Getting new running shoes is exciting! You’ve gotten yourself fitted, measured, fully advised and tried on several pairs before settling on the ones that’ll best help you hit the pavement. Let’s take a look at how to break in running shoes.
And now you’re ready to start racking up the miles on them. Or are you?
Before you take those brand new running shoes out on your first five-miler, there are a few things you need to do to break them in. Failure to do so will probably result in unneeded pain and frustration.
Tips on How to Break In Running Shoes
1. Wear Them While Walking Around
Although it’s tempting, don’t start running in your new shoes the moment you get them home. Instead, take a few days to wear them while you’re walking around the office or at home. This helps loosen your shoes up.
Walking around in them also helps form the shoe’s sole to the shape of your foot and allows you to spot any loose stitching or seams that might slow down a later run.
Keep in mind that if your shoes start to feel uncomfortable while you’re walking around, they will only get worse when you start running in them. It’s better to return or exchange them now than after they’ve already been used outside on a run.
2. Slowly Phase in Your New Shoes
After you’ve been wearing them for walking around for several days and everything feels good, it’s time to start running in them.
However, it’s important to slowly phase them into your workout. Don’t head out for a ten-mile run the first time you use them. Instead, go on a shorter run and begin to adjust. Then use them two or three times a week, while using your old shoes the other times you run that week.
Continue to phase them in more over the next several weeks until they are the shoes you wear every time.
3. Make Sure They Fit Perfectly
The right running shoe for you needs to fit perfectly from the second you first put them on. The breaking-in process won’t fix problems with how they feel when you initially tried them on.
The reason your break in new shoes is to help prevent any potential problems with the already-great fitting pair of shoes you bought. It’s not to help overcome the problems of shoes that don’t fit properly.
If your new shoes are causing any kind of pain or are uncomfortable for any reason, take them back to where you bought them and find out what’s causing the problem.
4. Other Things to Look for When Breaking in Running Shoes
It’s important to remember that your feet are directly connected with every other part of your body. If your back is causing you pain while you’re breaking in your new running shoes, it could be an issue that the shoes are causing. Your back might hurt even if your feet feel perfectly fine in the shoes.
The same can be true if you experience knee or ankle pain during this time. Pay close attention to how the rest of your body feels when you walk around in your new shoes compared to how it feels wearing your old ones.
Although you’ll want to get the most use out of your new shoes as soon as you can, remember to never skip the process of breaking them in. Once they’re broken in according to your needs, you’ll be able to enjoy years of comfort with every passing mile.
