Skip to main content

Maybe I Need New Shoes?




Here are my 3rd pair of Newton Neutral Trainers.  Prior to this pair, I had the first generation Yellow Neutral Trainers.  I also have a hot pink pair of Neutral Racers which I reserve only for 'racing'. 

Now, the past few weeks, my feet, shin and calves have really started to ache.  Ok, well not just ache but hurt.  Mostly after a run but also in the morning when I take my first steps.

I usually replace my shoes every 6 months and I only got this pair in July so I figured I couldn't need a new pair already.

I love my Newtons but I was starting to think, maybe they aren't the shoe for me.  Why am I getting all this pain in my lower legs?  Why are my feet so tired all the time?

I even went so far as to try on a few other brands of running shoes when we were shopping for new shoes for my son.  Boy, regular running shoes sure feel weird after wearing Newtons for over a year.  Could it be the shoes?  Maybe I should try the new Sir Isaacs?  The thought of changing running shoe brands again after a year was exhausting.

That is when I had the bright idea to see how many kms/miles I had on my current pair of Newtons.  Funny thing happened...turns out (thanks to my Garmin 405 data) that I had run 720kms or 600miles on these trusty pair of runners.  I ran the data report another time just to make sure it was correct.  It was.  I then sent a message to all my Tweeps asking after how many miles they change their runners.  Turns out, most change between 300-500 miles.  A couple of people even changed theirs every 200-300 miles. 

After inspecting the bottom of my shoes, I also discovered this split in the lugs.  Who knows how long that has been there?  I run on a crushed gravel trail most of the time so I guess a rock must have split the sole.

You would think that after all the training I did this year, I would know when to replace my shoes.  Well, guess again.  I have never really trained or run at the volume I did this year and never needed to change my shoes more than once every 6-8 months. 

As most of you know, Newtons are not cheap.  Good thing my husband is running the RNR Las Vegas this weekend and Sir Isaac will be there selling at the expo.  I can buy them locally or on-line but they are about $20 more expensive that way. 

For now, I will train in my hot pink racers that have less than 100kms on them.

At least running shoes are cheaper than race wheels or bike parts.

Happy training!

Comments

Stuart said…
I missed your tweet but yep I switch mine every 350-375 miles and I have two pairs that I rotate, it takes time for the EVA to decompress and rotating them gives them an extra day and I get better mileage that way...of course mine aren't $200 a pair though!
Melanie J Watts said…
Thanks for this post. It made me realize I too need to get new shoes and I should have got them two months ago.!
KodaFit said…
I do the 2 pair thing as well. Not only does it give the EVA time to decompress, I also use 2 different brands, and I read somewhere that it helps better develop your feet, since they have to adapt to different shoes.

I end up replacing both my pairs once a year, which is great since my running store offers killer deals on Black Friday. This year I'm sporting a pair of Brooks Defyance, and K-Swiss Keahou. One of these days I have to try out a pair of Newtons as well!
Todd said…
Thanks for the post Erin, and congrats on the new pair of Newtons! I talked at length about the longevity of Newtons with the Newton staff at Ironman Canada this year. They showed me a few pairs that went up to ~500 miles, which is usually the retirement point. But I think it depends on the conditions in which you run. It's colder up here in Calgary, Canada and I think the cold is harder on the lugs.

Interestingly, the Newton staff told me that there is no difference in construction of the racers and trainers in the forefoot. The trainers add more to the rear of the shoes (more durable tread rubber, and shock absorption). If you are now running almost exclusively on your midfoot/forefoot, you could run in your racers indefinitely. Since they are $20 cheaper, I may run in my racers all the time, and only buy new racers. Food for thought...

Popular posts from this blog

|ronman Canada Race Report - Part 6 (Final Report but just the beginning)

Run – 42.2kms – 5:11:09 The run was slow and basically went as planned. The first 3kms of the run are in and around the finish line. When I was at about the 2km mark, I could hear Jordon Rapp, the race winner giving his victory interview with Steve King. How crazy is that??!! I have 40kms to go on the run and the winner has finished. As I headed out of town and down Main Street I saw www.twitter.com/kelownagurl and her husband Erik cheering me on. Not more than 50 feet later I saw www.twitter.com/trifunster and her husband. I was running slowly but had a smile on my face and felt pretty good. I was not really concerned about the distance I had to cover still. I was pretty excited that I had now finished the swim and the bike and was now on the run. It was like being in a dream how quickly the time had passed during the day. Around 9kms into the run I started to feel the distinct tightness of my right IT Band. I had ITB 10 years ago when I first started to run marathons but t

April Fools 1/2 Marathon Plus 15km cool down

After my minor breakdown at work on Friday, I set off on Saturday for Sechelt.  I have run the April Fool's Half Marathon two times and this was my third time.  It never fails to be hilly and hard.   Sunday morning I started off at in Gibsons ready to run to Mission Point Park.  I took it very conservatively knowing that I would be adding another 15kms on at the end of the 'race'.   I crossed the finish line, collected my medal, filled my water bottles, ate a  piece of bagel and a bite of banana and kept running west.   I do not recommend running your longest run before a marathon in Sechelt if you are not used to hills.  That place is full of 12-15% grades both up and down. At the end of the day, I ran from 9:17am - 2pm with a few quick breaks to refill bottles, eat gels and take few rocks out of my shoes.   After a shower and some real food, I was back on the ferry to North Vancouver.  Reward:  White Spot Legendary Burger combo with cheese and a Coke.