When to replace shoes?

[Tri Girl]

I replace my running shoes about every 5 months (more often if I'm doing heavier training). That usually puts me around 300-500 miles. Then they get downgraded into walking/around town shoes and I wear them for another 9 months to a year before downgrading them again into yard shoes.
There is a definite life cycle for shoes in my house.
I can usually tell when my running shoes need to be replaced because my knees/hips will start nagging at me a little more.

[skhill]

Back when I was using conventional running shoes, I'd end up retiring them from running somewhere around 500 miles. But really, it was a few cues in my body that would let me know it was time. If my many-time sprained ankle was aching when I woke up in the morning, I probably needed new shoes.

(Now that I run in VFF's, ankles almost never hurt. My first pair have 1300+ miles on them, newer pair 700+, and I still run in both every day...)

[bluebug32]

The shoes are Brooks with Super Feet insoles. I'll check the soles for compression. It's hard to gage any changes in the way they feel when I run because I don't run regularly. I just started up again and had some knee/IT band tenderness after my runs, so I started to wonder about my shoes.

[Tri Girl]

had some knee/IT band tenderness after my runs, so I started to wonder about my shoes.

That's where I start to feel it- knees and IT band. If you're just taking up running again, I would buy a new pair and JUST use it for running and keep the other pair for around town. That's just my opinion on the matter.

[jessmarimba]

I'm in a fairly light shoe - I'm not as picky on replacing them for shorter distances because I don't really feel it as much, but the bottoms of my feet were sore after the marathon Sunday and I wish I'd gotten new shoes beforehand. I usually keep track just by looking at the tread (on the Kinvaras, that seems to go pretty quick) and if they're worn down on the soles I'll start thinking about a new pair. I might buy 2-3 pairs of road shoes a year...trail shoes can last a bitlonger, since they don't wear down as regularly.

[Charlieggo]

I agree with Tri Girl, buy a new pair of shoes exclusively for running. As soon as you get a new pair you will realize how worn your old shoes really are.

[bluebug32]

Thanks, everyone. Do you guys always go to running stores to buy shoes? I think I'll go take a look at a new pair. I also have a pair of Five Fingers that I wear for shorter walks and to do strength/core training. I would like to try some light running in these, but should probably work up to it after I get some new running shoes.