Vibram to Ductbram

Google “running shoes lifespan,” and you’d get a long results list of articles most of which read as if they’re just slight variations of some single original source. Most state without citation that shoes need to be replaced after about 300-500 miles. These articles then drone on about “blah, blah, blah, …, cushioning, …, blah, blah, blah, …, upper support, …,” as if somehow Nature didn’t do its job and messed up. You’d have to scroll down the results page a ways to get to the first article that doesn’t mostly follow the script and that notes there are not much data to support the claims of these other articles.

Hmm, let’s see, who might be the beneficiaries of these articles?

The latest of these droning articles is from the New York Times, “You probably need new running shoes. Here’s how to upgrade.” Scrolling, scrolling, …, and there it is (!): “Shoes should be replaced, on average, after every 350 miles run, running experts say.” Who are these “experts"? It also helpfully states, “Expect to spend around $130 on a good pair of running shoes.” Huh? The most I’ve ever spent on a pair of shoes was less than $110. And, that was the rare exception. The rest of my shoes were in the range of $50-90.

Some of these article do mention about the benefits of rotating shoes, which I agree with and I’ve been doing in recent years. Of the five pairs of shoes I’m currently rotating through, the oldest (Merrell Bare Access) is in its fifth year (1543 miles); the other four (Merrell Vapor Glove, another Merrell Bare Access, and two Vibram FiveFingers) range from two to four years (~300-800 miles). These articles likewise give no citations for the benefits of shoe rotation. On the latter, there has also not been a lot of research done. Here’s one study from a few years ago: Study Backs Rotating Shoes to Lower Injury Risk (Referenced paper, abstract only: Malisoux et al., 2015). I’ve been fortunate, in all my years of running, to rarely have gotten injured, either from accidents or overuse. Because I’ve been rotating shoes only relatively recently, that has not been the reason for my mostly injury-free running.

But, rotating shoes does give me ample time for post-run shoe maintenance with Shoe Goo and, starting this year, duct tape. Here’s an example from a few days ago with one of the Vibram FiveFingers. I suppose, with time, the soles of my shoes will evolve from Vibram to Ductbram (?!).

Most of my previously mothballed shoes are still around on shelves in the garage. Recently, I noticed that they all had been mothballed at conditions better than those of my current shoes! Evidently, my threshold for mothballing has slowly been changing. So, I guess I could de-mothball those shoes, Shoe Goo and duct tape them, and put them back into rotation service!

I may never need to buy another pair of shoes! (jk! … sort of).