I just bought a new pair of running shoes, and I’m reasonably sure that it was long overdue.
Experts recommend you replace your running shoes every 500 to 750 kilometers. That’s roughly every 300 to 500 miles, which equates to approximately four to six months for someone who runs 20 miles per week.
In the last nine months, I have run 9-12 miles a week and purchased my last pair in October of 2018. I didn’t run at all in the winter of 2018. I started running in April of 2019 and was about 9 miles a week in October 2019. That winter, I ran all winter on my treadmill, mostly barefoot. Still, with the number of miles I’ve done from April 2019 -Aug 2020, I’m sure to put me over that 500 miles.
Since I don’t run in shoes during the winter, I figure once a year would be a suitable replacement for somebody that runs as much as I do. The above graph shows that I buy shoes about every other year, but this was when I wasn’t running consistently. So I’ll plan on buying a replacement in Aug of next year.
Below: Are the old/vs new running shoes that I just purchased. Identical shoes, but the ones on the left have higher mileage. These were long overdue for replacement.
When I got the new running shoes, I went for a run and was happy with how they felt and pushed it a little faster than I usually run. It turns out I ran my second fastest 5k time in about six years. (my most rapid in the last six years was the Blue Ribbon Run last year 31:46 – my fastest ever is a 27:06 – but that was when I was training for a half marathon and probably ten years younger).
I was pleased with my last time and was very glad to see one 10 minute mile, but another goal is to get back to being able to do 30 min 5ks. That amount of time is perfect (in my opinion – at this size) for a training run.
