Reasons to Track Your Shoe Mileage

How many pairs of shoes are you rotating through in any given training cycle?

The more pairs of shoes you wear during training, the longer your shoes will last.  Why’s that?  Because your shoes will have a chance to “recover” in between you wearing them.

It’s also key to switch up your shoes on a daily or weekly basis because different shoes have different purposes.  Maybe you have a recovery run pair that’s a little bulkier, or you might have a speedier pair for workouts and races… Either way, having multiple pairs of shoes is a good thing!

Not only do different shoes have different purposes, but when you rotate through different pairs of shoes, your feet must also adjust to the different wear patterns. The more your feet need to adapt and adjust, the stronger they become. 

In this post, you’ll find out why it’s good to have multiple pairs of shoes, but also why you should be tracking the number of running miles each pair of shoes has on it.  Keeping track and knowing when to replace your shoes is a very important aspect of any kind of training you do.

How many miles do running shoes last?

Running shoes do not last forever, and when they start to wear down, the cushioning will become insufficient.  When shoes don’t do their job, your body starts to feel the effects: sore shins here, tight IT band there… You get the idea.

Running shoes do not have an unlimited shelf life. After 300-500 miles, depending on the type of shoe you have, your shoes will need to be replaced. If you continue to wear shoes that are past their prime, you may be putting your own health at risk by not providing enough support and cushioning for your feet.

The exact mileage depends on your running habits and the type of shoe you wear. The more mileage you run in the same pair of shoes without any time for that shoe to “rest”, the quicker your shoes will wear out.

Running shoes are designed to work with your running form – so it’s important to also know what kind of shoe you should be wearing. This can be found in blog posts I’ve already written.

Where’s the first place that shoes break down? The midsole.

As you run more miles, the midsole will begin to compress. When your shoe fails to “bounce back” after a prolonged period of use, that’s when the shoe needs to be replaced.

What’s wrong with old shoes?

Your shoes are the first thing to touch the ground when you run, and they have to absorb all the impact. So if your shoes are worn out, they won’t be able to do their job.

If you’re wearing old running shoes, your body isn’t getting the support it needs from that worn out, old pair of shoes. Even if you aren’t experiencing pain right now, that doesn’t mean that your body isn’t learning bad behaviors that result in injuries down the line.

If runners are experiencing lower leg pain or soreness, the first question I ask them is whether their shoes need to be replaced. Worn out shoes don’t support you like they are supposed to and this can lead to shin splints. If this happens, you’ll want to switch to new shoes right away.

Not only can you get shin splints, but other common overuse injuries like IT band syndrome, plantar fasciitis, and many other injuries tend to pop up when running shoes are past their prime.

By tracking the mileage on your running shoes, you can easily keep track of when it is time to replace them and maintain the highest level of safety and performance for your shoes.

How should you track shoe mileage?

There is no real science to how you track running shoe mileage, the goal is just that you track it.  Personally, I use a TrainwithMarc-made training log where I can match mileage to shoes.  It’s really simple for me to use and I know exactly how many miles each pair of shoes has.

If you aren’t a physical or digital training log kind of person, you can use Strava or Garmin.  I know runners do it this way and I’m sure it works for them.  

Find your way and stick to it.  

So why is it important to keep track of your shoe’s mileage?

There are many reasons to keep track of your shoe’s mileage. You can tell whether or not your shoes need to be replaced and you can avoid injury when they do need to be replaced. Knowing how long running shoes last will also help you understand how many miles you’ve run in your life, which is an awesome fact to know!

Switching out your shoes is also useful because shoe companies are updating their technology within the shoes and if you stick to the same model of shoe, you may miss out on updated technology.

If you track your shoe’s mileage, you can prevent minor injuries from popping up – like sore shins – which is a common ailment I see when my shoes are dead.

Wearing your running shoes for running only is a great way to keep your shoes for as long as possible.  Knowing how many miles are on your shoes keeps you from getting injuries related to your shoes.  How you track your shoes is up to you, but it’s key that you know when your shoes need to be retired so that you replace them right before they are completely dead.

Rotating between multiple pairs of shoes is a great strategy to keep your shoes lasting longer. 

One good reason to track the mileage on your running shoes as a runner is to ensure that you are replacing them at the appropriate intervals.

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