become relaxed if you’re constantly changing where they have cushion/ where there is less cushion/ where you have more vs. less support. It’s like a small workout for not just your feet, but also your body. You are forced to adjust your form to adapt to the change-of-scenery for your feet. If you’re going out for a run, why not get the most out of it and challenge your feet in a new way (and give them a vacation from the shoes that you wore yesterday)!

Your performance will improve if you have the right type of equipment.

If you have the necessary equipment, then you’re better prepared for the environment (and that includes your running shoes)! If I know that I’m going to be running on the roads, then I grab my shoes that have better grips (like my Brooks Cascadia or Ghosts). If I know that I’m going to be on the track, then I grab for my lightest shoes (Brooks Launch is my favorite). You also should be varying your running routes and terrain to save your joints from the constant wear-and-tear of the same terrain.

You’ll decrease your chance of injuries.

I haven’t (knock-on-wood) dealt with an injury related to running since I began rotating through my running shoes often. Before, I may have grabbed for the same shoe twice in a row or hung onto that beloved pair of sneaks for a bit too long. Now, I know that if I want to prevent injuries -> I never grab for the same thing twice and I retire my shoes earlier rather than later (a new pair of running shoes is a lot less expensive than repeated sessions of physical therapy or surgery)!

What goes with one outfit, certainly doesn’t go with another. (Just Kidding- well, kinda…)

I mean if you don’t look or feel cute in your running outfit, then are you even doing it right? I’m just kidding! But seriously, I save my favorite shoes (currently Brooks Glycerins) for those runs when I need some extra pep in my step. Maybe you’ve got a favorite pair of sneaks or those ‘special sneakers’ or maybe you need a pair! Whatever it is, I think that everyone should get their own pair of ‘ruby red slippers’ like Dorothy has and feel like they’re “home” when they slip into them.

When To Replace Your Shoes?

I’ve had my fair share of running injuries over the years- Achilles Tendonitis, Shin Splints, Plantar Fasciitis, Some weird Inner-Arch-of-My-Foot-Pain. Though all of my running set-backs, I’ve learned how important it is to replace your running shoes! I actually now rotate through my running shoes each week. I went crazy and purchased around 6 different pairs before running the MS Run The US and am still working my way through them. I think that it’s really helped me to not wear the same sneaker two days in a row. I’m distributing the wear & tear on the shoes (so I’m extending their life) and also distributing my foot stride/strike since I’m wearing different shoes on each run! So, how can you tell when it’s time to replace your shoes?

1. Try to keep a log of your shoes.

   This can get kinda challenging when you add in multiple shoes into your rotation, but for a long time I kept a log of each run that I would do and what shoes I was wearing. Although I’ve since stopped the log, I still have a general idea of what shoes have A LOT of miles on them and what shoes might still have a few 100 miles on them. Normally the rule of them is that a new pair of running shoes can take you between 300-500 miles. I actually get MORE out of most of my shoes (I find that speed work shoes, like my beloved Launches, have less support so I don’t get more than ~400 miles out of them) because I swap the soles out for Superfeet when I hit around 300 miles in them.

2. Take note when you feel ‘off’ after your run

Normally if I feel any sort of weird aches or pains after a run, I’ll go straight to what shoes I was wearing. I might feel like my achilles is a bit tighter, my plantar fasciitis could start acting up, or my ankles are just sore. Maybe it was the run or the terrain I was on, but I always like to factor in my shoes. For example, I had a treadmill run a few months ago where I was just doing some easy miles and immediately got a weird pain in my shin -> I was wearing a pretty old pair of shoes and decided that it was time to retire them. I haven’t had any sort of pain like that since then.

3. Look at the bottom of your shoes

Take a look at the tread of your shoes. This can tell you A LOT about where your weight is when you land (is it in the middle? off to one side? do you have multiple wear spots?) and also how does the tread look? If it’s worn down to nothing compared to other parts of your tread, then it might be time to consider investing in a new pair of shoes. There are a few of my shoes that I’ve recently noticed have almost no tread in my forefoot striking area -> I’ve ordered 3 new pairs of shoes!

4. Take a look at your insole.

I pull mine right out of the shoe and look inside to see where there is ‘less life’. Is one part smashed right down or does it look pretty even throughout the entire sole? Mine normally start to squish down near the pad of my foot, which tells me that it’s time to retire them.

5. If your new shoe doesn’t give you anything -> time to retire

So what do I mean by ‘not give you anything’? I mean LOTS OF THINGS! Does it no longer give you excitement when you pop it on? Does it no longer feel like it’s providing you with support/ spring/energy/return when you run in them? Do they feel like you’re weighed down more than you used to feel (new shoes should always feel like you’re on springs, but really worn out shoes -> I feel like I’m ‘stuck in mud’ on my runs)?

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So, when do you replace your shoes?

How many shoes do you currently have in your rotation?

When was the last time you got some new pairs?

I just ordered three new pairs (thank you Birthday gifts ; ) …)- Launches (for speedwork), Caldera (for trails), & Ghosts (for everyday road runs). I’ll donate the oldest pairs of my shoes and will work towards getting another pair of the Ghosts and probably another gore tex trail runners because you never know when it might be snowy/rainy/muddy on race day!