- Have you found the perfect running shoes
that you never want to part with?
Are you guilty of waring your trainers
until they're literally falling off your feet?
If you are, then you're greatly at risk of injury.
Knowing when to part with your trainers is difficult.
There's so many numbers out there and different opinions.
Well, in this video, we're going to show you
the signs and what to look out for
when you do need to part with those
very worn, much loved, shoes.
(smooth, groovy instrumental)
Now, it might sound obvious,
but your trainers won't last forever.
Now, I have heard the odd horror story
when a friend proudly announces
that they've been wearing the same trainers for three years,
and they've not had an injury.
But, I warn you, this is an exception to the rule.
We wear trainers to protect our feet
from the surfaces that we run on,
as well as to keep optimum function
of our muscles and our joints.
Now, now as trainers wear,
their form, their grip, and support
all diminish at different rates,
but some of them, are more visible than others.
With wear, your running shoes will become thinner,
and the midsole layer of cushioning will decrease.
Now, our bodies are great at adapting,
so your hips, knees, and ankles will compensate for this,
but, eventually, when the midsole becomes so thin,
it will lead to injury, and the key is changing your shoes
before you get to this stage.
When to change your shoes is such a grey area.
There are so many different suggestions out there,
and the miles and time that you can run in your shoes
before you need to throw them in the bin
vary so much from person to person.
Now, this is a really rough guide,
but people say somewhere between
three- to five-hundred miles or 450 to 600 kilometres.
And, when it comes to the timeframe, that's even more vague,
but somewhere maybe between 12 to 18 months.
These numbers are such rough guides,
as your weight, your running style,
the surface you run on, the type of running, and so on,
are all affecting factors.
Whether your shoes have air, gel, or springs,
it makes little difference,
as it's actually the foam midsole layer
that most shoes will have made of
EVA or Ethylene Vinyl Acetate that wears at similar rate,
meaning there's no significant difference between brands.
Now, EVA is extremely elastic, similar to rubber,
but a little bit tougher.
That said, it does still wear out.
Running shoes are made up of three different parts,
all of which need to be taken into consideration
when you're looking at the wear of your shoe.
So, we'll start with the upper which consists of
the mesh, the laces, the eyelets, and the heal counter.
Now, obviously, you want to be
able to tighten your laces correctly.
So, if you're missing any eyelets, that's not good,
if you're not getting the full support.
Also, keep an eye on the stitching,
cuz if your trainers get wet regularly that can start to go.
Now, when it comes to the mesh,
you might be surprised to know
that having a hole sort of on the top or somewhere
that's not affecting the support or the comfort of the shoe,
isn't necessarily a problem.
So, my shoes often used to go on the toe,
cuz my big toe, it'd extend.
But as long as I was still getting full support,
that didn't matter.
However, if you do start to notice a hole
where the upper joins the midsole,
so anywhere along this line on either side,
then that's a sign it's time to change your shoes.
The final, and most common wear on the upper,
is actually the back of the shoe, the heal counter in here.
Now, inside of this, there's a plastic cup
that's designed to help prevent overpronation.
So, as your foot lands, to prevent rolling inwards too much.
And it's also there just to cup your heal,
and hold your foot firmly in the shoe,
connecting it to the midsole.
Now, if you can actually see this bit
of plastic inside of here already,
and you've not thrown your shoes away
due to blisters or pain, please do so right now.
The midsole is the hardest part to notice,
but often the first to go.
And it's also critical when it comes to wear,
as it's designed to cushion the foot,
and act as a shock absorber.
Therefore, it's essential to look closely
for signs of wrinkles or discoloration.
Now, like I said earlier, the midsole is usually made of
EVA and it's often white in colour.
So, if you can start to see a discoloration,
going a yellow-y brown type colour,
and I don't just mean dirt,
then it's a sign that the shock absorbing properties
are going to be compromised.
And the same goes if you see
the development of fine, horizontal lines.
It's a common misconception to think
that you only need to look at the sole
of your shoe to work out the wear.
Now, you'll gather by now, that that isn't true,
but there's still value in checking it.
Now, the sole of your shoe will usually have black rubber
that's designed to protect the softer EVA midsole,
as well as providing some grip.
You can easily detect your wear pattern just by looking.
For example, Mark's shoes have got signs of wear,
but nothing actually too dramatic.
If, however, you can start to see the midsole coming through
then your shoes are definitely dead.
And, also, if you do require a decent grip
for the type of running you're doing, keep an eye on that.
It's time to physically test your shoe to back-up
the visual signs of wear that you've already found.
Now, this first, simple test is for the midsole.
Basically, we're going to look at the midfoot and the heal,
as that's the areas that take the most amount of impact,
and, therefore, the cushioning
is most likely to go there first.
So, it's very simply:
You're going to squeeze through
the midfoot and then the heal,
and you should feel slight amount amount of give,
and then a bit of a pushback as you let go.
Now, if it feels dead, or there's no return there at all,
the cushioning is gone, so throw your shoes out.
If you're not quite sure how it should feel,
then try and get a hold of a new pair of shoes,
and give them a feel for comparison.
Step two, fold the midsole.
So, push the toe towards the heal,
and this shouldn't be easy to do.
If, however, your shoe just folds in half,
it's a good sign that the midsole is warn out.
Next, is a twist test.
Now, motion control is vital in trainers,
as it controls your foot as it hits the ground;
therefore, you shouldn't be able to twist your shoes.
So, this test, you'll simply try and move the toe,
or the front of the shoe, in the different direction
to the heal, like this, and it shouldn't move easily.
If, however, you trainer just rings out no problem at all,
it's a good sign the midsole's warn out.
Now, with all of these tests,
just remember to check both shoes and compare them,
as one can wear out more quickly than the other.
And if you're still not sure,
then go into your local sports shop,
and try and find a similar shoe,
do the same tests, and then compare.
Finally, lightly draw a line, or use some tape,
to go directly down the middle of the heal counter.
So, do this holding it so that
you're not distracted by the angle already.
And, then, once you've done that on both shoes,
place them on a table or flat surface in front of you.
And have a look to see if the line is perpendicular.
Now, I've used Mark's trainers here,
and he's done about 500 kilometres, he reckons, in them,
but it looks like he has still got
a very nice perpendicular line.
If, however, the line is off to one side or the other,
then it's a sure sign that the midsole
is more compressed on one side than the other,
and that will then exacerbate any gate issues you might have
and will lead to injury.
In summary, you need to check
the wear of your shoes regularly.
So, get into the habit of trying to do this
about once a month as a guide.
Now, the basic tests you need to remember
is the compression, the fold, and the twist,
as this will give you a good idea of the state
of the shock absorbing and support properties.
I know trainers aren't cheap,
but replacing them regularly will
actually save you in the longterm.
So, throwout or recycle any old ones,
before you get injured,
as it will save you from time and miss-training,
and money money potentially spent on physiotherapy.
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And, once we're talking about repair and wearing out,
if you've got a hole in your wetsuit,
and you want some tips on how to repair that,
then there's a video for you just here.
And if you're looking to run a fast half-marathon,
then we've got a great video for you right here.