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Running Tips

Three Signs it’s Time for New Shoes

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We all have our favorite shoes. You know… the comfortable ones. We’re not talking about dress shoes, of course, but the running shoes you’ve broken in to that “just right” condition. Or at least you think so. Then just as suddenly, it’s time for a new pair, but you want to be sure. Or maybe you’re just angling for a reason to get into a new pair. Either way, here are three things you should look for when deciding when it’s time for a new pair of running shoes.

1. Listen to your body.

Seriously. Those little aches and pains? They may be your body’s way of telling you something about your shoes.

“Pay attention how your body feels,” says Cara Cremeans, a representative for Brooks Running. “That’s the first place you’ll feel it.” That means your knees, ankles, or back, depending on your running style.

When your body starts to hurt that way, don’t just look at your training log, look at your shoes — especially the part you don’t usually look at first: the midsole. As its name suggests, it’s that layer of foam sandwiched between the upper – the part that holds your foot– and the bottom, or outsole, of the shoe.

“When you see a lot of creases, when the foam is compressing, it’s a cue that the foam isn’t as resilient as it once was,” says Cremeans.

2. Bald spots, holes, rips and tears.

Flip the shoe over and look at the outsole, or tread. Like a tire, balding tread is a sign of wear and tear that prompts replacing.

“If you look at the bottom when it’s new, you know what state it’s in when you compare it 4-6 months later,” says Chris Elkins, co-owner of Run For Your Life. Is there one spot on the tread that’s more worn than another? If it correlates to where you feel pain, it’s a solid sign that you need to replace your shoes. “It means the distance between your foot and the street has gotten smaller. You are literally getting closer to the ground.”

The third essential part of the shoe is one you probably don’t think has much to do with performance is the upper– the fabric or mesh that holds your foot. It plays a significant role in the stability, comfort, and fit of the shoe.

“When they show visible wear, they’re ragged, or have holes, it’s a sign to turn them over and look at the bottoms, or replace them,” says Elkins, “even though that probably doesn’t affect how it feels.” In other words, those “holey shoes” have done their time.

3. It’s the miles, not the model year.

Elkins adds that a shoe’s age isn’t always the best indicator of when to replace it. After all, a shoe that runs 20 or 50 miles a week will wear faster than one that runs 2-5 miles a week. If you use your shoes for more than running, then you have to consider adding the extra miles, too. Exercise or running errands; they all count against the lifespan of the shoe.

“It doesn’t know if you’re doing laps or running to the store,” he laughs. Good point. A step is a step. And shoes, depending on quality, last between 300 and 500 miles. A higher-quality shoe should go 400+ miles. So how do we know? Shoes don’t have odometers, so try counting up what’s on your running apps, suggest Elkins.

And pay attention to that range, says Cremeans. The same shoe doesn’t work the same way for everyone.

“It’s a range because people run or walk differently, so it will wear differently for different people,” she says. When you get tired during your run, your form will deviate (don’t we know it!) That’s where a higher quality shoe helps — it brings a higher quality support and cushion to the end of your runs, when your form breaks down.

“It will help you when you’re tired,” she adds.

So, as hard as it may be to part with that favorite pair of shoes that fits “just right,” you’re now armed with the intel to know when it’s time for a new pair.

After all, you can still use the old ones to run to the store.

How Much is Too Much?

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Pandemic or not, a runner’s gotta run, right? Here’s some news that may let you breathe more easily during this pandemic: Exercise can keep you healthy from respiratory illness. But before you go pouring on the miles, know this, too: more miles doesn’t necessarily equate to more immunity.

“The research actually goes back a long time,” says Dr. Karan Shukla, “as far back as the early 1900’s.” Dr. Shukla is a physician at Novant Health Randolph Family and Sports Medicine in uptown Charlotte. If the name sounds familiar to runners, it’s because he’s also served in the medical tent at the Novant Health Charlotte Marathon for the past three years. He knows medicine, and he knows runners.

Dr. Shukla says some of the first research about exercise and immunology came from the Boston Marathon more than a century ago, but great advances were made during the onset of another worldwide health crisis — the AIDS epidemic.

“We were able to look really deeply into people’s responses from a molecular standpoint, and understand its effects on how people feel,” says Dr. Shukla. So should we stay active? “Yes,” he replies emphatically. We’ll tell you why, but be sure to stick around for his corollary explanation of more-is-not-better, too.

First: Get moving. The research supports it, and it has immediate effects.

“With daily exercise, we see enhanced immune systems to defend against pathogens,” says Dr. Shukla. “It stimulates your circulation and distribution of immune cells, and increases anti-pathogenic cells in your system.” He references the “J Curve” effect in studies of respiratory illness, where results on a graph briefly fall, then rise quickly and steeply.

“With moderate to vigorous exercise, you see dramatic decrease in respiratory illness,” he says. “We see an increase of our bodies to perform immuno-surveillance — to be on guard.” Dr. Shukla says research shows exercise has a profound effect on cells in our mucus and saliva, and our respiratory tract. “This is an important cell to defend against illness,” he says, especially flu-like and respiratory illness.

So exercise is good; modern science again confirms what your mom said all along. But all the way back in the 1600’s, Shakespeare warned us, “you can have too much of a good thing.” Research shows that’s true, too. The takeaway? Don’t go beyond what you are currently conditioned to do, at least at first, says Dr. Shukla, or you may do more harm than good.

“There needs to be a fine line drawn between a healthy amount of activity, and an unhealthy amount of exercise,” says Dr. Shukla.

Studies of ultramarathoners, marathoners, and runners who are logging 26-50 miles a week show an increased risk of upper respiratory infections or flu illnesses after heavy exertion, like a race. This is caused by an interplay of factors, says Dr. Shukla, like increases in the stress hormones epinephrine and cortisol, and a disfunction in the ability of the immune system to circulate its fighter cells to the body’s tissue compartments like skin, muscles, and respiratory tracts under duress.

In some runners, an increase in heavy or intense exercise, like running a marathon, led to between 2 and 6 times the upper respiratory infections 1-2 weeks after the race. Another study found a statistically significant difference in respiratory illness between marathoners and those who walked at a moderate or intense pace for 30-45 minutes at a time.

Does this mean you should give up running longer distances, or even building up to more mileage? Nope!

“If you usually run 26 miles a week regularly, you’re conditioned to tolerate those stressors and it shouldn’t have a significantly negative impact on your health,” Dr. Shukla reassures us. “We want people to maintain their level of conditioning.”

So if you’re used to going the distance, go the distance. If you’re just starting out — or starting back — do it gently.

“Pacing yourself and incrementally increasing distance would be the safest way to get to your goals,” he says.

Building mileage is a practice in patience. The old “10 Percent Rule” (increasing mileage 10 percent each week) may not be for everyone. If you’re new to running, shoot for consistency first; such as a month or two of running 3 or 4 days per week before adding mileage. More experienced runners may have the foundation to safely add more than 10 percent each week. Experts agree – and so do we – that all runners should add supplemental strength and stretching exercises to their routines, no matter their mileage goals.