Here’s an important aspect about running shoes that you may not know.

Suitable running shoes are a key part of your running equipment and essential to help reduce the possibility of injury.

Be aware of wear in your running shoes

The mid-soles of running shoes act as a shock absorbing mechanism and reduce the stress on your ankles, knees, hips, spine etc.  As you run the mid-soles become less elastic and less shock absorbing and with this there is an increase in the possibility of injury.

Typically, the mid-soles will be less effective than necessary after about 500 miles of running.  This is dependant upon the size of the wearer as well as the gait (running style) and the terrain on which the running shoes are used (tarmac is more punishing than grass on the shoes and the runner).

Some wearers will start to notice a difference at 300 miles whilst others may only need to replace their running shoes at 750 miles.  This mid-sole degradation also differs between manufacturers and type of trainer.

Keep a mileage log for your running shoes to help you monitor the effectiveness of them.  Don’t rely on looking at the wear on the heel and sole tread as the mid-soles will be “worn out” well before the tread on the underside shows any signs of wear.  This is a crucial thing to know, and many runners are caught out by running shoes that are well past their best without appearing to be.

It is a good idea to use two pairs of running shoes if you run every day and alternate them to ensure the mid-soles “recover” between runs.  Also, don’t use new running shoes for long runs straight away.  Use them on short runs to bed them in and only start completing longer runs in them once they have covered at least 50 miles.

There's a Lot More Where That Came From…

This article is a condensed snippet taken from Nick Mitchell’s information-packed manual How to Run a Marathon. Your essential manual to enable you to run a successful marathon includes training schedules, advice on everything you can think of and lots you probably haven’t even thought of! You need this manual if you want to cross the marathon finish line with energy to spare, in a personal best finishing time and with a big smile on your face. More details here: VirtualHealthClub.com/marathon