How Often To Replace Shoes

[PigPen]

How often do you replace your shoes? Do you wait until the tread is gone? How long until the cushioning wears out?

 

[PaddyDutch]

With some shoes, but not all, you can see the “crushing” of the midsole. That’s a clear sign of wear.

unfortunately my Barricades and ubersonics did not show that due to the materials used.

in that case I replace when I see a combination of wear in:
- specific spots in the outsole with treads being worn down
- the uppers. They wear visually and start to feel loose. Normally my shoes go from ‘snug’ to ‘worn-in’ to ‘too loose’

I’m not exactly sure of the actual number of months, but normally this occurs around the 7 month mark for me. Maybe slightly longer in the off season.

 

[PigPen]

With some shoes, but not all, you can see the “crushing” of the midsole. That’s a clear sign of wear.

unfortunately my Barricades and ubersonics did not show that due to the materials used.

in that case I replace when I see a combination of wear in:
- specific spots in the outsole with treads being worn down
- the uppers. They wear visually and start to feel loose. Normally my shoes go from ‘snug’ to ‘worn-in’ to ‘too loose’

I’m not exactly sure of the actual number of months, but normally this occurs around the 7 month mark for me. Maybe slightly longer in the off season.

How many hours a week do you play?

 

[PaddyDutch]

How many hours a week do you play?

I play twice per week for 2 hours on average. So I figure I get about 130 to 160 hours out of a pair.

I believe this is a realistic calculation, but even at the low end, this is almost double of what I get out of my running shoes. Those are 100% replaced for cushioning. With tennis shoes however, because I play on gravel mainly, I’m not too worried about the cushioning. The uppers, inners and treads are are gone before I notice any lack of cushioning.

 

[socallefty]

I play on hard courts and replace my shoes when I notice they are getting soft and my ankles/knees start getting sore after matches. When they start getting soft, I have to lace them tighter to get a good fit and this tight lacing causes uneven pressure at different parts of the foot which is what leads to soreness. If the shoes get too soft, I also feel a lack of midfoot support and think that it will be easy to twist an ankle at the slightest misstep. I’m in my fifties and play daily with the matches being mostly singles - so, I need to replace shoes frequently to prevent injuries.

Barricades lasted me about 70-100 hours, especially the Barricade 7s (aka Novaks). Asics GR8 and Court FF2 last between 60-70 hours. Lightweight shoes like the Asics Speed 2 and Adidas Ubersonics lasted only about 30-35 hours before they felt too soft and so, I prefer the heavier, more durable shoes.

With the older Barricades prior to 2018, the sole would wear out in spots before the shoe got too soft and I could always get a free replacement because of the 6-month sole warranty. However, for the last 3 years, they made the sole so good that it outlasted the mid-foot support of the shoe and I stopped wearing them long before the sole wore out. This seems to be the case with the GR8s also and it doesn’t seem like the 6-month sole warranty is worth anything anymore as the soles are too durable compared to the shoe itself.

I play about 60 hours a month and so, I wear out 12 pairs of tennis shoes every year. It costs me about $1,500 a year for shoes which is as expensive as my hybrid stringjobs of gut/poly which last me about 15-18 hours and have to be replaced almost every week. I go through roughly 40 stringjobs a year which costs me about $1,200 a year also. I open about 100 cans of ProPenn balls a year at $3 each and those cost about $300 annually. For $3,000 a year of consumable costs on shoes, balls and strings, I get to play more than 600 hours a year and so, it is $5 an hour and $10 a playing session.

This does not include the costs of racquets, clothes, club annual/monthly costs etc - usually I buy 3 racquets and they last about 3-4 years and the cost per year for racquets is only about $200. So, it does cost quite a bit to play tennis daily on hard courts and replace strings/shoes regularly to prevent injuries. Still a lot cheaper than other sports like golf, diving trips etc.

 

[One Handed Dynasty]

It’s usually every 3-6 months for me, it just depends on how much I played and who I was playing in that time period. If I’m just playing mixed doubles and practicing with my wife, like I’ve been doing over Covid, then after 6 months I’ll start to notice the inside of the forefoot tread gets worn down. If I’m playing singles with some former college teammates then after ~3 months the tread will smooth inside the forefoot and heel, and my legs and hips will start to feel beat up the next day which lets me know the cushioning is cashed. Everyone is different though, so I would say if the tread isn’t worn down and your legs/hips/back don’t feel more beat up than normal, then you’re good to go. Your body is great at letting you know when something isn’t working like it should.

