On average you should keep your shoes for between 8 and 12 months before replacing them. This averages to around 300 to 500 miles for running shoes. One good indicator that your shoes are worn is when the support and cushioning start to become compressed and the material doesn't bounce back the way it used to.
If you buy low quality leather, bonded leather, or pleather shoes, you can hope for at least six months of regular use. If you only wore your shoes inside on carpeted floors, that same pair of shoes would easily last three to five years.
You should replace your shoes with foam midsoles between 6-12 months with daily use. Leather shoes with replaceable soles can last 5 years or longer. Shoes should be replaced when they cause discomfort, impact joint health, get contaminated, or become a visual eyesore.
Dry rot is the process in which leather degrades due to the lack of moisture in the material. When all the oil from the leather evaporates, the fibers in the material become brittle and crack, which leads to permanent damage. This process usually occurs if your leather footwear is kept in warm, dry conditions.
It can easily dry out, over-absorb water, or be damaged in other ways but cannot repair itself. If leather loses its natural oils and moisture, it loses it's flexibility and its fibrous interweave will start to crack and eventually break down. Once this happens it is lost and needs to be replaced.
Leather Uppers especially need time to air out
We define ample time as around 24 hours – so ideally give it a day between wears. If you don't give your shoes a day to air out, the sweat-soaked leather will warp, and your shoes can start to lose their shape — not to mention get musty and start to smell.
Leather shoes are great for many things, but they aren't naturally great in the rain. Water can soak into the leather, over time it can cause it to crack, and the dreaded ridges of salt marks can permanently distort them.
But wearing your most prized possession can actually increase the service life of the shoe, believe it or not. If you keep a pair of sneakers deadstock in their box for too long, the glue will dry up and the aging process of the shoe actually accelerates when compared to a shoe that has been worn every once in a while.
Even if you buy high-quality shoes, shoe boxes were not created to support the storage needs of your shoes. If shoes are not exposed to proper air circulation, their parts and materials can easily disfigure or wear out. Some plastic shoe boxes may also cause damage by drying out the glue, fibres, or sole material.
Hydrolysis is the chemical breakdown of the PU polymer and the resulting physical breakdown or crumbling of the PU sole by the attack of water (usually in vapour form), occurring over a period of several years (even when the shoes are in store!). This process is accelerated by warmth and high humidity.
Durability
One of the biggest benefits of leather shoes is they are durable. Genuine leather shoes can outlive other shoes made from synthetic materials. High quality leather stays strong against demanding work environments meaning the shoes will last much longer.
Shoe boxes give your shoes the highest level of protection from dust, sunlight and temperature extremes that can sap leather shoes of their flexibility. Boxing vintage shoes and boots after stuffing and wrapping them will help preserve fine leather, cork and other organic materials.
Always store shoes in a cool, dry, and temperature-controlled area for best results. Boots should be stored in boot stands to help them retain shape. Other shoes should be stored with shoe trees for shape retention. Alternatively, you can use acid-free tissue paper to stuff shoes.
On average, heavily worn but well-maintained Goodyear-welted shoes can last between 5-10 years. A pair that is rotated out among a collection of shoes should last between 10 to 20 years.
It all depends on the quality of the shoe. Cheap shoes will break down very quickly, especially if they are worn often. There are some shoes, however, that can last over 40 years. There's something to be said about quality footwear brands.
Worn-out shoes won't provide enough support and cushioning so generally, you should replace them every eight to 12 months. This is when they start showing obvious signs of being worn out. Also, when it comes to active footwear, the most important thing to keep in mind is the general rule of thumb of the 500-mile limit.
Out With the Old
Out with old and in with the new is perfectly acceptable when it comes to footwear, but stop tossing your old shoes in the trash. Whether you sell, donate, or recycle, give your workout shoes a new purpose and keep them out of landfills.
As a general rule of thumb, shoes should be replaced every 8-12 months for most people or every 500-700 kilometres for running shoes. Some shoes will last longer, and some will wear out more quickly.
2 | ALL SHOES NEED TO BREATHE AND BE AIRED OUT
Fresh air helps nourish the material, dry out any odours (cedar wood also helps with this), and keeps your shoes supple and fresh after each wear. Completely dry your shoes before storing or wearing them.
When quality leather is cared for, it can last for decades, ages beautifully and forms a patina. Real leather is animal skin and so it needs to be maintained and moisturised – when it starts to dry out, it can eventually crack and peel.
Inspect the Insides of Each Shoe
Worn-out padding in the ball of the foot could indicate a number of foot problems including falling arches. Check the back of the shoe that wraps around your ankle. Your heel should not slide around; if it does, it could lead to a lack of stability that could cause an ankle sprain.
Not wearing socks can lead to smelly feet
When your feet sweat, bacteria build-up. While foot sweat is odorless on its own, without socks, the sweat can't be wicked away from your skin, creating an abundance of germs on your feet. Not only is this highly unhygienic, but it can also quickly lead to foul odors.
Without tanning, leather shoes would rot right off your feet. Animal skin is turned into finished leather by the application of a variety of dangerous substances, including mineral salts, formaldehyde, coal-tar derivatives, and various oils, dyes, and finishes—some of them cyanide-based.
Leather shoes can heat your tootsies in hot weather. Your feet have around 250,000 sweat glands and wearing leather shoes throughout the day may activate them. This feels and smells nasty, and also damages the leather layering on the inside. Leather is a porous material, and dampness makes it vulnerable to shrinkage.