How many miles is ideal on running shoes before you buy new ones?

Back when I ran cross country the coaches would always tell us to buy new shoes between 300 to 500 miles. You can tell when you need new shoes by looking at the inside heel for little lines of stress on the shoe.

Lots of opinions. I am going to tell you it depends on your weight and how you foot fall. If you are a heavy plodder you will break shoes down quickly. I go through shoes every 250-400 miles depending on weather, surface I have been running on, type of training, and how many long runs are on them. Rain and snow break shoes down faster. If you are worried about cost you should probably find another hobby. As you get older, you will notice if you had good gear or just making it by gear. To put it into perspective- would you put re-tread tires on a Corvette? A great rule of thumb is to push the toe box towards the back of the shoe- the less resistance and easier fold- the less support you are getting from them. Again you will have several opinions- but you are the best judge of when you need new sneaks.

Sir,

There is not a right or wrong answer to your question. Much depends on what kind of running you are doing...how many miles a week, your age and level of training, ETC. It will normally make sense in the long run (pun was not intended but I’ll take it) to pay a bit more for a quality pair of shoes, as they will normally have a longer life and provide more protection. If you are running short distances, 2 mile/5Ks, you are going to be able to go longer with the same shoes than if you are running longer distances. Also, if you are running longer distances, it will save you money and longer wear on your shoes if you buy two pair and rotate them after using them. The only thing for sure is that if they are falling apart, they should have already been replaced.