So, you finally found the perfect running shoe. It’s a match made in heaven, and you swear you’ll never take them off. Together, you’ve been through miles of mud, dirt, rain, road, and everything in between – the highest of highs, and the lowest of lows. But even when your shoes don’t seem to be in bad shape, with a lot of wear, they just don’t perform like they used to.
Your favorite shoes aren’t meant to last forever, especially if you’re logging a ton of miles. However, there are ways to take care of them so you can keep them around as long as you can. Here are a few hacks on how to save your shoes:
Stay Mindful of Your Miles
Some signs are more obvious than others: the bottom of your shoes are visibly wearing out, the treads are beaten up, or maybe your midsole is starting to wrinkle. These are a few ways to tell if it’s time to retire your running shoes for dog walking, but you can also keep an eye on them another way: tracking your mileage.
A general rule of thumb is to replace your shoes every 300-400 miles. Of course, this varies by terrain, brand, and your overall biomechanics – but it’s a nice guideline to be aware of. You can keep track of this on your GPS watch, Strava app, or even an old school running log.
Maintenance for Longevity
After a rainy day, your shoes are covered in mud, and you probably feel inclined to take care of them. But even if it’s tempting, we do not recommend throwing your shoes in the washing machine. It might seem like an easy way to keep them clean, but doing so might set you back a pair of shoes. This is for the same reason we’d also tell you not to leave them in your car on a hot day. The heat can degrade your shoe’s material and ruin its overall shape, accelerating its overall wear and tear.
Instead, take out the shoe laces and wipe them down with a damp cloth or brush. You can remove (or replace) the insoles, cleaning and drying them separately. Then, you can maintain its shape while decreasing the time it takes them to dry by stuffing your shoes with newspaper. These small habits will keep your favorite pair of shoes looking sharp, while also removing any bacteria and unwanted odors.
Recycling Your Shoes at Our Store
Eventually, even the best shoes wear out. Taking good care of your gear should always be a priority, but even the best-maintained pair will someday have to call it quits. So, what do you do with your shoes after you’re done with them? You can donate them to a charity or simply drop them off at our store.
We’re proud to partner with MORE Foundation Group, a nonprofit organization that collects gently used athletic shoes for re-use and funding reforestation in Ghana. Each pair of used athletic shoes donated in the United States generates hundreds of dollars in income for needy families from tree products through self-sustaining tree farming.
To learn more about recycling your shoes or get more answers to gear maintenance questions, visit our store or drop us a line. Located in Montecito, we offer premium products to runners and movers of all kinds - from the everyday running enthusiast to those just getting started. As runners helping runners, our team provides comprehensive gait analyses with first class customer service. See you soon!
