Did you know the bottom of your old shoes could be covered in dirt, bacteria, and even fecal matter? One study found that more than 90% of new shoes will have at least a little bit of fecal matter on the bottoms of them after they’re worn outside for just two weeks (yuck!).
That alone might make you want to invest in new shoes every two weeks. But obviously, that isn’t going to be very practical. Buying new sneakers all the time could cost you a small fortune.
So instead of doing this, you should take off old shoes before walking around in your house. You should also look for other signs that’ll show you that you should throw out an old pair of sneakers and pick up a new pair of shoes.
Here’s how you’ll be able to tell when it’s time for new shoes.
Your Old Shoes Aren’t Comfortable
When you put on a pair of new shoes and break them in a little, they should be very comfortable. They should remain comfortable for almost as long as you own them.
Once they start to get up there in age, though, old shoes aren’t going to be as comfortable as they once were. The insides of them will begin to break down, and it’ll lead to you feeling discomfort.
In some cases, you might even find that old shoes will cause foot injuries if you’re not careful. It’s why you should make it your mission to purchase a new pair of shoes ASAP.
They Don’t Fit Anymore
When new shoes start turning into old shoes, they’re going to be more than just uncomfortable. You might also find that they won’t fit your feet like they used to.
You might be able to get around this by buying insoles for them and sticking them into your old shoes. It’ll breathe some life back into them for a little while.
But even then, you might find that your old shoes just don’t fit the way you want. The only way to get around this is by purchasing new shoes that fit the way you like.
They Don’t Look Nice
Some shoes will age gracefully. They’ll sometimes look even better as they get older than they did when they were brand-new out of the box.
But most shoes aren’t going to do this. Sneakers, in particular, will start to get dirty over time and lose their luster.
You might be able to clean old shoes to bring them back to life. But if you’ve already done this one too many times, it might be a sign that you need new shoes. It’ll help you take pride in your footwear again.
They’re Out of Style
There are certain sneakers that aren’t ever going to go out of style. Air Jordan 1 low sneakers, for example, will always be in style. Something tells us people are going to be walking around in them a century from now even though Michael Jordan himself won’t be around anymore.
But there are also some sneakers that will go out of style after just a few years, if not a few months. If you’re walking around in sneakers that are so old that they’ve gone out of style since you bought them, that should serve as an invitation for you to throw them out and buy new shoes.
They’re Falling Apart
Studies have suggested that more than 300 million pairs of shoes end up in American landfills every single year. They sit in these landfills for up to 40 years until they decompose.
With this in mind, you shouldn’t toss a perfectly good pair of shoes into the trash just because they’ve gone out of style. You can no doubt find another use for them, such as using them to mow the lawn or take out the trash.
There will, however, come a point when old shoes simply cannot be salvaged anymore. They’ll have holes in the bottom of them or their soles will be coming off completely. They’ll also have rips and tears all over them and things like grass stains that’ll be impossible to get out.
If your old shoes have reached this point, you shouldn’t be shy about throwing them out and sending them to a landfill to make room for new shoes. You will have done your part to make the most of a pair of shoes.
They Smell Terrible
Do your shoes smell awful every time you take them off? You might want to try sticking dryer sheets into them to make them smell fresher. There are also lots of other home remedies you can use to improve the smell of old shoes.
But if you’re starting to feel like you’re fighting a losing battle against smelly shoes, it’ll be time to toss them in the trash and never look back. You should buy new shoes that won’t make your house smell bad anymore.
Pick Up a Pair of New Shoes If You Spot These Signs
There will be times when it’ll be obvious that you need new shoes. If, for instance, your feet are literally touching the ground when you put on old shoes because of holes in the bottom of them, it would be silly to continue walking around like this.
But there are also subtler signs that’ll show you that you need new shoes. Keep an eye out for them and order a new pair of shoes if you spot even one of them.
Would you like to read more fun articles about sneakers? Find them by poking around on the rest of our blog.