 

[kimguroo]

100-120 hours even though outsole might have decent condition.
Usually foam start to degrade (it’s not scientifically tested). I usually have knee pain in that time period but mostly outsole is done too. If I change new shoes, My knee pain is gone.

also I tried to use my shoes slightly more than normal then I almost rolled my ankle because of worn out outsole (less traction). After that I regularly switch shoes.

 

[PD1978]

I’d also take into consideration your weight. If you are heavy set then the cushioning will degrade faster.
I’m 6’2 245lbs, not a small guy. I replace my shoes every 4-6 months depending on how much singles or doubles I’m playing. I have flat feet with custom insoles that are rigid and feel they accelerate wear.

 

[megamind]

I’m basic, when the tread of the outsole begins to wear (let’s say 20-30% of it is smooth), I get a new pair, as I can usually notice it while playing

 

[PigPen]

I play on hard courts and replace my shoes when I notice they are getting soft and my ankles/knees start getting sore after matches. When they start getting soft, I have to lace them tighter to get a good fit and this tight lacing causes uneven pressure at different parts of the foot which is what leads to soreness. If the shoes get too soft, I also feel a lack of midfoot support and think that it will be easy to twist an ankle at the slightest misstep. I’m in my fifties and play daily with the matches being mostly singles - so, I need to replace shoes frequently to prevent injuries.

Barricades lasted me about 70-100 hours, especially the Barricade 7s (aka Novaks). Asics GR8 and Court FF2 last between 60-70 hours. Lightweight shoes like the Asics Speed 2 and Adidas Ubersonics lasted only about 30-35 hours before they felt too soft and so, I prefer the heavier, more durable shoes.

With the older Barricades prior to 2018, the sole would wear out in spots before the shoe got too soft and I could always get a free replacement because of the 6-month sole warranty. However, for the last 3 years, they made the sole so good that it outlasted the mid-foot support of the shoe and I stopped wearing them long before the sole wore out. This seems to be the case with the GR8s also and it doesn’t seem like the 6-month sole warranty is worth anything anymore as the soles are too durable compared to the shoe itself.

I play about 60 hours a month and so, I wear out 12 pairs of tennis shoes every year. It costs me about $1,500 a year for shoes which is as expensive as my hybrid stringjobs of gut/poly which last me about 15-18 hours and have to be replaced almost every week. I go through roughly 40 stringjobs a year which costs me about $1,200 a year also. I open about 100 cans of ProPenn balls a year at $3 each and those cost about $300 annually. For $3,000 a year of consumable costs on shoes, balls and strings, I get to play more than 600 hours a year and so, it is $5 an hour and $10 a playing session.

This does not include the costs of racquets, clothes, club annual/monthly costs etc - usually I buy 3 racquets and they last about 3-4 years and the cost per year for racquets is only about $200. So, it does cost quite a bit to play tennis daily on hard courts and replace strings/shoes regularly to prevent injuries. Still a lot cheaper than other sports like golf, diving trips etc.

Interesting. I never wanted to calculate my yearly tennis fees. I'm sure it would be scary. Especially my court fees. So you do about 60 hours per pair of shoes now?

 

[PigPen]

I am finding the shoes get softer and provide less support after about 60-80 hours.

 

[Sardines]

How often do you replace your shoes? Do you wait until the tread is gone? How long until the cushioning wears out?

I'm around 170lbs and (I've been told) quite light on my feet, midsole wear isn't usually an issue for me. Tread wear is usually the best indicator for replacement for me. I play about 4 times a week 2-2.5 hrs each time on outdoor hardcourts, either Plexipave/cushion or DECO II. I usually wear out a shoe in 1.5-2.5 months, depending on shoe. Once I see a large treadless patch (which most of the time is on the outside forefoot), I start alternating a new pair. Even though I have a slight big toe wear from the serve, I won't wait until I wear through to the midsole, like I did in the juniors, even though I got sponsored!
Cushioning deterioration is more difficult to judge, as many factors come into play as mentioned by others, including your level, weight, foot work and movement. I wear certain shoes faster than others, like the Sole Court Boost, but not the Stycon, even with the same outsole rubber. I stopped claiming outsole warranties, because I won't wear the outsole down to the midsole

I play on hard courts and replace my shoes when I notice they are getting soft and my ankles/knees start getting sore after matches. When they start getting soft, I have to lace them tighter to get a good fit and this tight lacing causes uneven pressure at different parts of the foot which is what leads to soreness. If the shoes get too soft, I also feel a lack of midfoot support and think that it will be easy to twist an ankle at the slightest misstep. I’m in my fifties and play daily with the matches being mostly singles - so, I need to replace shoes frequently to prevent injuries.

