Discussion: KMs

Depends on a few factors - user's weight, surface (on-/off-road) etc. I replace my O shoes around the 400km mark, but obviously I'm significantly heavier than you and nearly all of that use is running off-road. Rogaining's a lot less taxing because it's not a real sport. :)

General rule of thumb would be to replace them when (or preferably before) the midsole collapses - which is when you get wrinkles around the sides of the sole as the whole thing collapses down on itself.

This is AP's advice:

It's generally recommended to replace your road running shoes after 350-500 miles, because of increased injury risk due to midsole cushioning breakdown. more info. Note that trail or forest sessions have a different effect on shoe wear, and that mileage may not be the limiting factor.

If your feet hurt when you use them, that's another good indicator.

only toes hurting but that's because I kick rocks more so than the shoes!

Well ur not double my weight so I wouldn't expect double the kms, The worst pat of the shoe is the end of foot/bas of toes the sides are starting to break, but that doesn't bother me it just I have no concept of the cushioning factor - hence asking the question. Should I be retiring?

rogaining 430km
orienteering 212km
running (road) 35km
then the rest is a mixed bag I guess.

Just go shopping. Geeeez.

missing the point tash - I am trying to figure out if I should be in these shoes for 1000km or if people think it would be wiser to retired them after x kms based on their experience.

Unlike you I dont get a massive amount of satisfaction out of buying a new pair of shoes :) - just understand it might be wise too.

The other big factor I didn't mention is stride - some people will just go through shoes faster because of their individual mechanics. Which is why the only reliable rule is "replace them when they look like they need replacing". :)

One of the ultra-running nutters gets 3000+km out of his bog-stock basic Asics with no ill-effects because apparently he doesn't touch the ground or something.

So craig and fenry never replace shoes?

I buy plenty of new shoes but I never get rid of old shoes. I'm sure Rachel will be happy to confirm that.

yes I suffer from that too.

History (i.e. Attack Point) shows mine go 500-600km before I notice they're either a bit misshapen in the heel (not good for alignment) or feel a bit like cardboard. Depends upon the brand and model. I had a Brooks pair that bailed very very early, and other Brooks ones which lasted longer.
My stuff.

yeah interesting - so 700 is probably starting to get to the point where I need to invest in new ones - I am wondering though if I jsut push them through this next rogaine and take them out the circa 800 and then get something new.

I replace inov8s every 6 months or so, more because I lose all the tread from road running than and cushioning issues

Not surprised you lost a toenail if you really did wear MTB shoes (Giro Privateer) for the H1 course at HPD.

WA terrain is pretty hard on shoes - I find that 200-250km is as much as I can get out of a pair. However, my log records the course distance (straight line), not my actual distance, so I should probably add 25-30% to that.

yeah sounds like in general I am in the ball park for shoe thanks for all the input.

oh crap did i log the wrong shoes LOL whoops! *thanks for that simmo - fixed now.

After my shoes reach retirement age, they sit in the cupboard until I do a Geo or XPD so I can give them a proper burial.

I am deeply insulted in your assumption that I get a 'massive amount of satisfaction out of buying a new pair of shoes'. My massive amount of satisfaction is tempered by the massive dent in my bank balance... :P

I will have to think of a suitable way to make it up to you next time I see you :P

Just take me out for a long walk sometime - Either that or shoe shopping, with your credit card :P

Orienteering I tend to destroy shoes in ways other than the sole wearing out (i.e. holes ripped in upper, studs ripped off etc) My X talon 212s went an excellent distance before the toe peeled off (and they were pretty dead all around by then anyway). 190's I ripped out the side where my orthotics push against the inside of the shoe (common problem).
Road shoes I've managed to get to 1000km once, but not if I wear them for anything else. I wouldn't expect to get past 500km if I was wearing them daily for my work (PE teacher) as well.
Go to a shoe shop, try on a new one of the same shoe you are running in. You elect the new ones to feel better, but if you feel like you're strapping on a block of wood when you put the old ones back on, it's time for a new pair.

yeah good point fletch - might try that.

Tash - more than happy to take you on a long walk ;)

YAY! Long walk! Woohoo!

About the shoes: I have got alot of running shoes, although the main problem for me was that I was getting ones that are too small for my feet because I didn't know that your toes weren't supposed to be touching the end of the shoes. No wonder my toes were always sore after rogaining!

So I have about 4 pairs that are too small for rogaining and get uncomfortable in long runs. I also have one pair that was a bad online purchase and way too big for my feet. They sound like frogs when I walk. :( Since that purchase I have cut down on shoe expenditure.

Give your small shoes to your alot to wear.

My alot would destroy them. My alot is that big, fluffy and grumpy thing that eats your cereal for breakfast. :P

I'm with tRicky on the rogaine to finish shoes off thing - on off road terrain old bunky near-dead shoes are not significantly different to fresh shoes, so why destroy fresh shoes. I've often given shoes a last ceremonial use in a rogaine before dumping them in the bin when I get home. And as all the orienteers note above, o-shoes just don't last that long in harsh WA terrain. They'd last forever in soft deciduous forests or marshland!