There is no clear cut device or method, using which you can find the exact time as to when to change your shoes. You can change your shoes however, using some common sense and with the help of some keen empirical observation. Usually the wear and tear of midsole offers a valuable clue regarding when to change your shoes. The midsole layer of a shoe provides the necessary cushioning and stability that a runner needs.
Approximate Time and Distance Limits For Changing the Running Shoes
Some approximate estimations of time and distance will help you in this regard. Usually the shoes are changed for every six months or approximately after covering a distance of 350-550 miles. A runner who runs four days per week at an average and covers a distance of approximately 3-5 miles per day falls in this category. Heavier runners usually change their shoes at a distance nearer to the upper limit. Lighter runners generally change their shoes at a distance nearer to the lower limit.
Other factors such as your running style, body weight and the surface on which you regularly run also contribute to the wear and tear of your running shoes and thus affect and decide the time for changing your shoes.
Testing the Midsole Area of Your Sneakers
- Usually the wear an tear of the midsole precedes the damage of all other parts of a shoe. Your bones and joints start aching as the pain sets in. Apart from these well known symptoms, the other symptoms include light muscle fatigue, new tightness or possible shinsplints. These put together are termed as overuse injuries.
- Look for wrinkles and folds in the midsole area which usually bears the brunt of your weight.
- The best indicator of a worn out midsole is the “twisting effect”. Just twist your shoe. You will find that it is easier to twist a shoe with worn out midsole than a normal one.
General Suggestions for Proper Maintenance of Your Running Shoe
Maintain a proper and accurate running log. This will not only remind you of the appropriate time to change your shoes but also gives you an idea about the quality of the sneakers that you have been using so far.
