New Shoes In The Spring Time
New shoes in the spring time,
New shoes in the fall.
Whenever we get new shoes we like to call:
“Happy new shoes! Happy new shoes to Tera!”
When I was younger, my little sister came home singing the New Shoes song that her teacher taught her. Now every time I get new shoes (which is A LOT), I call her up and ask her to sing me the New Shoes song. Yes, I know that I am too old for these types of shenanigans and yes I know that I get new shoes much more often than just in the spring and fall, but dammit, any time I can celebrate a new pair of kicks, I will take it. Even the UPS man knows that I will always do a happy dance when I see the Zappos box heading to my door. I LOVE SHOES! But this isn’t about me right now. This is about my husband Luke and how he NEVER listens to me. He is bull headed and has to see proof that I am right before he will actually listen to me.
For those of you who personally know me, you know that the hubs has recently taken up running. And, I swear just to annoy me, he was gifted with the blessing of being a natural. It is easy for him. He took a month off after his wisdom teeth were removed and he jumped right back into it by running 5 fast miles. Jerk! Anywhoosers, recently he has been dealing with ankle pain and painfully, tight calves. Right away, I told him that it was probably time for new shoes. He thought he just needed a massage. When the massage only provided temporary relief, I told him he needed to put on his new shoes. He decided that chiropractic visits, hour long stretching sessions and even longer sessions with his hand held massager would be the magic pill. When that didn’t take the pain away, I walked away from him. I went to the closet, grabbed his brand new shoes, grabbed his current running shoes and SHOWED him why it was time to put on the new shoes already!
When I put them side by side, I think he said “Wow beautiful and amazing wife. You are right just like you always are. From now on I will always listen to you. And while we are at it, I will never leave the toilet seat up again, I will put my dirty dishes in the dishwasher and pick up all the dog poop as long as I live.” Or….maybe it was something more like “yeah I thought that was the problem”.
Here is a side by side of the bottom of his shoes. Most people look at the top of the shoes and, if there is no visible wear and tear, they think that they are still in good condition. As you can see, the yellow treads are almost worn off. Sign # 1 these shoes need to be tossed.
Here is another comparison of the back and outside of the shoes. Notice how the midsole near the heel has been compressed almost down to half of its original height, meaning that the cushion is almost nonexistent. Also, look how the old shoe is tilted. Due to Lukes running form, he is wearing the shoes out more on one side. Sign #2 and 3 why we are kicking them to the curb.
Workout shoes don’t last forever (and thank God for that cause I’d still be wearing those awful Nike Shocks that they made in the 90’s). If you are putting normal wear and tear on your gym shoes (and ONLY wearing them inside at the gym), a quality pair should get last 6 months tops! If you are running longer distances (more than 20 miles a week) and/or running outdoors, you need to keep a close eye on the condition of your shoes. Dirt, mud and dust washes off, but the integrity of the shoe breaks down much faster when you aren’t running on the dreadmill. Running outdoors causes the bottoms of your shoes to show wear faster due to the rougher surface (ie pavement, concrete, trails). For most runners, the rule of thumb is to change your shoes every 300-500 miles or every 6 months, whichever comes first.
TERAS SUPER AWESOME TIP: Whenever I lace up my new shoes for the first time, I write the date in a nook on the bottom of my shoes, where it won’t wear off. This way I know how old my shoes are and when it is time to change them out. I also note in my workout journal when I started wearing the new shoes so I can track how many miles are on my “shoe odometer”. Click here if you want to buy one of my awesome journals.
A few signs that you may need to ditch your sneaks:
~Worn off treads
~Worn down soles
~Compressed midsole
~Heel collar (the part that goes around the back of your ankle) is split, unraveling or rolling
~Pain in your knees, feet, ankles, hips, low back or neck
~They have 300-500 miles on them or are 6 months old
~You saw a super cute pair online (that’s always my excuse)
Everyone wears their shoes differently and everyone has different signs of when their body needs to break up with their current shoes. I tend to fall in love HARD with my shoes when I find a pair I like. I become a stage 5 clinger and never want to completely break up. I play games and tell them that we are so over, only to go running back the next day to the comfort of their familiar soles. It usually takes me to reach the break up point of a stiff and sore neck to finally cut the laces and throw them in the dumpster. Yes, I have to destroy my shoes in order to STOP wearing them. I’m pathetic. And I need to go away to a rehab for shoe addiction. Which brings me to the “track where old shoes go to run free”.
If you are not like me and leave your kicks in a state of utter destruction and decay (my name is Tera and I have stinky feet), you don’t have to toss your old shoes. You can give them a place to run out the remainder of their days. Recycle or up cycle old shoes with organizations such as Soles 4 Souls or Planet Aid or you can donate them to your local Goodwill. But if you can’t bring yourself to say goodbye, you can keep them around the house for outside work and non-working out activities. Just make sure you don’t try to get back together with them and take them out for one last run.
Cause we are never, ever, ever, getting back together……
