Different expiration dates

Marina Rappold tells something about running shoes in our series.

Unterschwillach - My mom has a soft spot for things with a long sell-by date.

She doesn't hoard, no, by no means.

In fact, it is very neat and also quite picky when it comes to buying new things.

“Better quality and high quality than inexpensive and with a short useful life” is their moral conviction.

Would you like some examples?

In our kitchen there is a toaster with the label “Made in West Germany” on the underside, she likes to go for a walk or gardening in a sweater that my grandmother already warmed, and the lamp in my parents' bedroom was already in hers first apartment.

To be fair, however, I have to admit that all these things - optical considerations for a moment - are in perfect condition (so toasting, warming and glowing fabulously), and "throwing away" would be an unnecessary waste production.

In short, my parents simply live very environmentally consciously and sustainably.

But is it that easy to apply to our running shoes?

Does it depend on the price how long they serve us well?

And does it make sense to cheerfully complete our endurance runs with our beloved kicks from the Boston Marathon 1994?

A general answer is difficult: it has been found that individual shoes showed clear signs of wear after 170 km, while others lasted over 2000 km without any problems.

So the decisive factor is individual factors:

1. Most important is the consideration of the outsole.

If there are clear signs of wear, mostly on the heel or ball of the foot, the shoe should give way to new shoes.

2. I also find a good tip to inspect the shoe from all sides: Is the shoe a little crooked?

The durability of our running shoe depends on these points: the nature and quality of the material, weight, running style, age of the shoe, frequency of use (alternating with other running shoes) and the running surface.

So you can't say in general: running shoes last exactly one year.

Even if it is of course a question of cost, it makes sense to change your shoe a little earlier rather than later, because saving on your health rarely makes sense. With increasing wear, elasticity, stability and cushioning change - this can cause running problems. So it makes perfect sense to exchange the shoe for a new model at an early stage. If the running shoe has proven itself and you enjoyed running it - take it again. Don't be surprised: at the beginning it usually feels like a completely different shoe. If you are still looking for an approximate guideline, it is around 1000 kilometers for good shoes. However, if you have a neutral rolling behavior and are lighter, the shoe can also be walked longer.

Conclusion: It's better to replace your running shoes sooner than later - a lower risk of injury and more enjoyment of running should definitely outweigh the cost of purchasing new shoes.

So, a longer column is unfortunately not possible at this point.

I urgently need to go to my parents' basement and inspect my mom's running shoes.

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I wish you a lot of fun and a nice week.

MARINA RAPPOLD

Tips from the expert

Marina Rappold is German U23 runner-up over 10,000 meters, won team gold in the half marathon and won Munich's New Year's Eve and Erdinger city runs.

This year the 23-year-old from Unterschwillach wants to compete in the first marathon of her life.

The prospective primary school teacher gives the readers of the local newspaper tips and advice on all aspects of running.