How to Break in New Running Shoes

Before I get into how to break in new shoes, here’s a quick recap of my latest workouts. Today, I ran 4 miles at 34:35:39 (pace of 8:38) with random speed work thrown in. Feels good to sprint sometimes! Yesterday, I did my Feel the Burn Ab Circuit and the following walking routine on the treadmill:

And guess what I wore while working out? My bright-ish new shoes! They’re the ASICS Gel Excel33. Aren’t they wonderful? And I added some bright pink shoelaces that I received for being a Sweat Pink Ambassador. 🙂

These shoes apparently run a little smaller, which I definitely noticed while trying them on. So, I went up half a size, and they seem to be fine (now part of the size 9 club…oh baby).

My current running shoes are the Saucony Progrid Ride 5. I talked about them a little here when I first got them. I’ve liked them for the most part, but I knew I needed to get new shoes ASAP because…

• I ALWAYS have blisters on my toes, and it’s gotten really uncomfortable and frustrating.
• My feet have really been aching lately.

My feet don’t usually hurt as much as they have been, so I’ve been very anxious about trying out a fresh pair of “kicks.” Injury is simply not an option at this point. I have less than 2 months before I run my first marathon, and I’d prefer no setbacks! Since my mileage keeps increasing with me running over 30 miles each week, I need good training shoes.

ASICS shoes have proven to be my friend in the past, so I figured I’d go back to them to see if they could make training more pleasant. Breaking them in by wearing them around has felt really good on my sore feet so far. Let’s hope that continues.

How to Break in New Running Shoes

I’m really bad about breaking new shoes in because I just want to run in them right away. But in order to avoid blisters and sore feet, I’m determined to properly break in this bright new pair. In the past I didn’t even know how to do this, so I figured I’d share a little advice on the subject, which I’ve learned from my boyfriend (who has been a runner all his life) and through my own experience.

When you get a new pair of running shoes, make sure to do the following to break them in first:

Walk around in them for a few days. If you can wear them to work, go for it! The fastest way to break in new shoes is to wear them from the moment you wake up in the morning to the time you get back into bed at night. By doing so, you are breaking up the shoe insert, forming it to your foot shape, and allowing it to bend when you run. After doing at least a couple days of walking in them, then you can think about using them for running.

Slowly incorporate them into your running schedule. For example, if you run 5 days a week (like me), you could start out by wearing them during one of those runs and gradually increasing. By running more and more in them every week, you can compare how they feel to your most recent shoes, testing if they’re helping or hurting you.

Pay attention to how your body feels. I’m not just talking about your feet here. Your shoes can affect your entire body because ill-fitting ones can throw off your alignment and make you sore in other areas (that you may not associate with a shoe fit). Whether your shoes are too small, rub you the wrong way, or make you change your stride to cope with pain, you may need try a different pair. Everyone has different feet and may need different types of shoes. Unfortunately, sometimes you have to learn that the hard way.

Now that I have new shoes, I’ve already noticed myself talking about them a bit excessively. Thank God Matt loves running as much as I do…because he’s the one that hears my rambling. 🙂

What’s your favorite brand or type of running shoe?

Are you fitting in a workout today?