Tip: It’s more than you think.
How often do you change your athletic shoes? A survey conducted on behalf of HCF Health surveyed 2500 Australians and revealed the following statistics:
- 51% of survey participants didn’t swap out their athletic shoes until they started falling apart
- Only 5% of respondents get new sports shoes at the beginning of each new sports season
- 12.5% change their sports shoes once a year
Almost half of Australians surveyed admitted to running, walking and cycling injuries, and it begs the question: is this because exercise participants don’t change their athletic shoes often enough?
According to experts, how often should you change your sports shoes?
This depends on how much exercise you do and your gait (like walking or running). For example, if you pronate too much, you may wear your shoes unevenly or faster in certain areas.
The lifespan of an average shoe is between 3 and 6 months depending on how often you wear it. If your athletic wear rarely sees the light of day, your favorite pair of running or tennis shoes will likely last a lot longer than the ones that hit the pavement every day.
Podiatrist Sarah Sweeney has marathon clients who like to change their shoes every three months, but for the average person, she recommends looking at the tread on the bottom of the shoe to get a better idea of when they need to be replaced. “Sometimes you feel like your running shoes are still supportive and comfortable, but only when you buy a new pair do you realize how unsupportive the old ones were.”
Based on your gait, your foot and knee marks can determine how quickly your shoes wear out. When you run or walk properly, the tread of your athletic shoes wears out evenly. However, if you tend to wear the inside of your shoe first, it means you’re overpronating (your foot rolls inward), or if you wear the outside of your shoe first, it can mean you’re supinating (the weight of your foot rolls outward). ). It is important to make an appointment with a podiatrist. They can look at your foot structure and recommend the right type of athletic shoes to wear and even prescribe insoles that can make your shoes last longer.
If your athletic shoes look like they’ve seen better days, maybe it’s time for an upgrade.
Should you experience aches or pains while exercising, consult a podiatrist and talk to them about the right type of shoes that will provide the foot support you need. Don’t postpone it.
