Fast Running Blog

   
The pair of GTS8 I have been running in have 336 miles on them so far and  I am trying to figure out if i can run in them for a another week or two (which will be an additional 150 or so miles).  I always thought that shoes were good for a good 450-500 miles. Am i wrong? Let me know if you have any thoughts.

If you are doing 75 miles per week, are you alternating shoes?  They will last much longer if you only run in the shoes every other day to give the cushioning a chance to recover.  That being said, I have never had GTS, so I don't know.

There is no such thing as a recommended mileage for a shoe that applies to every runner. You need to know your body. Some people need to change shoes frequently. Others can make them last. I have worn a pair of shoes to 5600 miles. I thought I would never meet anybody with a higher PR. Turned out my training partner Matt Anderson took his shoes to 9000 miles, is still running in them, and they look perfect. Mine were completely trashed with several holes including a large one in the heel area. I believe most runners can gradually train their bodies to get a whole lot more mileage out of their shoes than what is commonly recommended (500 miles) while reducing their injury rate.

Although I have nothing on Sasha, I have now gone over 500 miles in a pair of Saucony Grid Tangent 3's, which are a lightweight stability shoe.  When I got them, the guy at the running store said I could expect to get about 250 miles out of them because they wer lighter than regular trainers.  The shoes still have plenty of outsole left, although the front is more worn than the back.  This may be due to a change in my running mechanics, but I haven't experienced any issues with injury at this time.  I have ordered another pair from Steve, but Sasha is totally right - how long a shoe lasts needs to be based on how your body is reacting to the mileage on your shoes, although I would certainly add that if you are wearing holes in your shoes, it is probably time to replace them . . . :P

BTW, Jon is right, too - alternating shoes will increase the life of both pairs of shoes.

I run in GTS-8's and they last me 450-500 miles.  Like everybody has already said, every runner is different and your body will tell you if they are too old.