One of the frequent readers to this blog, besides my Mom, is Maria. She asked a great question to the other day: “…when to change running shoes. The last few times I've gotten through 3/4 of my run and both ankles start burning. I have probably close to 250 miles on these shoes--could it be time to change them out?"

Well Maria, don’t let your heart be troubled as I know the answer. Better yet, I know where to get the answer on this, and many more answers about shoes and how they wear. The folks at Runners World have a Q&A section located : http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-240-490--12954-0,00.html

And lucky for us, look what is at the top of the page:

When is it time to retire my running shoes?
Between 300 and 500 miles. Why the range? Because how quickly a shoe wears depends on you. If you land hard on your heels with each stride, for example, you're going to wear through shoes more quickly than more efficient runners. Go by feel. If after a normal run your legs feel as if the shoes aren't providing you adequate protection, they probably aren't. Give your legs a week to make sure it's really the shoes and you're not just tired. If the shoes still feel dead, replace them. We can tell you that the vast majority of runners replace their shoes too late. When you can see white midsole material poking through the outsole or when the sole under the heel looks crushed, the shoes are long past their prime.

So you see Maria, if your ankles are starting to bother you and you are at 250 miles on those shoes, it sounds like this is a good time to buy a new pair.

Folks, check out the other questions and answers in that section. You’ll find great questions about planar fasciitis, the wear from hard and soft surfaces, and how view different models like “stability control” and “motion control”