walkers/runners: a question about sneakers

It may sound stupid but I have a question about shoes. I walk Callie about 2 miles a day, And only wear the sneakers for these walks. I call them my doggie walking shoes :)

Anyhow, it seems I can only get them to last a month before the treads wear down to nothing. I've tried many different brands and still only get a month out of them.

Is this unusual? You would think that at $50 or more per pair should last longer. How long do your running/walking sneakers last you? How much do you pay? I refuse to spend too much for one month! I recently bought some really nice $100 sneaks on clearance for $20.... stocked up with a couple pairs at that price ;)

I run alot (50-60 kms/month), my shoes last about 6 months. I found the Mizuno brand didn't last really well though. Asics are the best for me and last a good long while.

When I ran (and it was about 12-15 miles a week), I got about 6-8 months out of a pair of running shoes. I suppose if you are running/walking on really rough terrain (like torn concrete) it would only be a month. But, otherwise, that seems VERY odd.

I would spend about $75/pair back then. Now? I wear my shoes forever, and really, I hate new running shoes. No matter how well the experts tell me they fit, they make my feet fall asleep for months and months and months.

Do the treads wear out in a particular pattern, or just all over? have you tried writing to the manufacturer(s)? Maybe they would send you a new pair, and make you a "tester" for good walking the dog shoes?

I walk on concrete and am up snd down curbs ..... very city route

They wear on the ball of the foot.

Sounds like you'd be a perfect person to be a sneaker tester! I would absolutely write to every manufacturer of sneakers you have bought, and explain the problem, and see what they say!

I don't run or walk in the true meaning of this thread, but when I buy athletic shoes, they last for years, and I wear them all the time when I'm not wearing sandals. I buy a new pair simply because I get tired of looking at the old ones. I like New Balance - reasonable price and very durable. It will be a cold day in h3ll before I'll pay over $50 for a pair, too.

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Originally Posted by pomtzu

I don't run or walk in the true meaning of this thread, but when I buy athletic shoes, they last for years, and I wear them all the time when I'm not wearing sandals. I buy a new pair simply because I get tired of looking at the old ones. I like New Balance - reasonable price and very durable. It will be a cold day in h3ll before I'll pay over $50 for a pair, too.

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I wear New Balance, too. It's hard to find my size though. Wide feet. I wished mine lasted for years. They wear out and get dirty.

I wear Skechers and they seem to last for years. Although I don't really check the tread on them often. (going to check a pair now) They all seem to be fine. I even checked my oldest pair. But we all walk differently and have different pressure points. So I guess it just depends on that.
I usually buy a new pair when the old ones are beyond cleaning or I want a different color.

My Nike ones didn't last long, but I work out at the gym (including running on a treadmill), and my Underarmor ones have lasted me over a year...so as with everything Underarmor, I highly recommend. If this continues, I would suggest investing in Hiking Boots. I bought a pair (for hiking mostly) from Bass pro shops on sale for $40. They are pretty ugly, but they are SO good for walking in general not only hikes!

Perhaps some professional can evaluate your walking pattern...when I did a learn-to-run course last year, the instructor noticed right away that I 'pronated' - my feet rolled to the outside edge.

Just from what you say about wear, I suggest paying attention to walking heel to toe, heel to toe, using your heel a lot more.

I have a really weird gait thanks to my broken foot and too many years of marching so all of my shoes wear out on the heel. The rest of the shoe is 100% fine but my heels are gone in a couple of months. :rolleyes: I tend to buy incredibly cheap shoes for this reason lol.

I know what I do wrong: as I step up a curb on incline on a wheelchair ramp, I don't lift my feet high enough. I hear it scrape and I cringe because I know I just lost some more tread. You'd think I'd have learned to llift my foot higher :rolleyes: :o

I have tried 6 brands since January:
* Reebok (my current pair)
* Brooks (awesome, but never on what I call a SALE)
* K-Swiss (LOVED these on my feeet but the tread was shortest life)
* Easy Spirit (by far my favorite pair... in fact I still wear them when I go shopping and what not. They just have absolutely zero tread. :p Even on CLEARANCE at the outlet by me, they still cost $50-$60. Not worth it for how long they lasted, even though I do wear them a lot now that they are retired)
* Sketchers (I like Sketchers shoes so I knew I'd love the sneakers. Nope. These things were HEAVY and clunky. I stubbed my toe andd tripped over my own feet too many times!)

As far as the following brands I tried in the past:
* Nike: too narrow for my wide feet, especially my "bunionette" --owie!
* Avia: cheap pric point shoes look nice but wear bad
* New Balance: I can not say one nice thing, so I won't say anything ;)
* Saucony: I used to wear these and only these.... just let me know where to find them locally except the running store at full price and I'm there!
* Primo (I think thats the name) Great sneaker but for shopping about town, not pounding the pavement. Actually, I wore the slip on sneaker to walk Callie this morning. Its too darn hot to wear socks and a full laceup sneaker. I also slow down in this shoe-like sneaker because I know the tread is "dainty" -- which we need in this 100 degree heat! Niether pup nor I wanted to break into a sweat!

I Pound the pavement. I walk hard, fast, and am up and down curbs a LOT. I walk a mile at a time, and haven't considered counting how many curbs I touch across. On my days off, I double or triple how much walking we do (Callie walks too!)

Skechers has a new shoe called Lites. They are very light weight. My most recent pair are Lites and they are great! Look for them in the store and see how light they are.

The ones I have now are a pair of relatively cheapy ones - Danskin's that I bought at Walmart - and I love them. They are super comfortable and lightweight (a lot of mesh). I just toss them in the washer and they look like new. I don't like an athletic shoe that is all leather, so these were perfect. Even my New Balance pair that I still have and are part leather, I toss them in the washer and they come out looking like new. I didn't know if I'd ruin them by doing that, but nothing ventured/nothing gained. :D

Kim, you might try getting a pair of men's runners. Like you I need extra width that I don't find in many women's shoes. I wear a women's 10, so that works out to a men's 8. I suspect they are also built to be tougher. ;)

Lift up your feet! Think of that mantra as a placard in a jubilation march! :D

I wear Nike or Adidas and they last at least three years. I'm not exactly running in them, but still... :D