So when do you change your running or sports shoes, when is it time to buy a new pair of shoes. Talking about utility and necessity, your new purchase surely need not follow the latest shoe release of a famous brand name. Buying a pair of new shoes to replace your existing sports shoes, costs money and that is rarely in huge supply! On the other hand wearing worn out and dilapidated running shoes, can cause serious injuries. Over times, these problems can cost you dearly in terms of medical attention. Your exercise activities can also become irregular due to pain and aches, this obviously takes a toll on your health.
In this report we review a few factors that can make it necessary to replace a pair of sports or athletic shoes. For the purpose of our discussion, the term ‘shoes’ can imply walking or running shoes, sports shoes and athletic shoes. To begin, let us presume that the shoes that you currently wear were right for you. Selecting the wrong sports shoes when making a purchase, can result in problems that could occur with old and worn out shoes. However in such cases, it is necessary to ensure that the new shoes purchased, do not suffer from the same limitations as the earlier pair did.
Three Months, Six Months, One Year: So should you replace your running shoes based merely on their age, what if they were rarely used for some reason or the other. It is not uncommon for many athletes or runners to own, two, three or even more pair of sports shoes. It is quite obvious that in such cases, the usage and wear would be spread across all the pairs assuming that, they are worn in some sort of rotation. The belief that, a pair of sports shoes needs to be replaced based on its age, does not seem to make much sense in this case. The advocates of this replacement strategy claim that, the glue that is used to stick together the various portions of the shoes, especially below the shoes, will dry up or degenerate after a while. The also claim that storage can weaken the efficiency of the middle soles. Shoes are stored in factory warehouses and then once again, in the retail stores – the degeneration idea gets a bit messy here. The also claim that storage can weaken the efficiency of the middle soles. Our suggestion is that, proper inspection of your old (existing) shoes, should be the guiding point in deciding a new purchase.
Type Of Usage: Shoes worn when walking will experience a lower degree of wear out as compared to, those worn for jogging or running. Similarly if you have a pair of sports shoes suitable for playing games like tennis or basketball, the high foot impact in both these games can wear out the shoes significantly faster. You might need to change your sports shoes a lot faster, if you wear them for activities other than sports and exercise too. It is a good idea to have another pair of shoes to wear, when you go shopping or to the market. General wear shoes will normally cost much less as compared to sports shoes. Walking on a heated surface like a on a footpath in peak summer, or on a very damp or cold surface can lower the lifespan of your shoes. Experts generally recommend a change of shoes after you have covered of distance of around 300-500 miles wearing them. Moisture and even bacteria can form inside shoes, you will need to give your sports or running shoes sufficient time to dry. Glue is used to assemble various parts of the show, prolonged exposure to moisture can cause the glue to lose its adhesiveness.
Inspecting Your Shoes: For many of us, the most practical way to determine whether our sports shoes need to be changed, would be to inspect the shoes. Old worn out shoes can cause various pains and aches, these can often point to a problem in the shoes. Here are a few useful tips on how to inspect your old sports or athletic shoes. The base of the shoe (sole) is made of a very tough and sturdy material, this is done to withstand friction and abrasion. If you notice that the threads on the sole are worn out, you can safely presume that it is time to buy a pair of new running or athletic shoes. The midsole is the layer that lies immediately above the sole of the shoe, this layer is responsible for absorbing shock. The material used to make the midsole of a sports shoe is capable of collapsing under pressure, it can then spring back to shape once the pressure is released. Depending on the intensity of the activity, the midsole begins to gradually lose its ability to spring back when the pressure exerted on it is released. If this is noticed in your sports shoes, it is reason enough to signal the requirement for a change of shoes. The heel portion of athletic and sports shoe can also reveal worn out features, begin by placing the shoes on a flat surface. If you notice the heel sloping on either side it means that, your shoes have worked hard enough and need to be changed.
Top Tips: The most expensive sports shoes or shoes that are made with the latest technology, need not the best shoes for you. Pick your shoes based on the physical activity that you plan to do. If you are keen to run on the treadmill and also play tennis, your shoe requirements would be fulfilled by picking two different pairs of shoes. If and when you plan to change your exercise shoes, carry the old pair to the store. A knowledgeable sales person, could actually look at the old shoes and understand the pattern in which the shoes have worn out. This information can be used to recommend a new pair of suitable sports shoes.