Have you found a pair of shoes from 10 years ago you used to love and now you want to wear them again? That is great! In most cases the shoes are fine for your feet.
I think another question that arises is are the shoes just old or are they worn out? Or are they old and worn out?
Wearing old shoes
Wearing an old pair of shoes can be a blast. But only if they are safe and good for your feet.
A lot of things could’ve happened to those old shoes during those years in storage that they were packed away. A lot of things including molding, growing some kind of fungus, dry rotting, and the shoe can start to separate.
If your shoes were not stored properly then they could’ve been vulnerable to bacteria, fungus and other not so clean things. You always want to give your shoes a thorough inspection after taking them out of storage for a prolonged period of time.
Don’t be sticking your nice clean foot in a fungus infected shoe. This is not good for you.
Dry rot could’ve also taken place over the years which will cause things like ankle support to be a fraction of what it was before. As you guessed this isn’t what you want either.
A lot of shoes are put together with some sort of glue or adhesive, this compound will break down over the years due to the environment they have been in. If your soles are coming apart from the upper part of your shoes this can be a tripping hazard.
If your shoes are just old but aren’t worn out or showing any signs of mold or fungus then they should be just fine for your feet, considering it is a type of shoe that is good for your own personal foot in the first place.
Worn out shoes
Okay so your shoes aren’t exactly that old but they are worn out. This can be a cause for disaster. Shoes are designed In a way to only be worn for so long.
After many miles on your shoes the soles will start to wear out, the tread will start to disappear, and the arch support will not be as good as when they were new. If the arches aren’t completely flattened by now.
Just having no tread on a shoe is enough for me to not wear them. I have slipped and fell one too many times. This is not good for you.
Ankle support is going to be impacted on a worn out pair of shoes as well. Materials will break down and become not as stiff over time.
Worn out shoes are also prone to have stitching coming apart. Like glue or adhesive, stitching is also a popular way to adhere shoes together. You don’t want your toes blowing out the front of your shoes while trying to do that 5k you’ve been training for.