Monday, November 28, 2016

Out With (Some of) the Old, In With the New

I don't know what it is about running shoes, but I have a very hard time letting go of them.  I have so many pairs that have either gone past their mileage for me (once my knees start hurting when I run, it's time to retire that pair of shoes), or just didn't end up being the right shoe for me, but I kept them all.  It's weird - I can get rid of clothing I no longer wear pretty easily, but I have running shoes that go back to 2010 that I'll never wear again - and yet, until recently, there they were, taking up space in my closet.

But I got a new pair of Hokas recently:
Ooh, so green!  I name my shoes so I can distinguish them on Garmin Connect, which is where I keep track of my mileage on each pair - these are called Lemon Lime.  I also have my Hawaii Blues, and The Prettier Shoes (which superseded The Pretty Shoes, natch).  They are all the Clifton model.

And I guess that was enough to send me over the edge, so I culled some (not all, I still have the Newtons from 2010) running shoes:
It's a start, at least!

I've got these bagged up, ready to drop off at our running store - they take the shoes and donate them to local shelters.  And now my shoe section is looking a little more open, although there are other shoes that probably could go as well...baby steps, people:
The shoes on top are what I rotate through each week.  In the shoe case, you can see that I'm down to four pairs that I don't wear anymore - that's an improvement, right?

I never used to have this problem.  But then, I never used to have running shoes, either, so it's not a bad thing, just different.  And I wonder if part of why I hang onto the old shoes is because I'm still slightly amazed that they belong to me, that I used them and wore them out - because even though I've been running for seven years now, some days I'm still kind of shocked that I do this. 

Now, don't get me started on the amount of running socks I own.  That is an entirely new can of worms I'm not willing to open up just yet - luckily, you can own a couple dozen pairs and they don't take up much space.

23 comments:

  1. Hanging on to your "old" to you running shoes must be a thing among us runners, because I do it to!
    I don't know why I do it either because once I quit wearing the shoes I am done with them I never think about them again I just go on with my new pair of shoes. I don't know maybe its like trying to save the memories you have made while wearing the shoes. It will be interesting to see what the rest of your readers have to say on this subject.
    Good for you for culling your pile of running shoes. Maybe I'll follow suit one of these days sometime soon.

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    1. Same here - I never wear them once I'm finished with them...but what if I needed to do a mud run? I mean, I'm not going to do that, but WHAT IF??? Sigh...and that's why I have so many extra pairs of running shoes in my closet.

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  2. I don't mean to hold on to my old running shoes, but since I change them fairly often, it happens! I donate mine to Goodwill or anyone who wants them.

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  3. I started running in 2009 and it was last year before I decided to throw them away, kept them all these years. I can understand why you kept them.

    I do the same as you, have 3 pairs that I rotate and keep track off.

    Love the color of your new shoes.

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    1. OK, I can see why we're friends - we do the exact same thing with our running shoes (and I prefer to have three pairs in rotation, too). :)

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  4. I've never gotten rid of any of my running shoes either. I rotate a lot and I'm not convinced that any of them are "worn out" yet! I also have the Altra drop zero shoes that I will never wear again because they caused me injury and I'm afraid to donate them because I feel they need to come with an instruction manual. I don't want anyone else getting hurt!

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    1. LOL on the instruction manual with the Altras - that's kind of how I feel about my Newtons (and my ankle injury that happened shortly after I started running in them).

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  5. I keep my old sneakers for gardening purposes. When I can't wear them for actual wearing, then I use them when digging in the dirt and such since I don't care if they get dirty. I couldn't donate my shoes because I wear the soles down to nubs LOL!
    I love how organized your shoes are.

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    1. It's weird, my soles will be worn down but the tops will still look pretty good. Just don't try for traction on a wet surface, I guess.

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  6. Unlike my regular shoe closet, this is one area where I don't have a lot of shoes, believe it or not! Just one pair, plus my previous pair for walking or other types of exercise. Oh, and I keep the second oldest pair at work or in my car, just in case. I tend to donate anything older than that.

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    1. I suspect we are opposites when it comes to our shoe closets, LOL!

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  7. I don't have as many, but I have a hard time getting rid of my ...well, they're running shoes that I use to walk in or go to the gym in. One reason is that they still look like they've got a lot of life in them. And they're pretty colors. But my collection cannot beat yours :) And your new shoes? I'm green with envy :) I've been thinking about getting myself a new pair of walking shoes for Christmas--I think you've convinced me :)

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    1. I know what you mean - they still LOOK good, even if they're not great for walking/running anymore, so how can you get rid of them? And definitely get yourself a new pair for Christmas - that's more of a need than a luxury item, if you ask me. :)

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  8. I always love how you coordinate your socks with your running shoes/outfits! I agree, I think it is a lovely reminder on how far you've come that you have all these used running shoes - so proud! Maybe you could take a picture of each and make a collage to hang up on your closet wall above the shoe rack?

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    1. You just reminded me that I haven't taken a good "shoe flower" picture with friends before a race in a long time - I need to do that again!

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  9. I love that you name your shoes!!! Hope you had a wonderful thanksgiving Shelley!!!

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  10. I have a pile of running shoes that I'm getting up the 'courage' to get rid of!!!

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  11. I have a bunch of shoes that I never wear. I need to donate them. Now I just rotate between my Nikes.

    And socks... let's not go there.

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  12. I consider my running shoes like memories. I just recently let the oldest 5 pair go too. I took a picture of them to preserve the memory. I named one pair of mine Tidy Bowl. I see have those!

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  13. That is an awesome reason to want to hang on to them - they really show that you're a dedicated runner when you look at their wear and tear! I have a hard time saying good bye to mine too, unless they're ugly. Ha! But they really have SO MANY memories!

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    1. Funny, it was easier to let go of the blah colored shoes, that's for sure!

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