Barricades lasted me about 70-100 hours, especially the Barricade 7s (aka Novaks). Asics GR8 and Court FF2 last between 60-70 hours. Lightweight shoes like the Asics Speed 2 and Adidas Ubersonics lasted only about 30-35 hours before they felt too soft and so, I prefer the heavier, more durable shoes.

With the older Barricades prior to 2018, the sole would wear out in spots before the shoe got too soft and I could always get a free replacement because of the 6-month sole warranty. However, for the last 3 years, they made the sole so good that it outlasted the mid-foot support of the shoe and I stopped wearing them long before the sole wore out. This seems to be the case with the GR8s also and it doesn’t seem like the 6-month sole warranty is worth anything anymore as the soles are too durable compared to the shoe itself.

Are you talking about the uppers, midsole or outsole? I understand the rubber outsole wear and the eventual loosening of the uppers will require tighter lacing gradually. However, I don't think even EVA breaks down that quickly unless you are heavy (220+) and are very dynamic. I agree light weight shoes have thinner outsoles and wear faster, but not 50% faster. For me, a Vapor X or Ubersonic 3 have about 65-70% outsole life of thicker outsole shoes.

 

[PaddyDutch]

I am finding the shoes get softer and provide less support after about 60-80 hours.

True in my experience with barricades and ubersonics. That feeling is often also the start of the uppers degrading

 

[socallefty]

Interesting. I never wanted to calculate my yearly tennis fees. I'm sure it would be scary. Especially my court fees. So you do about 60 hours per pair of shoes now?

With Barricades, I was averaging 70-85 hours per shoe. Once they stopped selling the Barricades, I tried Asics GR8 and CFF2 shoes and now the average is probably around 60-65 hours. I just bought a couple of the reissued Barricade 2018s and hopefully they will last longer.

 

[socallefty]

Are you talking about the uppers, midsole or outsole? I understand the rubber outsole wear and the eventual loosening of the uppers will require tighter lacing gradually. However, I don't think even EVA breaks down that quickly unless you are heavy (220+) and are very dynamic. I agree light weight shoes have thinner outsoles and wear faster, but not 50% faster. For me, a Vapor X or Ubersonic 3 have about 65-70% outsole life of thicker outsole shoes.

I have no idea which part of the shoe breaks down first. I listen to my body - if I feel that the shoe has widened and become so soft where I’m not getting the ankle support I need or if my knees/ankles start getting sore after matches, I buy new shoes. I weigh about 195 lbs, but move quickly compared to most of my singles opponents - I don’t know if this means that I am tougher on shoes than others. I’m playing singles 70% of my playing hours and that might have an effect on the lifetime of the shoe also.

The outsole lasts very long these days on all the durable shoes made by Adidas and Asics and I have not had to replace a shoe because of the outsole wearing down first in at least 3 years.

 

[PigPen]

Completely agree with your comments. My KSwiss seem to be going after about 3.5 months of playing about 6 hours per week. As you said, the shoe has widened and has become softer.

 

[Ronaldo]

Play/played 8-12 hrs/week on har-tru and replace shoes once a yr. No longer play more than 12 hrs/yr on hardcourts. Never think about shoe/cushioning, weigh 185-190#

 

[PigPen]

Play/played 8-12 hrs/week on har-tru and replace shoes once a yr. No longer play more than 12 hrs/yr on hardcourts. Never think about shoe/cushioning, weigh 185-190#

Big difference between hard court and har-tru for the shoes and body for that matter. Are you an older player?

 

[Sardines]

I have no idea which part of the shoe breaks down first. I listen to my body - if I feel that the shoe has widened and become so soft where I’m not getting the ankle support I need or if my knees/ankles start getting sore after matches, I buy new shoes. I weigh about 195 lbs, but move quickly compared to most of my singles opponents - I don’t know if this means that I am tougher on shoes than others. I’m playing singles 70% of my playing hours and that might have an effect on the lifetime of the shoe also.

The outsole lasts very long these days on all the durable shoes made by Adidas and Asics and I have not had to replace a shoe because of the outsole wearing down first in at least 3 years.

