How to Make Your Running Shoes Last Longer

Tigers can’t survive 15 years in wildlife but survive 20 – 25 in cages. Do you know why? Because of extra care. Regular food supply, Medical care, and safety from most natural threats.

The above example was just a motivation that if you take care of running shoes (or anything) it can survive more. Today, we’ll learn about how to make your running shoes last longer.

Giving more life to running shoes also depends on their usage. Typically, Running shoes have a life of 300-500 miles or 3 to 5 months.

Some factors also involve damaging a running shoe life that can be, the “Surface you are running”, “Weather condition”, “Your body weight” and, “Your running routing”

Running with a high BMI on concrete floors can disturb shoe life compared to running with an average weight on soft tracks.

Let’s start. 

Here are a few tips/methods that can enhance the life of running shoes.

Untie your laces before taking off your shoe.

As soon as we reach our doorstep the first thing we do is take off our shoes by sliding out our feet without untying laces. Taking off the shoes without loosening laces can affect the heel counter of your trainers.

Similarly, when putting on the shoes before a run we should make sure that we loosen the laces before sliding our feet in. Kicking out the feet from trainers by putting pressure on the heels can affect the heel counter as well as the innersole.

Cleaning out our trainers

After a long run, we often collect mud and all sorts of dirt on our shoes. Our priority after the run should be to clean out that dirt from our shoes and look out for any wear and tear.

We suggest cleaning your shoes by hand as it is the safest way to do it. We are cautious about it, even more, when our runner Patronella has lost 4 pairs of running shoes in less than 2 by putting them in the washing machine.

After losing it all, she wrote an article on our website to guide the world about dont’s running shoes (See how to clean your running shoes.)

Drying out our trainers

Drying out trainers after cleaning or after a long is a key to making our running shoes last longer.

We can simply put our trainers directly under the sunlight to dry them off, but over-exposing them to the sunlight can harm the longevity of your shoes.

A better way to dry out your shoes is by placing newspaper inside your shoes. By placing the paper inside the shoe we are simply absorbing the added moisture.

There are people who prefer drying their shoes by putting them in the dryer of a washing machine, doing so can increase the chances of damaging the sole.

Using heaters and radiators is another way of drying out the shoe, it is quite effective but overexposing the shoe can soften the adhesive that keeps the shoe intact.

Rotating your running shoes.

If you are a regular runner make sure to invest in 2-3 pairs of running shoes and keep them on a weekly or daily rotation.

Switching the shoes on a regular basis is good for your feet as you don’t get accustomed to one type of shoe, but it is also good for the longevity of your shoe as the foam inside your trainers gets to rest as well.

The midsoles in our shoes have tiny air bubbles which help in absorbing the shock, these microbubbles get weakened when pressure is applied during running and they need rest to recharge them.

It can take up to 48 hours for the midsoles to expand back to full strength after a long run. So spreading out a load of your trainers can help recharge the midsoles and can easily add more miles.

Use your running shoes for running only

We often abuse our running shoes by wearing them more often, be it by going out to buy groceries, going to the gym, or just walking down the alley.

We can make our running shoes last longer if we discipline ourselves to use them for running only. Using your running shoes for weight training inside the gym can put added pressure on shoes that they aren’t designed for.

If you are someone who does cardio as well as weight training inside the gym then make sure you take 2 pairs of shoes to the gym one for the treadmills and the other for weight training.

Takeaway

If you’re a runner, you know the feeling all too well. You just bought a brand new pair of shoes, and within a few months, they’re already starting to feel worn down. Why do shoes wear down so fast?

There are a few reasons why shoes wear down quickly, especially if you’re a runner. First, shoes are made of materials that can break down over time, especially if they’re constantly being exposed to the elements and to wear and tear. Second, shoes naturally compress over time, which means they lose some of their cushioning and support. And finally, the human foot is not a perfect structure, so over time, shoes will start to conform to the shape of your foot, which can cause them to wear down more quickly.

There are a few things you can do to help extend the life of your shoes, though. First, be sure to rotate your shoes often, so that they don’t get too much wear and tear in one spot. Second, invest in a good shoe storage system so that your shoes don’t get squished and damaged when you’re not wearing them. And finally, be sure to take care of your shoes by cleaning and drying them properly after each use. With a little bit of care, you can help your shoes last longer – and save yourself some money in the process.