You might be wondering: What is the lifespan of running shoes. The average lifespan of a pair of running shoes is 500 kilometers. After this, you should replace them to protect your joints and prevent injuries. But how do you know when you have reached 500 km? Sometimes, it is hard to tell just how many meters you have covered in your shoes. If you start using adidas Running now or are already tracking your runs with it, in the future, you will know how many kilometers you have on your shoes. Now in adidas Running, you can use Shoe Tracking to know how many kilometers you have on your shoes and when it’s time to think about getting a new pair. Here are the details:
Tracking Running Shoe Lifespan with adidas Running
New, used or different models: in adidas Running, you can enter all the shoes you use during to track your runs, hikes and walks.
Tracking Running Shoe Lifespan for New Shoes
In the Profile Tab in your adidas Running, you’ll find “My Shoes”. From here, you can click on “Add your first shoe”. If you can’t find your shoe, you can always add a new model plus a photograph of your shoe. After you finish an activity, you can specify which shoe you ran with. The kilometers run will then be assigned to this shoe. You can also give your shoe a unique name!
Tracking Running Shoe Lifespan for Existing Shoes
Do you already have a pair of running shoes but don’t know exactly how many kilometers you have run in them? You can also add them in the same way mentioned above, but you’ll need to specify the date when you started running, hiking or walking with these shoes. From there, the kilometers you have covered since then will be assigned automatically to your shoes (as long as you used adidas Running to track your activities). You may learn your current running shoes have already exceeded their lifespan!
Tracking Shoe Lifespan Across Multiple Pairs of Running Shoes
Do you like to switch between different running shoes, like trail running shoes? No problem. You can save several different shoes in adidas Running Runtastic app. After each running activity, you can choose which pair of shoes you wore.
Tracking the lifespan of running shoes in this way can help you see which shoes you run the most, how much life is left in the shoes, and even which pair of shoes make you faster.
Running Shoe Lifespan is Around 500km
adidas Running keeps you up-to-date on the lifespan of your shoes. If you have already reached the 500-kilometer mark, the app informs you and suggests you start looking for a new pair of shoes.
Why Tracking Running Shoe Lifespan in Miles or Kilometers is Important
Studies on the lifespan of running shoes suggest that their ability to absorb shock diminishes over time, thus increasing the risk of injury. Cook, Kester and Brunet found in The American Journal of Sports Medicine in as early as 1985, that the initial cushion of running shoes dropped to 67% after about 150 miles (240 kilometers) and further to 60% after a little more than 500 miles (800 kilometers)[1].
5 Ways to Tell if You Should Replace Your Running Shoes
- You have run more than 500 km in that pair of shoes.
- Your shoes have poor shock absorption compared to when they were new.
- The midsole of your running shoes is worn out. Test this by flexing the shoe so that the toe can touch the collar where you slide your foot to enter the shoe. If the toe can touch the collar, your running shoes are far beyond their lifespan.
- You start to get joint pains from running or other pains.
- Worn-down shoe soles mean your running shoes need to be replaced since this part of the shoe wears even slower than the cushioning.
5 Ways to Extend the Lifespan of Your Running Shoes
- Use running shoes only for running. Use other shoes for activities like core workouts, hiking or even walking.
- Buy the right shoe for you by following this running shoe buyers’ guide. An incorrect shoe for your running gait will prematurely wear out your running shoes. Moreover, some shoes will last longer than other shoes. For example, racing flats will not last nearly as long as trail running shoes.
- Don’t let your shoes get too hot (like sitting in the sun or a hot car) or too cold (like leaving them outside in below-freezing weather). Extreme temperatures degrade the rubber faster.
- Wash your shoes by hand if they get dirty or stinky. Never wash your running shoes in a washing machine. Follow manufacturer instructions (generally, this means warm soap and water).
- Dry your shoes if they become wet from rain, snow or sweat. Stuff old newspaper inside the shoe and pull out the tongue to get maximum ventilation through the shoe. The newspaper will help absorb moisture (and avoid bacterial growth that leads to stinky running shoes). Point a fan at the shoes if possible. Never put your running shoes on a heater to dry out, as this can melt the rubber or even be a fire hazard. For really stinky situations, add some baking soda inside the shoe to absorb lingering odor and eliminate bacterial growth or mold.
New Life for Running Shoes Past Their Lifespan
Do you care about sustainability? Most shoes leave a pretty big ecological shoe print. Recycling your shoes isn’t going to be easy. They are made of a wide variety of materials – leather, fabrics, metals, rubber, plastic, etc. – and everything is glued and sewn together, making them difficult to separate. So why not buy a pair of shoes whose uppers are entirely made of yarns and fibers that have been recycled from trash and illegal fishing nets taken from the world’s oceans? Check out adidas Primeblue and Primegreen products.
Get adidas Running and start tracking your fitness activities. No matter the distance, it counts – and adidas Running keeps track of it for you.
Check out these other posts to level up your running:
- How to increase running stamina
- 9 best performance foods for runners
- 15 exercises to build glute strength (and a bigger butt)
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