“Because nothing says ‘I’m ready for 26.2 miles’ like an untested pair of neon slippers.”
We need to talk about the shoes. Not your going-out shoes. Not your post-race pint shoes. Your marathon shoes, the ones you’re expecting to carry you around the streets of Dublin without turning your feet into two shredded chicken fillets.
Because every year, someone does it. Usually a lad called Ciarán who strolls into Elverys two weeks before the race, drops €180 on a pair of carbon-plated turbo-bouncers, jogs once around the block, and then attempts to run the marathon like a newborn giraffe in tap dance shoes.
Don’t be Ciarán.
The Tragedy of Phoenix Park: A Cautionary Tale (Starring Ciarán)
Let’s cast our minds back to the 2023 Dublin Marathon. The weather was decent. Spirits were high. And more than a few runners were rocking suspiciously shiny runners with zero miles on the clock.
Enter: Ciarán.
Ciarán had bought a pair of top-end racing shoes four days before the race because he saw a fella on YouTube saying they’d “shave minutes off your time.” Ciarán wore them for a single jog around his estate and declared himself ready. “They feel unreal,” he said. “Like running on air.” Spoiler: they were not like running on air.
By mile 7 in Phoenix Park, the blisters had started. By mile 9, he’d lost a toenail. By mile 13, he was running like a baby deer with gout. Somewhere near the Chapelizod Gate, he sat down on the grass, stared into the middle distance, and whispered to no one in particular: “I should’ve just worn the Asics.”
Ciarán finished in a time best described as “emotionally courageous.” He couldn’t walk properly for three days. His socks were declared a biohazard. He hasn’t run a marathon since, but he does warn strangers in pubs about shoe choices whenever he gets the chance.
What the Experts Say
Ok so you've had a good laugh at Ciarán but now it's time to get serious.
- Hal Higdon (you know, the actual marathon training guru) says you should aim to run 50 to 100 miles in your race-day shoes before toeing the line.
- Runner’s Connect recommends giving yourself at least 1 to 2 weeks of test runs to check fit, comfort and weird rubbing spots, without wearing them down too much.
- Most coaches suggest buying your race shoes around 4 to 6 weeks before the marathon, so you’ve time to rotate them in gradually while still doing proper training.
So if you’re reading this before the end of August, that means NOW is your sweet spot. Not October. Not the week of the expo. And definitely not the morning of the race because you “forgot your old ones at the hotel”.
Why New Shoes Are Not Magic
There’s a myth out there, that a fresh pair of runners will make you faster, lighter, and maybe even more attractive to a potential romantic partner. But here’s the truth:
- New shoes aren’t faster if they put your ankles in agony.
- Carbon plates don’t help when you’re bandaging your toes at mile 15.
- And no one looks good limping to the finish with blood-soaked socks.
New shoes change your gait. Even if it’s a better shoe than what you’ve been using, your muscles and tendons haven’t adapted to it yet. It’s like getting a fancy new car and then driving it flat out with no test drive, you’re going to crash. Or chafe. Possibly both.
When Should You Buy Your Marathon Shoes?
If you want to play it safe, the timeline is simple:
- Buy your race-day shoes at least 5 weeks before race day
- Aim to put 30 to 60 miles (or 50 to 100km) into them
- Rotate them with your current pair so your body gets used to the feel
Not just “stood in them in the shop and they felt nice.” That’s how relationships start, not endurance events.
Again if you're reading this before the second week of September, this is your golden chance window to buy a pair and still:
- Break them in properly
- Identify any weird hot spots or rubbing
- Panic and go back to your old ones if they make your arches cry (and not with joy).
What About Race Day “Super Shoes”?
Yes, carbon-plated “race day” shoes are all the rage. And if you’ve trained in them, grand. If not?
Wearing them for the first time on race day is like proposing on the first date, dramatic, premature, and highly likely to end in tears.
Fast shoes only help if your body knows how to run in them. If you’ve never done more than a few strides in a pair of Vaporflys, don’t suddenly expect them to carry you like Moses parting the Red Sea down the quays.
Breaking in New Shoes Without Breaking Yourself
If you do need new shoes now, here’s how to do it right:
- Buy the same model (if possible), upgrading from the exact shoe you’ve already used
- Run short at first, 5–6K jogs only
- Test them on a longer run, 10+ miles once you’re confident
- Rotate with your old pair, until you’re fully sure
If they feel “weird” after two runs? Back to the drawing board. This isn’t a bravery test. This is your feet we’re talking about. the only part of your body guaranteed to be involved the entire way round.
Conclusion
Marathon training is full of risks: overtraining, undertraining, under-fuelling, over-fuelling, crying on the Luas. But one of the most preventable disasters?
Buying brand new shoes a fortnight or even a week before the race.
So if you’re thinking of making a big last-minute shoe change, stop. Ask yourself: is this about performance or panic?
Stick with what you know. Break in anything new now, not on race week. And remember: no one at the finish line gives a toss what shoes you wore. They’ll just be impressed you made it to the end without bleeding through them.
Unless you're Ciarán from 2023. In which case, we hope your toenails grew back eventually.