How to Break in Your New Shoes

With a new pair of new running shoes, you may have to go through pain to break them in.

So you’ve decided to take up running and have bought yourself a pair of spanking new running shoes? You know you badly want to run in them as soon as possible, but you know what it is like sometimes, a new pair of kicks more often than not need some time to break in as new shoes often result in one’s feet being sore and/or developing blisters. So here’s a simple guide to help your feet and shoes get used to each other.

Fortunately, most modern running shoes are made of materials that are softer than ever, reducing the time needed for you to ‘break them in’, even so it’s highly recommended that you follow this guide as injuries can happen:

• Ensure that your new shoes are of the correct size. Wrongly sized footwear will injure your feet. Footwear that’s too small for the feet restricts movement, leading to injury.
• Before wearing your new shoes, rub Vaseline or any other anti-blister cream on all of the contact points that are susceptible to blistering. The reduction of friction helps prevent blisters.
• When you get that new pair of shoes, do not run in them immediately. It is highly recommended that you wear them and walk around the house for a few days just to let your feet get used to the new shoes. If they don’t feel right during walking, they definitely won’t work for you during a run much less a race.
• Now that you have worn them around the house for a few days and they feel good, you need to actually start running in them, and phase them into your routine gradually. For instance if you typically run five days a week, use the new shoes for only a day or two for the first two weeks. Then, gradually increase their use until the new shoes are used for every single run. Should you feel any discomfort or pain, change shoes immediately.
• As time progresses, continue wearing your new shoes for progressively longer spells, or until they feel very comfortable.
• After using the shoes, clean them and after which, stuff the shoes tightly with newspaper after use, or use a shoe stretcher, this will help keep them in good shape.

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