you don't have to spend the earth.... there's always plenty of 'last seasons' models etc that can be bought for less... I think the more important factor is getting to know what type of trainer you need though through some form of gait analysis

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RF Winter Social @ Castle Combe - Bugger me! It's TOMORROW!
www.richardsimkiss.co.uk - 'Lady Godiva Half Marathon' Race Report Added 27/10/08

also if you compare the cost of a couple of pairs of trainers each year to how much gym memership costs, it doesn't seem so bad.

go on treat yourself

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A loser is not the one who runs last in the race. It's the one who sits and watches and who has never tried to run.
Bird in Boots Oh what have I done FLM09

yep i guess i will have to.

anyone know of any decent sports places in or around Haverhill or is it a trip to Cambridge?

cheers

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Fiat Coupe, helping motorists break the speed limit since 1993.

how long is a piece of string?

The answer will be quite different if we are talking a 18 stone fat pronating jogger or a 8 stone fit driven runner with no biomechanical abnormalities.

I go along with other posters that say that you will KNOW when the time is right to replace.

Not everything has a fixed numerical value.

Use your own instincts, run without HRM, let your feeling guide you etc etc

I bought my latest pair of New Balance 680's for £29. I have never spent more than £30 on trainers. My first 3 pairs of NB were 735's for neutral runners and I never had a problem with them. My recent pair have cushioning and are not entirely for neutral runners, but I've done 100 miles in them so far with no problem. Hopefully they will be fine. It might be good for you to get a Gait analysis, but you may well be like me and can pretty much run in any shoe with no problem. If you are, it's not worth spending the earth for good shoes. Having said that, I don't tempt fate and so I'm sticking with New Balance. My feet just seem to like their shoes.

Just replaced my 4000 milers and can't break the new ones in. They are supposedly the exact replica of my old ones but I have my doubts.

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I run because I don't have to.

Quick question; mileage kills a shoe, but what about time?

Reason i ask is i have a pair of Brooks Vapour which are nearly 3 years old but have very little mileage on them.

Even with little use will the cushioning effect of a shoe deteriorate over time?

Thanks.

i had heard 500 miles or 6months but i dont know what sort of wear is expected

I'd expect the foam to deteroriate incredibly slowly to be honest, I'd certainly keep my shoes for as long as it takes to cover the recommended 500 odd miles... (okay, more like ~650 )

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RF Winter Social @ Castle Combe - Bugger me! It's TOMORROW!
www.richardsimkiss.co.uk - 'Lady Godiva Half Marathon' Race Report Added 27/10/08

Cheers Richard; Quality!

I personally don't believe this 500 mile limit that is supposed to be the life of a trainer. You can get a heck of a lot more out of them without any negative effects.

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I run because I don't have to.

hmm.. im not so sure.. i think it will depend on your weight, type of shoe, conditions you run on etc...


ive had mine for about 4months and can visible see when parts of the sole have been squished/ changed through use.

The EVA will lose approx 50% of its cushioning properties after 100km of running, which is why all the shoe manufacturers try to insert gel/air/hydroflow/progrid etc in the shoes to make them last longer.
John.ump - you obviously have good biomechanics if you can get 4000 miles out of them, not everyone is that lucky!!

crikey sensible... 50% after 100km?? eek!

As our resident shoe expert, what sort of lifetime expectancy would you give to trainers? or any tips on how to visually tell if your shoes could do with being upgraded?

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RF Winter Social @ Castle Combe - Bugger me! It's TOMORROW!
www.richardsimkiss.co.uk - 'Lady Godiva Half Marathon' Race Report Added 27/10/08

Ay, visual signs would be really good. If anyone has any ideas, preferably without sectioning them

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0 - 14 Miles in 6 months, 2 hours, 13 minutes and 58 seconds.
Start weight: 18 st 4.. Current weight: 14 st 11.. Current Goal: Duchy Marathon, 8th March 2009