Once we find a shoe that fits our feet perfectly, we feel like Cinderella finding her glass slipper; our perfect shoe hugs our feet in all the right places, it has just the right amount of cushion, and carries us far pain free! But then, all of a sudden, it seems falls apart even though it was bought only six months ago! How can this be? 

As much as we would love for our shoes to last us forever or to carry us for a few years, the reality is that they just cannot handle that much wear and tear. Especially when it is our favorite and we wear it every day. This is a conversation we try to bring up in the store during fitting consultations. As busy as we are and as much as our feet are used, shoes break down faster than we think. 

What factors cause shoes to break down?

Shoes break down in many different ways and at different rates depending on how you are using them. The first thing to look when considering how long your shoes will last is the way you are using the shoe. This includes different surface types like concrete, hardwood floors, asphalt, tile floors, gravel, trails, etc. Harder surfaces are tougher on shoes. You will also want to look at how often and how long you use the shoe. This also includes long periods of standing (12 to 15 hrs), as well as running mileage, walking mileage, and if you run/walk/exercise in the same pair of shoes. Adding all these factors together, you can see that our shoes end up with a lot of wear and tear. If you run twenty to twenty five miles a week then your shoes will probably need to be replaced at the four month timeframe. Running twenty to twenty five miles a week puts the shoe at 340-425 miles in four months. This isn’t taking into account all the times you just threw them on your feet to walk the dog, go to the grocery store, etc.

As a rule of thumb a good shoe will withstand about 500 miles maximum. This doesn’t necessarily mean that the shoe will look completely worn out (though it probably will at that point!) but it does mean the cushion and support it once offered will have broken down significantly to the point that you are not getting the same benefit from the shoe. Wearing a shoe past this point can cause more pressure in joints and muscle groups in the leg, causing the leg to overcompensate which could lead to injuries, higher risks of blisters, numb feelings after long wears, and so much more! Becoming aware of when a shoe that did not hurt two months ago begins to suddenly cause pain not experienced before is important! Preventing injuries can be as easy as tracking mileage and wear from the date of purchase. 

How do you make your shoes last longer?

Some of the ways we can make those amazing shoes last longer is to have separate uses for different shoes. If you have a pair of running shoes you love, keep those different from working/walking shoes. If you have a pair of working/walking shoes you love keep those different from the ones you exercise in. This is beneficial as our shoes start to mold to our feet a bit more. Each gait pattern is different as we complete those everyday activities. 

As much as we love certain shoes, sometimes we have to part ways and invest in another pair to keep those feet happy, healthy, and going the extra mile.  If this is something you may find trouble with, we examine shoes and walk patterns at Terra, just bring in those shoes with you, and we can help navigate you through the process.

Oh and once it is time to get rid of those old shoes, bring them to us at Terra! We participate in a shoe recycling program that works to keep old pairs out of landfills.