Forums > Gears and Wears > How long to allow for shoes to break in? (before binning them)
Now I turn to you, dear RA-ers, please help me with 2 questions:
Thanks for your help!
I don't think modern running shoes really need to be "broken in".
I've run in several Mizuno models for awhile now and find that my knees are sometimes sore after running in the Inspires, but I'm too cheap to throw them out just yet. I put more than 400 miles on some Wave Riders before retiring them and currently run in two different pairs of the Precisions - none of them causing any problems.
In my opinion, you should go back to your Asics for a run or two and see if you still have the sore knees and then go back to the Inspires and check again. This will at least help you sort out whether its hypochondria or maybe they are just not the best shoes for you.
Regarding changing shoe brand/models - don't always believe the running shoe store people. Some are wonderful - some are not. My method of choosing my shoes changed when I found a store where the owner lets you test run on a treadmill. When I want/need to switch models, he suggests and brings me a couple or three pairs and I start running. When it's not going to be a good fit, I usually know in a minute or two. When it's looking good, a mile or so is usually plenty to help me decide between options. This quickly lets me know how much I like a shoe and I haven't needed to return a pair to the store since.
It's not the heat, it's the stupidity.
When it’s all said and done, will you have said more than you’ve done?
When you've changed shoe brands, have you typically had some initial discomfort after running in the new shoes? How long has it typically taken for any discomfort of using the new shoes to go away? I.e. how long for the shoes to be "broken in"?
First of all, IF the shoe fits right, you should be able to put the brand new shoe and go out for an hour's run (or even longer) and SHOULDN'T have any problem at all. Of course, sometimes some parts of the shoe may be a bit stiff and MAY need some initial softening "work". But if it's particularly the mid-sole (particularly the forefoot area), then it may not be good news; this most probably means the shoe is not flexible enough and you probably would end up getting some strained arch which could potentially develop into Plantar Fasciitis.
Went for my first run in my new Mizuno Inspires this morning (previously wore Asics 2140; never wore Mizuno before). Now, both knees are slightly aching (no particularly painful points, except pain I've had before at the top of the tibia).
Either way however, what is supposed to be "mild discomfort" of brand new shoe should NOT be a knee soreness. Some rubbed skin of the foot, sure. Maybe a pinched pinky toe even... But sore knee? That would probably mean more than just materials needing to be broken in. In other words, it may possibly stay there even after some initial breaking-in period. I don't want to start the debate of what shoes may change your gait to land on your feet, etc.; but it IS possible that it's coming from not just simply shoes but your running form. Whether the new shoe contributed to the form change or not, well, it is possible...
What I would do is to continue running in your old shoes and VERY gradually break in your new shoes. Say; if you run 4 times a week; then wear the new shoe once and old one 3 times... See if you can tell any difference. If it is in fact the new shoe is contributing to the knee soreness, I wouldn't continue to wear them. Use them for gardening or snow shovelling or something like that; but not for running. I'm sure they weren't cheap; but look at it this way--you may have to pay a lot higher doctor's bill in a few months time.
Loves the outdoors
So although I am certainly no expert and this is random anecdotal stuff from the internet, in my limited experience the wrong shoe gave me knee pain.
tomatolover
Ladies/small gents: I'd love to give these away to a RA runner (Read: FREEE) if you wear a women's size 9.5 and yer interested in these shoes, message me--they can be yours!
Nerd
I disagree with some of the other responses.....based on my own personal experience. I also need to qualify my statements.
Recently I bought a pair of Brooks after I had been running in the same model Asics for the last 5 years. Not that I was unhappy with the Asics, but they run about $35/pair more than the Brooks.....call me a tight-ass, OK! Here is the difference, when I tried on the Brooks at the Boulder Running Co., they did videotaped gait analysis and these Brooks were PERFECT in providing the right control......they are the model Adrenaline GTS 10s. Brooks calls the Adrenalines a "CONTROL" shoe....."The perfect blend of cushioning and stability for mild to moderate pronators."
Previously I had been told I was a neutral to slight UNDER-pronator.......thus the recommendation on the Asics (Nimbus) that I absolutely LOVE and that are a NEUTRAL shoe.
Sorry, I know I am long-winded........
For maybe the first 50 miles on the new Brooks I felt a subtle difference and some aches, pains, strains when I would wear them. I have about 125 miles on them now and they are absolutley fine and I can do my long runs 10 to 12 miles in them without issue.
Again, from my experience, it will take a bit of time as I think our bodies have a "memory" and changing it up so slightly takes a bit of getting used to the new way/form/action of a new shoe.
✔ Set 2011 Running Goals, 3/3/2011✔ May 30 - Bolder Boulder 10k ✔ June 5 - Steamboat (CO) HM
Aug13 - Georgetown to Idaho Springs HMAug 26 - Hood to Coast RelayOct. 9 - Denver Rock & Roll HM1000 miles in 2011
No offense.
Shoes don't need to be broken in, but I do need to go for a couple runs in a new pair before the lacing feels "right" (proper tightness and stuff like that).
Speaking of Mizuno, I was a Mizuno guy for years... probably ran 150+ marathons in the Alchemy, starting way back at version 2 of that shoe. I opened up a box and put on a pair of the newest model earlier this month... and quickly learned the hard way that I can't run in them anymore. Well, let me qualify that. I can run 8 miles in them fine. But somewhere between 8-10 miles, the ball of my foot starts hurting. A lot. But only in the Alchs. And only 8+ miles. So I guess I'm done racing in Alchs.
Ultima tastes like failure.
Thanks everyone for your helpful feedback and experiences. My Inspire's now join the ranks of casual shoes, and my theory about breaking in shoes is no more...
Unfortunately, where I live (Taipei, Taiwan) there are no shops offering gait analysis. The most I've found was one Asics shop which had a machine like a 3D scanner - stand with your foot in a box, and it would measure arch height, foot print, etc, etc. I had that scan done, and the results indicated that I had mild/moderate overpronation. Probably not as reliable as gait analysis of me running, but it's the best available. I guess, at least it means I shouldn't be an underpronator...
Most of the shoe shops sell only one brand, so unbiased advice is not on offer. Also, no shops have any return policies, so buying shoes is often a process of expensive experimentation. (When I ask the shop manager at the store where I bought my Inspires if I could swap them for a different shoe, he just laughed.)
Anyway, that's my moan over. Back to the search for my 'goto' shoe!
I previously ran in New Balance 767 without many troubles, might be time to give the current incarnation (760) a try.
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