Let’s face it, running shoes aren’t cheap, and yet budget running gear can come with a few risks. But, as a consistent runner, new shoes are the one thing you have to figure out a way to afford a couple of times a year. That can make the relatively inexpensive sport of running rather expensive, especially with pending increases from newly mandated tariffs and an unknown economy. (And to be sure, if the trade war and the tariffs remain, your next pair of running shoes could cost at least $60 more than your most recent pair.)

However, running in shoes beyond their effective lifespan (300 to 400 miles, depending on the shoe and how you run in them) can lead to overuse injuries, sprained ankles, less efficient training, poor racing results, or worse. The bottom line is that a new pair of running shoes isn’t something you can (or want to) nix from your budget when times get tight.

So how can you continually rejuvenate your quiver of shoes on a cost-effective basis? Here are some frugal-minded suggestions for runners to find budget running gear.

1. Budget Running Gear 101: Shoe-Buying Timing is Everything

Every spring and fall, brands roll out the latest edition of their in-line shoe models at brick and mortar running specialty retail shops, online stores, and their own direct-to-consumer sites with great fanfare. The new shoes are touted on social media, brand websites, and by running store shoe-fitters. The remaining allotment of the previous year’s models of those shoes become closeouts, and are offered at a 20-40 percent discount at those same locations, but you never really hear about those shoes again. 

Sometimes you have to look to find the discount table or the sale section of a website, but look around and you’ll find a trove of possible discounts. The biggest key is to know what you’re looking for instead of just trying to buy random inexpensive shoes. On one hand, if you loved last year’s model at full price, it makes sense to try to find the same model a year later at a discount. That’s one way to avoid buying the new edition of a shoe and finding out that it has changed in ways that you don’t entirely appreciate.

But, buying a random training or racing shoe just because it’s marked down isn’t a good idea because that can lead to running discomfort, small but impactful changes in your gait, and a greater preponderance of overuse injuries. As always, trying on shoes and working with a shoe-fitter at your local running store is highly recommended before buying any pair of shoes. (Also, many local running stores and national chains give discounts for being part of a membership program.)

2. There are Many Less Expensive Running Shoes 

If you walk into your local running store or browse shoes online, you might miss the fact that there are many good running shoes below the typical $140 to $180 range. (No, I’m not talking about racing super shoes for the moment.) Brands don’t put as much marketing behind their lower-priced shoes, but it doesn’t mean they’re bad shoes. 

For example, the Brooks Launch has been one of my favorite shoes for years, not only because it’s been a lower-priced option (the regular price of the new Launch 11 is now $120, which is still about $20 below the standard $140 for most mid-level training shoes) but because I’ve found it to be a good, lightweight, and versatile training shoe. Like all entry-level and mid-tier shoes, the Launch has benefitted from a trickle down effect as better midsole and upper materials have found their way down the Brooks shoe line. The combination of DNA Flash and DNA Flash 2 midsole foam isn’t comparable to the high-end DNA Gold material found in Brooks Hyperion Elite 4 PB shoes or the juicy midsole foams of some other training shoes, but it’s light-years ahead of the base-level EVA foams from a decade ago. Another very good trainer at a budget-minded price is the Skechers GoRun Ride 11 ($125, pictured below), which features a very soft and bouncy HyperBurst ICE midsole foam that I have loved for long runs.

Other less-expensive shoes to consider might be the New Balance Fresh Foam X Kaiha Road ($99), ASICS Gel-Contend ($70), Adidas Supernova Ease ($100), ASICS Gel Venture 10 ($80), or Adidas Galaxy 7 ($60). Those aren’t considered top-tier shoes, but they’re made with much better materials than the best shoes from the 1970s to the early 2010s and they do have redeeming qualities. I’ve run in a few of those models (mostly for easy recovery runs, but some are versatile enough for spicier workouts) and, yes, the tradeoff for the lower price is obviously less comfort, cushiness, and energy return. 

3. Expand Your Shoe Quiver

If you’ve been running for a few years or trained for a half marathon or marathon, you probably know the benefits of having an active quiver of shoes. No, that doesn’t mean you need to have a dozen pairs of kicks at your disposal or need to break the bank and buy several new pairs of shoes right away. (Although if shoe prices rise suddenly as expected, that might actually be a cost-effective strategy.)

Having two or more pairs of shoes in your active rotation will allow you to not only choose the right shoe for your daily run or workout (i.e., a tempo run, a long run, a trail run, etc.), but it will also allow you to extend the life of each of those shoes. In other words, if you have multiple pairs to choose from, you won’t be wearing each pair of shoes nearly as often as you would if you only had one pair of kicks in your rotation. (And if you make sure your quiver has one or more versatile everyday trainers with a wide range of pace variability, you’ll have more shoes than can tackle more kinds of runs.)

By a very simple bit of longevity math, you could essentially extend the life of each pair by 3X or 4X or more. Yes, it still means you have to invest in multiple pairs at some point, but that could be a process of buying one pair every 4 to 6 months, and also consciously choosing to not discard a model too soon. (Again, be careful to not run in shoes that have broken down too much so as not to incur gait changes or overuse injuries.)

4. Running Shoes are an Investment in Your Health

We all have to make choices and sacrifices, especially when times are tight. Running is said to be a recession-proof activity, at least to the point that amid other challenges (expensive groceries, the high price of gasoline, the loss of a job, corporate consolidation and layoffs, etc) we tend to keep running because of the quality of life and rejuvenating vibe it brings to our daily lives. Whenever I’ve been in those economic pinch points, I’ve always rationalized splurging for a new pair of running shoes because, on a cost-benefit scale, that’s a purchase that always produces off-the-charts results for me. For a $150 pair of shoes, you’re probably getting at least 50 to 75 days of running, which means you’re spending $2 to $3 for those days toward your health, your training, and your physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Can you think of anything else that can do so much for so little?

From that point of view, new running shoes can be worth their weight in gold. And, just in case you’re wondering, the current price of gold is roughly $3,200 per ounce, which means a pair of 9-ounce running shoes is worth nearly $58,000. If you appreciate your daily runs like I do, that seems like a fair valuation for the priceless daily renewal you can get from lacing up your shoes and heading out the door for a few miles.

Brian Metzler has run more than 80,000 miles in his life and wear-tested more than 2,500 different pairs of shoes for media shoe review purposes. He is the author of “Kicksology: The Hype, Science, Culture and Cool of Running Shoes” (VeloPress, 2019)