Obviously we should all listen to our bodies more! I know those knit type shoes do loosen up much quicker than the TPU uppers like the Cage 3, yet it was one of the lightest shoes, albeit without the best cushioning! That is why I like the Stycon too. The TPU cradle is very rigid and the Primeknit upper is reinforced with another layer, unlike the ubersonics and even the Solecourt boosts.

 

[StefanosWillSaveTheWorld]

I'm 6 ft 2, 165lbs and play 10ish hours per week. I have had back surgery on a herniated disc so I'm super cautious with shoes. I change mine out every 2 months. as soon as i feel they are softening up a bit. I think it is very important to be proactive about shoes. You only get one body. I wear gel resoution 8 and the cage 4. two great shoes.

 

[bobleenov1963]

My son, when he played tennis (he is playing golf now), changed shoes every three weeks, and he played two hours everyday. His left shoe wears out on the toe but the back of the shoe is still literally brand new.
my daughter wears out the shoes every three months and I play 10 hours a week. She also stopped playing tennis to focus on golf.

tennis is a lot cheaper than golf. I am currently paying $175/hour for golf lesson, not counting golf fee, club fee, travel, etc...

 

[Ronaldo]

Big difference between hard court and har-tru for the shoes and body for that matter. Are you an older player?

63, deliberately avoided HC even though have clubs that allow unlimited ball machine usage and/or unlimited walk-on play for $50/month. Does not agree with my knees

 

[Ronaldo]

My son, when he played tennis (he is playing golf now), changed shoes every three weeks, and he played two hours everyday. His left shoe wears out on the toe but the back of the shoe is still literally brand new.
my daughter wears out the shoes every three months and I play 10 hours a week. She also stopped playing tennis to focus on golf.

tennis is a lot cheaper than golf. I am currently paying $175/hour for golf lesson, not counting golf fee, club fee, travel, etc...

Friends that golf laugh when we complain about spending a nickel on racquets or string. Aghast when they mention fees and club cost.

 

[Nostradamus]

How often do you replace your shoes? Do you wait until the tread is gone? How long until the cushioning wears out?

i replace them every 3 month. cushioning wears out in 2 months though

 

[bobleenov1963]

Friends that golf laugh when we complain about spending a nickel on racquets or string. Aghast when they mention fees and club cost.

So true. My son and I got invited to play at Trump international golf course in Virginia on Friday sponsored by one of the high tech companies that my company purchased 5M in products from. The golf fee is just outrageous, like $200 for 18 holes, but since I am not paying . A beer goes for $8, $5 for a can of coke.... my lunch costs $100. My son had lunch there at it cost $200 for his meal, he had 4 lobsters for lunch.

tennis cost is nothing compared to golf, LOL...

 

[silentkman]

So true. My son and I got invited to play at Trump international golf course in Virginia on Friday sponsored by one of the high tech companies that my company purchased 5M in products from. The golf fee is just outrageous, like $200 for 18 holes, but since I am not paying . A beer goes for $8, $5 for a can of coke.... my lunch costs $100. My son had lunch there at it cost $200 for his meal, he had 4 lobsters for lunch.

tennis cost is nothing compared to golf, LOL...

C'mon we know golf is not a sport but a skill. Sad to say but Golf is a better career choice than tennis. I'm about a 4-5 month guy on my soles.

 

[smboogie]

I play on hard courts typically 6-8 hours a week, rotate between 2 pairs at a time and when I notice my feet/ankles/knees or even back getting tired/sore more I replace the shoes no matter tread life. Typically shoes will show tread wear as well as I have been primarily wearing Nike Zoom Zero's as they fit my feet really well.

Asics have great tread life as do my current Adidas Boost.

 

[PigPen]

I play on hard courts typically 6-8 hours a week, rotate between 2 pairs at a time and when I notice my feet/ankles/knees or even back getting tired/sore more I replace the shoes no matter tread life. Typically shoes will show tread wear as well as I have been primarily wearing Nike Zoom Zero's as they fit my feet really well.

Asics have great tread life as do my current Adidas Boost.

How long do your shoes last?

 

[silentkman]

I play on hard courts and replace my shoes when I notice they are getting soft and my ankles/knees start getting sore after matches. When they start getting soft, I have to lace them tighter to get a good fit and this tight lacing causes uneven pressure at different parts of the foot which is what leads to soreness. If the shoes get too soft, I also feel a lack of midfoot support and think that it will be easy to twist an ankle at the slightest misstep. I’m in my fifties and play daily with the matches being mostly singles - so, I need to replace shoes frequently to prevent injuries.

