If the Shoe Fits

Recently, I was experiencing a lot of anterior knee pain while running outside. Since my distance/intensity hadn’t change, I knew it was time. Time to put my faithful Mizuno running shoes to rest. A commonly asked question is “how often should I replace my running shoes?”

My old shoes, time to say goodbye!

After doing some research on the web, the consensus shows a new pair every 300-500 miles. Since I use my running shoes almost everyday, I replace my shoes every 6 months, which times perfectly with Christmas and my birthday!

When it comes to buying running shoes, its definitely not one size fits all. Everyone’s different, so don’t buy a pair of shoes because your housemate swears by them or you like the colour. Here are some general tips I can provide to make the shopping process easier.

1.     Don’t look at the price. No seriously, running shoes are the one shoe I don’t buy on sale or care about the dollar sign. I see running shoes as an investment in my health, whatever shoe works best for me is the price I will pay. Generally, I end up spending around $150 for a good pair of shoes.

2.     Go to a running store. There is a reason the Running Room is a successful chain. They have a huge range of shoes, very knowledgeable staff and reasonable prices. This doesn’t mean you have to shop at a Running Room, just don’t shop at a general shoe store where the staff are on commission and don’t care about your gait or stability needs. **Bring your old shoes so that the sales person has an idea of what you like and what you currently use.

3.     Try on LOTS of shoes- Running shoes are my favorite thing to shop for. I suggest trying on several pairs of shoes to compare different brands and styles, and get a feel for what you like. Walk around, take a short jog, do some squats and so on.

4.     Don’t get too attached to one brand -I used to wear Mizuno and was devastated when they stopped making my favorite style. I found the newer models way too wide for my feet and ended up switching back to a pair of Asics. Shoe companies change, your feet grow, so don’t worry about the brand or style, go with what fits.

My beautiful new shoes!!