Forums >General Running>How many running shoes (active) in your closet?
Overweight per CDC BMI
So I had a fellow runner tell me the other day she had three pairs of shoes in her rotation and I was shocked because she used to be a serious marathoner. I did an inventory check of my closet and I had 14 pairs of running shoes. 11 are Brooks and 3 are New Balance. 11 are road, 2 are trail, and 1 cross country.
So which of us are the odd ball? How many pairs of running shoes do you run in? I don't mean worn out shoes delegated to grass mowing because I would add at least another 4 pair.
Memphis / 37 male
5k - 20:39 / 10k - 43:48 / Half - 1:36:58 / Full - 3:38:10
an amazing likeness
I'd bet two things.
1. That the distribution is a bell curve...
2. She's way closer to the center than you are...
(you ought to make this a poll...)
Acceptable at a dance, invaluable in a shipwreck.
7 I actually use fairly regularly (5 Saucony, 1 NB, 1 Nike)
3 I might use occasionally if the mood takes me (1 Mizuno, 1 NB, 1 Hoka)
3 pairs for races - road (Nike), track (Nike), trail (Salomon).
3,000m: 9:07.7 (Nov-21) | 5,000m: 15:39 (Dec-19) | 10,000m: 32:34 (Mar-20)
10km: 33:15 (Sep-19) | HM: 1:09:41 (May-21)* | FM: 2:41:41 (Oct-20)
* Net downhill course
Last race: Omaha HM, 3 Dec, pushed the limits.
Up next: The Goat, 20 Jan, don't die.
"CONSISTENCY IS KING"
Currently 2. One road and one trail.
Even when I was a "serious" runner I rarely had more than about 4 and that included a pair of flats and a pair of spikes.
Runners run
Mmmm Bop
Nike ZoomX Invincible x 2
Skechers GoRun Ultra
Hoka Stinson Evo (these are over 10yo now and still feel great, but look absolutely enormous!)
Nike React Infinity x 2
Saucony Endorphin Speed
NB FuelCell Prism
Nike cheater shoes
Total - 9
5k - 17:53 (4/19) 10k - 37:53 (11/18) Half - 1:23:18 (4/19) Full - 2:50:43 (4/19)
Currently 2. One road and one trail. Even when I was a "serious" runner I rarely had more than about 4 and that included a pair of flats and a pair of spikes.
Same. Now that I'm essentially post-pandemic jogalog maintenance sanity only running retired, I have 1 pair for the road.
When I was "serious" I had one of each (road, trail, spikes, flats).
Come all you no-hopers, you jokers and roguesWe're on the road to nowhere, let's find out where it goes
My number varies. I classify my shoes as easy/long, speed/strength, race, and trail. At any time I might have two active pairs of a particular type as one gets old and I start bringing in a new pair. That puts me in the 4 - 7 range, though usually I'm around 5 active pairs.
5k 23:48.45 (3/22); 4M 31:26 (2/22); 5M 38:55 (11/23); 10k 49:24 (10/22); Half 1:48:32 (10/22); Marathon 4:29:58 (11/23)Upcoming race(s): Turkey Trot, 11/25; Hangover 5k, 1/1
Three: 2 rotated for daily training, of any type, and one pair of Vaporflys reserved for racing. I used to wear higher-mileage race shoes for speed workouts, so I’d have 4. Not currently doing that, since I am on my first pair of Vaporflys, and they stopped making my previous race shoe.
I don’t like trying new shoes, unless forced to do so. Since I started running consistently in 2012, I’m on my 23rd pair of Brooks Adrenalines. With one of the releases they changed something that made them not fit properly, but going up a half size fixed it. When I started rotating after a year or two, my second shoe was the Brooks Ravenna. Went through 10 pair of those, but then with one of the releases they started giving me a pain at the top of my foot. I couldn’t wear them anymore, and switched to the Brooks Ghost. I’m on my 16th pair of those. Brooks really ought to be giving me some kind of frequent runner mile rewards. I do live in their HQ city, so conveniently there is a Brooks Outlet store where I can always get discounted older models.
Dave
I have 17, two pairs will be retired this month. My DW says I have more shoes than she does
Frequent Racer Group
PRs: 400m- 1:04.94 (2015) / 1M - 5:13 (2022 & 2023) / 5K -18:23 (2017) / 5M - 31:14 (2022) / 10K - 39:29 (2018) / 10M -1:05:11 (2023) / HM - 1:27:34 (2023) / FM -3:15:08 (2023)Coming up: Winter Series: Covered Bridge 5K (12/10), Jingle Bells 5.1M (12/17)
I use my closet for storing new shoes. There are currently 4 pairs there. I keep active shoes in the spare bedroom/gym and there are 12 pairs in there. DH complains about the shoes, I just point to the classic cars in the garage that take up way more space.
I currently have 5 pairs in rotation. Since I rarely run more than 5 days a week that gives each pair a whole week to dry out and recover. All my shoes are New Balance since I have wide feet and NB has extra wide sizes with ample toe room. I would not mine having a few more pairs and maybe set some aside for special conditions or races. Shoes are expensive for those of us on a limited budget, don't think I need 14 pairs!
Long distance runner, what you standin' there for?Get up, get out, get out of the door!
My equipment log says 13
Spikes - 2 pair (I don't need both and haven't used either in 2 years)
Flats - 1 pair, never gets used
Super Shoes - 1 pair, I do all my races in them
Trail - 1 pair
Endorphin Speeds (long runs and speedwork) - 4 pair, 1 active 3 new in box
Easy runs - 2 pair
Speedwork shoes that got supplanted by the Speeds - 2 pair
1600 - 5:23 (2018), 5k - 19:33 (2018), 10k - 41:20 (2021), half - 1:38:57 (2018), Marathon - 3:37:17 (2018)
Probably a dozen active shoes
Other than race shoes like flats and spikes, I have 4 high use trainers, 1 tempo/fast trainer, and 1 trail shoe that get regular use.
Weekly:
Endospeed2
Rebel2
SC Trainer
Bi-Weekly:
MaxRoad 4+
RC Elite2
Endospeed3
Stinson6
Once a month or less:
Speed Freek
Napali
Rebel1
Specialty/Seasonal but used:
Air Zoom Victory spikes
Victory XC spikes
GoMeb Speed6 and 5
Minimus Hi Rez
Extra pairs waiting their turn:
Not used anymore but usable and can't bring myself to get rid of them:
Green Silence, red/yellow and blue/blue pairs (both with less than 20-50 miles)
GoRun5
"yard shoes" or casual and hiking:
MaxRoad4+
Clifton 6
MaxTrail
Merrel goretex trail runners
60-64 age group - University of Oregon alumni - Irreverent and Annoying
Half Faster Runners 2023
Two. Ideally, I like to have three in rotation, but usually it is just two.
Wow, some of you have more shoes for running than I have footwear total for all purposes. LOL!
Half Fanatic #9292.
Game Admin for RA Running Game 2023.
Currently a total of five.Nike Invincible 1: Long Runs of 55 minutes or more.
Nike Pegasus 39 and Nike Vomero: Runs of 25 to 40 minutes (usually on days with doubles)
Nike Vaporfly: Races
Nike Lunaracer 3: Road Intervals, Treadmill Intervals
I also have pair of Nike Streaks XC that I've used for some really fast track reps.