How long do running shoes REALLY last?

One of these shoes has over 750 kilometers in it. Another has less than half of that. Can you guess which I'll be lacing up later for my long run or for my speed sessions later in the week? Most runners are told to replace their shoes after a certain mileage. I don't think it's that simple. My thinking has totally changed in the last year in two ways. How long to keep my shoes and which shoes I really need. That's what we're going to talk about over the next few minutes. Google when to replace running shoes and you'll get something like replace running shoes every 300 to 500 miles. That's 480 to 800 kilometers. If you don't track mileage, swap them every 6 to 12 months. The shoe is made up of a number of separate components, all of which wear at different rates for different shoes and different runners. Let's take a look at the shoes I'm currently using. I'm at 800 kilometers in my Velocity Nitro 4. They still feel nicely cushioned and it's a very comfortable ride. There is a little wear on the outsole as you'd expect with this mileage, but there is still plenty of tread protecting the foam and the grip is as good as ever. The upper is in good condition, no frays or snags. I don't see why I would stop running in these yet. My Evo SLs have 500 kilometers. It's a very similar story. This time I have a brand new pair for comparison. Apart from being a lot cleaner and prettier, there really isn't anything between them. The midsole still feels good. They are a bit firmer than the Velocity, but that's how they were designed. There's a lot more foam under the forefoot which gives a very comfortable ride. There is a little wear on the exposed foam underneath, but there is plenty of tread and the grip is still as good as ever. The upper is fine, no frays or snags, which is good as they are not as built up as the Velocity. I'm not jumping into new ones yet, even though they do look a bit nicer. I'm not actually using the New Balance 1080 anymore. They were retired at 750 kilometers. The midsole has just gone. There is no squish and I can feel a dip inside where the toes go. When I first got them, the ride was really comfortable. I remember saying so in my running vlog. Now they feel like running on bricks. My Adidas Pro 4s are at 128 kilometers. They are a lot newer. I don't run in them as often, reserving them mainly for races and occasional speed sessions. As you'd expect for shoes in their prime, the midsole still feels good. The foam under the forefoot, aggressive rocker and carbon rods give a comfortable, bouncy, propulsive ride. These are a replacement pair. My first Pro 4s broke a rod after a month. This was very disappointing and surprising. There was a distinctive click every time I landed on my left foot and another when I took off. I sent them back and got a replacement. Fingers crossed these will last longer. Carbon shoes are rumored to have a shorter lifespan as the specialized foams degrade after 250 kilometers or so. That was not my experience with my old Pro 3s which I took well over 500 kilometers. I plan to keep running and racing in the Pro 4s for a good time yet. My newest purchase is my Puma Fast R's. They have just had an initial 5 kilometer test run. These are a bit of an investigation. I don't really need them. I just wanted to try them out. They look so extreme and I've heard they're very fast. I can't really comment about the wear on them yet. I can say that the upper is thinner than my socks. It is practically transparent. It weighs very little. I can't imagine it being as bomb-proof as the Velocity but then that's not its job. After nearly 40 years of replacing my shoes when they reached 500 kilometers I've started thinking very differently. I don't think they need replacing unless I'm feeling new aches and pains or there is a lot of uneven wear which alters my running gait or if the wear on the outsoles is compromising the grip in the wet. If we take my Speedgoat 5s as an example the lugs have worn down so much that they aren't as effective in slippery conditions which is precisely what they're for. I certainly wouldn't be using them on muddy winter routes. They were never really soft with the solid Vibram sole but now they are downright stiff. I'm also moving towards rotating my shoes down if that makes sense. When my Velocity 4s eventually give up I'd hope to use the older Evo SLs in their place. That would allow me to move the Pro 4s which should have had a good number of kilometers in by then down into Speed shoes reserving the Fast R's for racing. If daily trainers like the Velocity 4s can last a thousand kilometers and race shoes can be stretched to 500 kilometers or more as speed day shoes I don't need super ploddy cushion shoes or super trainers. I really only need two types of shoes daily trainers and race shoes. Don't let your watch decide when to replace your shoes. Listen to your feet. Mileage is only part of the story. What's the highest mileage you've ever got from a pair of running shoes? Real running, real testing, real data.