Shoes wear out. For hybrid racers, who use their shoes for running, sleds and stations, they can wear faster and in different ways from pure running shoes.
Mileage is a rough guide
A commonly quoted range for running shoes is several hundred kilometres, but it varies widely with the shoe, your weight, how you run and what else you do in them. Sled pushes and lunges add wear that does not show up as distance.
Signs of wear
Outsole
- Smooth patches where the pattern has worn away.
- Exposed foam.
- Less grip on the sled. See outsole grip on race carpet.
Midsole
- Creases in the foam.
- Feels flat or less bouncy.
- Uneven wear when viewed from behind.
Upper
- Holes, especially at the toe.
- Heel counter feels soft.
- Foot moves around more.
Your body
- New aches in knees, shins or feet after runs.
Extending shoe life
- Rotate pairs. See why a two-shoe rotation makes sense.
- Use them for their purpose. Keep race shoes for race-specific sessions.
- Dry them properly. See cleaning and drying shoes.
Race shoes
Make sure your race shoes still have good grip and structure, but are broken in. See breaking in race-day shoes.