Barricades lasted me about 70-100 hours, especially the Barricade 7s (aka Novaks). Asics GR8 and Court FF2 last between 60-70 hours. Lightweight shoes like the Asics Speed 2 and Adidas Ubersonics lasted only about 30-35 hours before they felt too soft and so, I prefer the heavier, more durable shoes.

With the older Barricades prior to 2018, the sole would wear out in spots before the shoe got too soft and I could always get a free replacement because of the 6-month sole warranty. However, for the last 3 years, they made the sole so good that it outlasted the mid-foot support of the shoe and I stopped wearing them long before the sole wore out. This seems to be the case with the GR8s also and it doesn’t seem like the 6-month sole warranty is worth anything anymore as the soles are too durable compared to the shoe itself.

I play about 60 hours a month and so, I wear out 12 pairs of tennis shoes every year. It costs me about $1,500 a year for shoes which is as expensive as my hybrid stringjobs of gut/poly which last me about 15-18 hours and have to be replaced almost every week. I go through roughly 40 stringjobs a year which costs me about $1,200 a year also. I open about 100 cans of ProPenn balls a year at $3 each and those cost about $300 annually. For $3,000 a year of consumable costs on shoes, balls and strings, I get to play more than 600 hours a year and so, it is $5 an hour and $10 a playing session.

This does not include the costs of racquets, clothes, club annual/monthly costs etc - usually I buy 3 racquets and they last about 3-4 years and the cost per year for racquets is only about $200. So, it does cost quite a bit to play tennis daily on hard courts and replace strings/shoes regularly to prevent injuries. Still a lot cheaper than other sports like golf, diving trips etc.

are you seriously wearing out 12 pairs a year? How many racquets are you playing with? I'm going to stop complaining about my tennis costs? LOL

 

[socallefty]

are you seriously wearing out 12 pairs a year? How many racquets are you playing with? I'm going to stop complaining about my tennis costs? LOL

Unfortunately, it is true. But I play almost every day and rack up more than 700 hours a year. As I mentioned in my post, I don’t buy too many racquets. Usually if I switch to a new racquet model after a thorough search, I’ll buy 3 or 4 of them and then use them for a minimum of 4-5 years. In the last decade, I used the Aerostorm GT from 2011-14, Pure Strike Tour from 2014-2019 and now the Gen 3 PST from late 2019. I demo newly released heavy, thin-beam racquets from the main brands (Head, Wilson, Yonex, Volkl etc.) in the >11.8 oz range just for fun, but don’t buy them.

 

[silentkman]

Unfortunately, it is true. But I play almost every day and rack up more than 700 hours a year. As I mentioned in my post, I don’t buy too many racquets. Usually if I switch to a new racquet model after a thorough search, I’ll buy 3 or 4 of them and then use them for a minimum of 4-5 years. In the last decade, I used the Aerostorm GT from 2011-14, Pure Strike Tour from 2014-2019 and now the Gen 3 PST from late 2019. I demo newly released heavy, thin-beam racquets from the main brands (Head, Wilson, Yonex, Volkl etc.) in the >11.8 oz range just for fun, but don’t buy them.

I'm asking how many racquets do you have in your bag(rotation)? i rotate between three racquets.

 

[Slowtwitcher]

Apparently when you buy K-Swiss Hypercourt Express you need new shoes after 6 weeks... now I know what the "express" means...

NOT HAPPY!!!

 

[socallefty]

I'm asking how many racquets do you have in your bag(rotation)? i rotate between three racquets.

I keep 3 racquets in my bag - two strung with the same strings at similar tension and a third one with other strings or tensions I am testing. I’ll use the first two for matches and the third one for lessons and drill sessions. After 3-4 years, the stiffness gets softer from the frequent restringing and I might buy a couple of new racquets to use for matches.

 

[smboogie]

How long do your shoes last?

Due to rotating between 2 pairs of shoes they are lasting a long time, at least 2-3 months, before replacement (current Zoom Zero's and Adidas Boost). With winter arriving there is not a strong need to load up on shoes, unless there is a good sale of course. I am a bit of a shoe hoarder as I currently have 3 new pairs of Zoom Zero's in boxes in my closet, mainly due to price and at my size (M14) sizes can be tough to come by.

I would say that in a typical year of play, 3-4 times/week, I probably go through around 6'ish pairs of shoes. That being said when I'm done with the shoes on the court they become my dog walking shoes as well to maximize investment