Spring is here and many people have started to head outside and begin or continue their running program.  Have you recently begun running?  Are you tracking your miles each week?  As you are tracking your miles each week, are you also keeping track of the miles on your shoes?  It is very common to keep track of how many miles you are running each week, but the amount of miles put on your shoes is an important thing many of us overlook. Wearing shoes that are worn and no longer provide support can cause a lot of problems that we all want to avoid.

Why is proper foot support in our shoes important?

If your shoes are not providing proper support, it could result in an injury that could have been avoided with a new pair of shoes.  In fact, exercising in shoes that have too many miles on them is one of the leading causes of injuries to the lower extremity. Some of the injuries that could result from unsupportive footwear are shin splints, plantar fasciitis, stress fractures, and patellarfemoral syndrome (knee pain).

How often should my shoes be replaced?

It is very important to replace your shoes because they lose shock absorption. Running shoes should be replaced every 400 miles. At 400 miles, shoes can lose up to 80% of their shock absorption.  You may have a pair of shoes that are brand new, but have been sitting in your closet for a year.  These shoes need to be replaced as well.  After a year of just sitting on a shelf, shoes lose up to 50% of their shock absorption.  If you notice that your knees or feet are beginning to hurt, it may also be a sign that it is time to invest in a new pair of shoes.

Where should I go to get running shoes?

A good place to go to get new running shoes is a specialty running store.  Some examples of these stores are Front Runner, Fleet Feet, etc.  In some stores, they have trained their employees to watch you walk and suggest shoes based upon the kind of support your foot needs.  Then they may allow you to take the shoes outside and run in them to get an idea of how they will feel when you are exercising.  Avoid buying shoes off the internet.  When you buy online you have no idea how long a shoe has been sitting on the shelf, versus in a store the turnover in stock is likely to be more often. Remember, a shoe can lose 50% of it’s shock absorption sitting on a shelf for a year.