5 simple tips to make your running shoes last longer

Running shoes wear out (depending on how often you run) very quickly. If you feel like you’re constantly hitting reorder on your shoe of choice, here’s how to stretch out the life of that shoe a little longer.

RELATED: Why you don’t need to break in your running shoes any more

Untie your shoe laces

Many of you can extend the life of your running shoes by 10%-15% with one simple change.

Untie your shoes after a run.

Forcing a tied shoe off will wear out the heel counter much quicker and make the shoe sloppy.

— hansonsrun (@hansonsrun) January 9, 2020

Sometimes after a hard workout or run the last thing you want to do is take the time to untie your shoelaces. You get in the door and kick them off before heading straight for a big glass of water followed by a snack.

But according to Hansons Running, you can extend the life you of your running shoe by 10 to 15 per cent with one small change. Untying your shoes before removal means that you won’t compromise the heel counter while your foot is on its way out. When the heel counter is intact, the shoe will feel secure on your foot for longer.

Dry your shoes out

Smell is one of the things that can make a shoe unwearable (even if the foam isn’t torched yet). If you want to keep your shoes smelling (basically) good as new, make sure you dry them out after every run, even if it was only a little bit wet or muddy.

Drying out shoes means untying the laces, taking the insoles out and placing them over a heat source (but not the dryer–see below). Stuffing with newspaper or tissue paper is also a good idea.

Again, sometimes the last thing you feel like doing, but your future self will be thankful.

Rotate between two pairs

This won’t make your shoe last longer on the whole, but it will mean that you don’t have to buy shoes as often.

If you purchase two pairs of shoes at a time there are several benefits. One: you don’t have to go back to the store or re-order as often. Two: you can get different shoes that complement each other. For example, purchasing one pair of high-drop, high-cushion shoes for easy days and a low-drop, minimal shoe for speed days is a good idea. This variability allows you to work slightly different muscle groups and keeps your shoes fresher, longer.

Keep them out of the dryer

So it’s a little confusing, we know. Dry out your shoes, but not in the dryer.

If you’ve washed your favourite pair of kicks, do it on a delicate cycle and let them air dry. The dryer is too warm and can cause certain foams to break down quicker than they would otherwise.

Only wear them for running

Keep your running shoes for running and your walking shoe for walking. When possible, after your run is done for the day, so are the shoes you wore to do it. It may seem like a little thing, but throwing on your runners to do groceries adds to their wear and tear over time.