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How to Save Money on Running Shoes
People think running is a sport without any big financial demands. After all, all the equipment you really need is running shoes.
There are a lot of problems with that notion, but the fact is running shoes can be expensive. In fact, the retail price for the Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 37, one of the most common running and high-quality running shoes, is $120. A general rule of thumb is to replace your running shoes every 300 to 500 miles, or when your knees start feeling pain from lack of cushioning in your shoes.
For me, that means I have to replace my running shoes every two months. If I were paying the retail price for shoes, that would mean expending $600 over the course of the year just on training shoes. For racing, you need even different shoes to optimize your performance.
As an experienced runner who has run cross country and track through middle school, high school, and college, and a marathoner, I must have gone through at least 30 pairs of running shoes throughout my life. That’s a lot of money, but I’ve also saved a lot of money with my purchasing experience.
Luckily, I’ve picked up on some savvy running shoe shopping habits over my 11 years as a runner. Here is a couple:
