The most important thing to have when you workout are workout shoes. You can not have a successful exercise session without the support and comfort of them. Workout shoes cushion your feet, give support to your legs,  ankles and spine, absorb shock, and a variety of other things.

There are many types of workout shoes that are customized to different exercises such as running, walking, cross country etc. They all give the maximum support that is needed to have an effective workout.

But this effectiveness can fade out because of the age of the shoe and how much they are used.

Retiring the workout shoes.

As stated above, just like car tires, your shoes have a time frame of use on them. Once the treads on a tire are worn down you get new tires. On the workout shoes, when you can physically see the wear and tear of wearing them that is a big red flag to get new workout shoes.

Here are a few more ways to know when new workout shoes are needed.

1. Activity Level.
   • A general rule of thumb to know when its time to trash the workout shoes is how often they are utilized. The more you use them the quicker they are worn down.
   • A good workout shoe should last between 400 and 600 miles. So if your shoe is premature to that number then the first thing that needs to be done is finding the right shoe.
   • If you are running about 60 miles each week then your shoes should be replaced every 3 months.
2. Runner Type
   • We don’t all run the same way. Depending on our height, weight and general walking pattern of each person a shoe can be worn down at a faster or slower pace. There are two main types of runners.
     • Small Runners. These type of runners are more efficient. They are lighter on their feet which doesn’t cause as much damage to the shoe and can get a lot more mileage out of their shoes.
     • Big Runners. Are not efficient when they run. They drive their feet into the ground with great intensity. When this is done it causes the shoe to be worn out quicker; so the lifetime of their shoes will be lower on the range.
3. Keep Track of the Miles
   • If you are really active and have multiple workouts and routines you do during the week it is best to track them. You don’t want to go over the allotted amount of miles and be running on bad shoes.
   • Try to do the totals of each week’s number of miles of exercise. If that is too time consuming there are free training logs online that will calculate the amount of miles you did.
4. Compare New to Old
   • If you didn’t keep track of how many miles you ran or if you are on the fence about deciding whether to get rid of the workout shoes or not you can still figure it out. Go to the shoe store and find the same pair of shoes you are debating on and try them on.
   • When you put them on if they feel completely different than the ones you own its time to change. If the ones you own feel flat or “dead” then its time to change them. Feeling the difference is the best way to get a solid answer.

Proper workout shoes are essential to a safe proactive workout. With these tips the process for deciding whether its time to part with your workout shoes or not should be easier.