When to replace running shoes

The kilometre thing

Most runners get somewhere between 500 and 800 km out of a pair. Lighter racing shoes, less. Heavier runners, and anyone pounding Mumbai's concrete instead of a treadmill, wear through them faster. If you track runs on Strava, the number is right there.

When the foam has given up

Deep creases running across the midsole. A flat, slappy feeling on every stride. New aches in the knees or shins after a route that used to feel easy. Press a thumb into the midsole. If it feels hard where it used to give, that is your answer.

Look underneath

Smooth bald patches where the tread used to be, usually at the heel or under the big toe, mean less grip. On wet roads in July that matters more than people realise.

Sometimes it just needs a clean

Smelly, grubby, muddy, but still springy? Clean them. We meet plenty of runners who were about to retire a pair because it looked and smelled awful, when the foam had months left in it. A deep clean and an odour treatment can buy a fair bit of time.

A second life

Old runners make decent gym or walking shoes once they are done with long runs. Give them a clean and they are fine for the evening walk around Shivaji Park.