Tune in your Running Shoes

Can rotating your shoes help you prevent injuries?

Yes! When spring is in the air and our days have more sunlight, it's easy to start a new running program or increase your mileage. Just as cyclist tune their bikes, it's important to tune your shoes. The best way to tune your shoes is to have two pairs that you can rotate throughout each week you are training.
So how does tuning your shoes work exactly? There are several things that play a factor in determining the life of the shoes. The biggest factor however, is how often you are using the shoe. Every time you run, walk, or stand in your running shoes the foam in the sole compresses. That foam can take from 24 to 36 hours to fully decompress. Letting the foam fully decompress between uses will extend the life of your shoes. When you use your shoes day after day and never give the foam a chance to decompress, the foam will break down at a faster-than-normal rate.

How much running do you need to do to warrant rotating two pairs of shoes? A good general guideline is if you are running more than 4 days per week, or tend to run and do many other cross training activities in your same shoes.

Tune your shoes routine:

1.First, start with two pairs of shoes that have less than 250 miles on them. If they're the same model, mark one pair as A and the other B. To rotate most effectively, keep track of the mileage you've put on each pair.

2. The newest pair (lowest mileage) should be used for your longer runs and interval training sessions.

3. The older pair or highest mileage shoe should be used for your shorter and recovery runs.

4.Keep the older pair in the rotation until you've run 350-500 miles in them. At that point, it's time to retire your old pair and bring a new pair into the rotation. Remember, all shoes can vary on maximum mileage, so you’ll have to go by feel post 350 miles.

Also, did you know shoes have a shelf life? It's true, new shoes that just sit in your closet are loosing their cushioning and support over time. When you buy tennis balls that come in a sealed pressurized container and break that seal the unpressurized air starts to break down the rubber. The same thing happens to the rubber found in running shoes, especially the midsole, which provides most of the cushioning and support. So, if you've got shoes less then 10 months old, start getting them into your shoe rotation. If they are older then 10 months old, you may think about going shoe shopping

Happy spring running in your tuned shoes!

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