HOW TO Tell When Your RUNNING SHOES Are Ready To RETIRE… Mine Are Ready | FOD Runner - The FOD Runner

Aug 13, 2025

Intro

This is a quick summary of “HOW TO Tell When Your RUNNING SHOES Are Ready To RETIRE… Mine Are Ready” from The FOD Runner. It’s a great watch — we’re breaking it down so you can try the workout today. Be sure to check out the full video for all the details.

Key Points

Shifting‑gears (cut‑down) threshold workout: four descending intervals (1 km, 600 m, 400 m, 600 m) done at threshold effort with only a 1‑minute light‑jog recovery between each set.
Target paces were around 5:30 /mi for the 1 km, 5:20–5:30 /mi for the shorter intervals, slightly faster than his 10 k PR (≈5:28 /mi). Adjust the paces to match your own 10 k pace.
Drills & strides (high‑knees, skips, etc.) are used to test shoe grip and foam liveliness; watch for slipping on turns, which indicates worn‑out traction.
Practical tip: No extra rest – roll straight into the next interval after a 1‑minute jog. Monitor heart‑rate (average ~165 bpm) to gauge effort.
Shoe decision: Foam still lively after 212 mi, but grip deteriorated—especially on turns. Use the shoes for flat tarmac training, but retire them for racing that involves turns.

Workout Example

Warm‑up: 15‑minute easy jog

Shifting‑Gears Threshold Set (repeat 4×):
  1. 1 km @ ~5:30 /mi (threshold) – 1 min light jog
  2. 600 m @ ~5:20 /mi – 1 min jog
  3. 400 m @ ~5:15 /mi – 1 min jog
  4. 600 m @ ~5:20 /mi – 1 min jog

*No extra rest between sets – just the 1‑minute jog recovery.*

Finish with a few high‑knee and skip drills to test shoe grip.

Closing Note

Give the “shifting‑gears” workout a try and tweak the paces to suit your own numbers in the Pacing app. Have fun testing your shoes, and keep moving forward—your next race is waiting! 🚀