How often are you rotating your running shoes?
Now, I don’t mean how many miles do you put on your shoes before you retire them and bring in some reinforcements. I’m talking about on a regular basis.
How many different pairs of shoes do you wear in a given week of regular running?
I really hope your answer is more than one.
The Benefits of Rotating Your Running Shoes
Why Rotating Your Running Shoes Is a Good Idea
No matter how often you run, it’s a good idea to try and avoid wearing the same pair of shoes multiple runs in a row.
Why? Here are three big reasons I make sure to have 2-3 pairs of shoes that I run in at any given time.
- Allow the Shoes to “Bounce Back”–If you’re wearing shoes that have much cushion in them at all, repetitive pounding/wear will cause that foam to compress and limit its ability to absorb the stress of each stride. But giving the shoes a break between wears of a couple of days allows that foam to fully decompress between runs. This provides two great benefits: it’ll help to extend the life of your shoes and decrease the amount of stress placed on your body. Win, win.
- Different Shoes for Different Surfaces–There are some shoes that will claim you can wear them on any surface. And while that may be true, there is no question in my mind that wearing shoes that are designed for the surface that you’re running on is a good idea. I may be new to trail running, but there is a very noticeable difference between my trail shoes and my road shoes.
- Never Reliant on “New Shoes”–Let’s face it, a lot of new shoes require some “breaking in” before they feel good on your feet. If you’re rotating your running shoes you can easily minimize the breaking in period by getting new shoes while your old shoes still have plenty of life left in them. Then you can wear your older pair of shoes for long runs/hard work outs and have confidence that you won’t be tearing up your feet while wearing/breaking in your new shoes during short recovery runs.
If you want to hear me talk a little more about the benefits of rotating your running shoes, just press play below!
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