If you are like me, then you are no different as even I never knew when I should be getting rid of a pair of shoe. Well given the fact, I went ahead and did my research on how and when should one throw away their old pair of shoes. So without further ado, Dear fellow readers; we gather here today, to bid farewell to our beloved and long-time companion; OUR SHOES!
Shin splints! Achilles Tendinitis, Knee Pains, Plantar Fasciitis; just to name a few! These all can be incurred by you if you are not careful into knowing when to discard off the pair of shoe that you don’t know should not be used any longer. These all occur over a prolong use of time with your shoe and results in the loss of support and cushioning. With the passage of time, shoes heel and sole wear down increasing chances of an ankle twist. Now that won’t be a fancy sight would it now?
No manufacturer ever stamps the “expiration date” on their shoes. That being said, the shoes life can be extended by ensuring proper care is exhibited when owning one. The manufacturer also plays a vital role into prolonging their products life. Quite essentially a high-priced shoe composes of more ductile and sturdy material as compared to the one that is labelled as a low-priced alternative. But that being said, I have listed below few points that you can use to judge and quantify if your shoe needs to be buried or be kept in your closets for your next use.
Athletic Shoes
Since the whole purpose of these shoes is to take a massive beating by the wearer all day long, hence these shoes tend to wear out a lot quicker than the latter. Twist, turns, fast running, jumping etc. you name it! The most beating that any athletic shoe that comes into my mind is the shoe of a basketball player. When you land from jumps, your shoe and its sole absorbs the pressure that is equivalent to 7 to 8 times of your body weight. OUCH! Would despise being an athletic shoe.
As a general rule of thumb, the life span of such shoes is 4oo to 500 miles as per the statistics on the internet. Someone who runs 4 miles 5 times a week should consider replacing their pair of shoes after 6 months. Period!
Office Shoes
You would need to trash or fix your office shoes if you wear them 4 to 5 times a week in a year’s time. Experts opine that if the shoe starts tilting slightly or has scuffing’s all over its body, it’s time to hit the cobbler or a shoe repair shop. If that’s not doable, then you are better off tossing them into the bin and go for shoe shopping.
Leather Dress Shoes
No! I won’t recommend that you toss them into the bin, well at least for now. Leather dress shoes can easily last for 10 to 15 years if you take good care of them. Ensure proper resoling and re-heeling when necessary is done, ensuring proper leather cleaning liquids and mods are used to keep them in their best shape. The leather insole needs to be replaced if you put your thumb in the center of the outsole at the foot of the ball, the leather feels soft rather than firm