Rotating new shoes?

[Kristi]

I've read in a couple of places that when you get new shoes you should rotate them with the old ones for a while. That leads me to a few questions as to how to do this.
Is is necessary?
How long should you do this?
If you are rotating the new with the old, then you are buying the new before the old ones wear out, right? So then at what point do you buy new shoes?

Thanks in advance for your help!

[cimit]

I started doing this when I was increasing mileage for my first marathon. Figured that buying shoes every 4 months.

For me, I usually buy 2 pairs at once and alternate between the two after each each run. However, low funding only allowed for 1 pair for the last purchase. I just got these upto 500km and now have another pair to switch with. So I think I will use up the old pair before Christmas, and the new ones should get me through to my Spring marathon.

[Irongirl]

I usually start thinking about buying new shoes when I hit 500 km (it might take me a week or so until I actually buy them...), then, I use the new ones for all my short runs, and my old ones for my long runs until they hit 600 km, then they become my walking shoes (so, I have three shoes for awhile - new, old, really old/walking)....I'm sure my husband loves having three pairs of my stinky running shoes in the front hall!

Hope that makes sense....

[garth]

so, I have three shoes for awhile - new, old, really old/walking

Oh ya what about the "mowing the lawn" shoes, the "in the boat" and "at the beach" shoes etc etc

I guess I have issues with throwing away what are still good looking and practical use shoes that I spent $150 on.

[Kristi]

I usually start thinking about buying new shoes when I hit 500 km (it might take me a week or so until I actually buy them...), then, I use the new ones for all my short runs, and my old ones for my long runs until they hit 600 km, then they become my walking shoes (so, I have three shoes for awhile - new, old, really old/walking)

That's very helpful, thank you. That was sort of my plan as well, since I've recently hit 500km, but I was kind of just making it up, so I feel better to have my made up plan validated! It's actually the first pair of shoes that I didn't buy off of the sale rack at Sportchek so I'm a little emotional that I may have to stop wearing them. I may never throw them out.

[RA.]

mine are almost at 500K, so I have been meaning to get in to get a new pair. maybe i'll go tomorrow. i need a new pair before the half next month. and i always keep sneakers forever. they'll become my walking sneakers, then my kick around sneakers. it's so hard to throw them out.

[La]

The argument in favour of owning two pairs of shoes and rotating them is that it makes both pairs of shoes last longer, especially if you run every day. Apparently, it takes 48 hours or so for the EVA foam in the shoes to fully "recover" from being compressed by running on them. If you rotate your shoes then they can recover before they're used again, thereby lasting longer. My solution is to just have one pair and just not run every day .