Shoe problems on my thru?

[James Reilly]

I have just finished hiking 850 miles in this pair of shoes. They are inov 8 roclite 315. The arch side of both shoes have been crushed down while the other side remains intact causing or caused by over pronation. The tread wear on the sole remains even. I will pick up some new shoes this weekend. Does anybody know what I should look for in order to help reduce this problem? I am unable to get to a foot doctor and have 1400 miles to hike. Any information in helping me to make a good shoe selection is appreciated.

I also have been using green Super Feet inserts.

Thank you.

[Nathan Coleman]

I've got two pairs of the same shoe. I think your problem is that you put 850 miles on them.

A runner is doing good to get 400-600 miles out of a shoe before replacing. Oftentimes the shoe wears out before the tread does, which is what happened in your case.

For your almost 1500 mile trip I'd have three pairs and swap them out every 500.

[Jennifer Mitol]

If you aren't having any unusual aches and pains, don't worry about how your shoe wears. If you had some issues, then you absolutely could look at that wear pattern as a bit of evidence as to what is wrong. But if it ain't broke…don't fix it!

More problems are caused by mixing things up than by just going with what works for you.

[Jennifer Mitol]

By the way, this problem is generally caused by your NOT over pronating…more like over supination. The superfeet are probably forcing you to angle your foot outward a bit and wear that way, but I cannot stress enough, if you aren't hurting, don't worry about it. You should be replacing shoes after that long anyway, so just hike on and have a blast!

EDIT: er, wait? To me it looks like the outside of the shoe is collapsed, not the inside. Am I missing that?

[James Reilly]

Thanks for the responses. No doubt these shoes need replaced. My feet have been great. In fact I have not had so much as a blister yet. I just wanted to make sure that I am not ignoring a warning sign.

[Martin RJ Carpenter]

EVA midsoles do just collapse (at times quite badly and unevenly) over time. I'm actually rather impressed that they survived 800+ miles in a remotely usable state.

Mine tend to go somewhat before that although often some wear on tarmac/hard tracks involved. Probably not much of that with the sole doing so well!

Certainly possible that you pushed these too long. Mind you the comfort was clearly OK, so the only question would have been balance – I've junked a pair of shoes before now after uneven midsole wear like this meant I couldn't stand on one leg in them.

[John S.]

Yes, under-pronation (over-supination).

[Christopher *]

I wore a slightly heavier trail shoe with green SF on my thru last year, and was only getting about 750 miles per pair before similar breakdown. Also be careful … it was right around 750 miles at Kennedy Meadows that I noticed my feet getting longer and I had to upsize to keep my toes from striking the front of the foot box.

Cheers

[Bob Gross]

I have some Inov-8 model 295 shoes. They were fine for the first 200 miles or so of use. Then I wore them through a stream crossing so they got soaked, and it took them a day or two to completely dry out. From then on, the foam sole collapsed. Now they are about 2/10ths of an inch shorter than they were originally, so they have been retired before 250 miles.

–B.G.–

[Dustin Short]

You wore them too long is all. Also the superfeet may have interfered with the shoes design (engineered to be flexible). But as Jennifer said, if you have no pain then carry on. I'd just start looking to replace at 500-600 miles in your usage rather than 850.

[James Reilly]

Yes, the photo I posted is misleading. It is the arch side that has collapsed. I am just going to buy another pair of the same brand and go with it. Maybe replacing them sooner next time.

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