What do you do with old running gear??

[chayisun]

So, my Wife Sue called me down to the basement the other day. Seems it's spring cleaning time and she had laid out 16 pair of old, very well used, rundown running shoes from the late '60's and into the 70''s . Yes, we had them way back in the day...

"Well" Said Sue, "I'm thinking it's about time you disposed of those."

"But these shoes have taken me through rain, snow, marathons, half marathons..."

"Doug, let them go."

I realized that she was right. I told her to leave me with my old shoes as I would pack them up and say goodbye......Sue just shook her head and left.

I stared at the shoes. It was like letting go of an old friend..In this case 16 pair of old friends. Actually they were in pretty bad shape..And, as I noticed, had an aroma.....I thought about picking out the best of them and sending them to Goodwill maybe.....However there were no good ones.

So, I thought to myself, before I pack up these shoes I needed ice cream....That helps me think better.....I wander upstairs, go to fridge, get out the chocolate ripple ice cream container, scoop out some ice cream into a dish. Sue comes into kitchen...

"Have you finished packing up the old shoes?"

"Not yet. I need ice cream to help me through this very trying time. I mean, these old running shoes..."

"I know, " says Sue, " They've taken you through rain, marathons, half marathons.."

"You forgot snow. Remember the blizzard? I remember wearing those red Nike.."

"Doug.."

"Yes, Babe..."

"Keep them. Pack them back up..."

Which I do but after I finished my ice cream.....So, what do you guys do with your old running gear????

[WavyDavey]

Donate to a charity that takes clothes. Thrift store drop-off if you can't otherwise.Hard to say goodbye to old friends. If you will miss them badly, take a photo first. ::)

[JuanJoFitbit]

It's so hard to get rid of this type of things that we consider important stuff that were remarkable in our lives at some point.

As my friend @WavyDavey mentioned, charity is an excellent idea. That's what I actually do when I need to get a new pair of sneakers.

[alexthecat]

I find that my old running shoes still have a lot of life in them, even when I can no longer use them for running. I usually hang onto them for a while and use them for casual, non-running activities. Then, I'll either wear them until they fall apart or I get tired of them. If I'm tired of them, I'll donate them. If they're just falling apart, I toss them in the trash. 

[JuanJoFitbit]

@alexthecat, that's excellent. Every pair of running shoes have their own quality. Some of them fall apart faster than others and other shoes can last longer and resist more usage.

Thank you for sharing your experience my friend.

[t.parker]

Here, same as @alexthecat, after my running shoes are too worn out to be used for running, I just use them casually or, if the condition is terrible, get rid of them. I don't hold on to my old gear just because of nostalgia. Most of my retired shoes are still good enough to be worn on daily basis. This is because I retire shoes quite early (because bad shoes cause bad running form and may lead to bad injuries).

[emili · Accepted solution]

I swear I am Sue in that scenario, just not with running gear. Literally everything has a special meaning to my husband and must be kept for eternity. I throw everything away, Including my old running gear. I am so hard on shoes and clothes, no one wants them and they are not fit for reuse. I thank them and move on...