When To Replace Your Walking Shoes

Shoes do not announce their retirement. They quietly lose support and grip until one day your knees and back start complaining first.

Most walking shoes last between five and eight hundred kilometers, less if you carry weight or walk hard surfaces. The signs show up in the sole before the upper.

• Check the outsole for worn down lugs or smooth patches.
• Press the midsole; if it stays compressed, the cushion is dead.
• Watch for a heel that tilts outward from uneven wear.
• Replace when aches appear in knees or hips after normal walks.

I mark the purchase date inside each pair and count roughly. Replacing shoes on schedule is cheaper than the physio bill from running them into the ground.