Folks, may I introduce my new pair of runners;
This is the second pair of runners I’ve bought in the last couple of months, and won’t be the last. I now have two pairs of runners in rotation. I may eventually opt for three, if money allows.
Why so many pairs?
Because people far smarter than me said so.
There are plenty of articles on the Internet which discuss the topic, and a large number of the, are in agreement – for some runners, you’re better off rotating your runners than training in just the one pair.
Some of the arguments are quite logical, and sound obvious when you read them;
- It gives your shoes time to breathe. Especially when you’re training every day – you need to give your shoes time to dry and air out, otherwise they’ll turn into portable cess-pits of bacteria and gross. Athletes’ foot, anyone?
- Your shoes will last longer. Well, you’ll still probably get the same number of kms out of them, but they’ll be doing a better job as you go along. Airing/drying out the shoes not only keeps them more hygienic, but it also keeps the materials from breaking down so quickly which means the shoes stays in better condition for longer.
- It can even out (or, at least, spread) the strains and stress that running puts on your body. Because shoes are all different, your body – however minor – will move differently when wearing different pairs. Shaking things up can help prevent the same parts being stressed on every run. Less stress = less injuries (in theory)
There’s also another, totally legitimate, reason; because some outfits just scream for different shoes. Ladies, am I right?
If you’re interested in reading more, check out a couple of Runners World articles here and here, or another really good article from a Strength Running here.
Do you have more than one pair of runners?
Do you rotate your shoes as part of your training?
