The Care And Feeding Of Running Shoes

You ask a lot of your running shoes when you are training for a marathon, so get the most out of them by treating them right. When you finish a run, remove your orthotics (if you have them) and keep them somewhere other than inside the shoes. This allows both orthotics and shoes to dry out, which will help them last longer than if they are perpetually damp. When your shoes are wet, either from excessive sweat or a rainy run, stuff a page or two of newspaper in each shoe and leave it there. When you go to put your shoes on the next day, pull out the paper and you’ll find that the paper is damp but your shoes will be dry. Don’t put running shoes in the washer and dryer. If your shoes are dirty and muddy enough to bother you, use an old toothbrush or rag and scrub them off in a sink, and allow them to air dry (or use the newspaper technique). The hot air dryer will speed up the breakdown of the shoes’ material, and you’ll be wearing them out soon enough.