When to Say Goodbye to Your Old Hiking Boots

Updated Jan. 2025

Your shoes and boots carry you miles down trails and over mountains. If you’re anything like me, you form a bond with your footwear. What can I say, I get attached when I walk hundreds and hundreds of miles in the same shoes. Throwing them out just seems like… a betrayal! Too dramatic? Nah…

my old pair of boots with a big ol' hole in the front left. They've lived a good life

The truth is that footwear does expire. There will come a time when you walk your last miles in your beloved shoes. But, it can be hard to know when to say goodbye to your old hiking boots/shoes, and what to do with them when that time comes.

The Trash Component: Sustainability and Recycling

To be completely honest, I am notoriously bad at letting go of shoes (and really just most things). A lot of it has to do with sustainability. Throwing away shoes, to me, seems bonkers. They fill up landfills and don’t easily decompose- if ever. Thankfully, there are alternatives that you can do instead of just tossing your shoes in the trash.

Your more sustainable options include:

1. Nike’s Reuse a Shoe Program. This is a good option if you have Nike gear. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like they accept other brands (that I can tell).

2. Ridwell. Ridwell is a recycling company that recycles stuff that’s usually hard to recycle (textiles, batteries, lightbulbs). Here’s a list of places Ridwell serves. I have yet to use this company, but I’m highly considering signing up after reading about them.

3. Asics Give Back Box. This option is nice because you can ship a box to them! Fill up an old cardboard box and let them do the rest. Make sure you read what you can and cannot send.

4. City or State-wide recycling programs. Do some research to see if your state has recycling programs for items like textiles and shoes. For example, RecyclePlus is a recycling program in Washington State where you can sign up to donate specific items. If you live in Oregon, use Oregon Metro to look up recycling options in your zip code.

5. Try Google! Google your local “shoe recycling sources” and you’ll find a list of thrift stores where you can drop your used shoes.

Keep in mind that many places don’t want your trash. If your shoes are riddled with holes or have mildew all over them, it’s probably best to find a recycling alternative or toss them in the trash rather than donate them. Visit this eco hub website for more ideas on recycling and upcycling (oh, think of the possibilities).

Fun Tip: you can also use old shoes to do silly, dirty races like the Tough Mudder! If you're shoes are already destroyed, why not have some fun getting them soaked in mud!?

Tip: you may still be able to use your shoes for activities that aren’t hiking, like yard work! I use my old Hoka Speedgoat 4 trail runners as my lawn mowing and garden shoes now. I also tried to run on pavement with them, but it went horribly. Lesson learned, the shoes were too worn to run in. You can also run muddy races like the Tough Mudder! Old shoes are the best for that!

Wear and Tear Variables

When it comes to shoe expiration dates, different companies and experts come up with different mileage and year markers. I tend to veer towards mileage amount (rather than years) when measuring the lifetime of my shoes. Durable, well-made hiking shoes typically last between 500-1000 miles. This is kind of an arbitrary number, though. Other factors that impact the wear and tear on your boots/shoes are:

• Terrain: walking in grassy fields is less impactful than hiking over jagged rocks

• Weight: your weight, in addition to pack weight.

• Maintenance: how well you maintain your shoes. Do you wash them? Let them dry out well after they get wet? Store them inside? Make sure you take care of your shoes to elongate their lifespan.

  
  

Rocky terrain and snow

frolicking in a field

Hiking with a full pack up rocky terrain for 500 miles will cause more wear and tear on your footwear than frolicking in a field for 500 miles. It’s more important to pay attention to the seven signs in the next section than to track your mileage when debating on retiring your shoes.

When To Toss the Treks

Parting ways with your foot pals is never an easy decision. We’ll go over seven tell-tale signs for when it’s time to say goodbye.

RIP trail shoes. We have some great memories together, now it's time to retire.

These are my old hiking and trail running shoes. I love these things. As you can see, they've gotten some good use. These were my John Muir Trail hiking and training shoes. I trained many a mile in these babies which prepped me for hiking 17 days straight. They do not smell good, let me tell ya.

Between training and trail running, they've got to have over 1,000 miles on them. They're hardy shoes, and now it is time to let them go. Believe it or not, it's not the holes or fraying ankles that did it. It's the insoles and worn-out support. I started to slip around inside and experienced some knee and foot pain. It passed the midsole test- no cracks even with all these miles- but the interior is done. I also started to lose traction around on trails because the tread was so thin. They look like road runners! The point is, these shoes have a lot of indicators that tell me it's time to retire and invest in a new pair.

1. Pain

If you experience pain during a hike, take a long hard look at your shoe. I’m not talking about body soreness, though tenderness in/on your foot can be caused by some rubbing or excessive milage. No, I mean pain that may be caused by your shoe no longer providing the support you need. If you feel your foot slipping around inside the shoe, toes or ankles bending, or strange stress on your bones and joints, it is probably time to get a new pair of hiking shoes.

2. The Midsole Test

Flip your shoe upside down and bend the top towards the back. If you see cracks, it’s time to toss. The cracks mean the midsole is now unstable and won’t absorb the shock of each step. This could lead to an uncomfortable hike or a major injury.

3. Insoles

There are two signs of insole wearing: cracks and pits. Cracks mean that you’re getting good use out of your insoles. It doesn't necessarily mean you need to get rid of your shoes, but it does mean you are getting close to the need for new insoles or shoes entirely.

Insoles well past their use. Notice the indentations in the toe and ball of foot area as well as the more obvious heel and side

Pits are the areas of your foot that dip into the shoe itself, like your toes, heel, and ball of your foot. You know your shoe is too old when the pits are super pronounced and it’s almost like you’re sinking into your shoe.

4. Tread

The tread is the underneath part of your footwear. Hiking boots and shoes will typically have rubber bottoms with cleat-like elements that provide traction while hiking. These cleat-looking things are technically called lugs. Your shoe has expired when the lugs are worn down and basically flat.

Heavily Used Tread

Gently Used Tred

The photo on the left is my old trail shoe and the photo on the right is my new-ish one. Notice the difference between the two treads. The left shoe is worn down with almost no lugs left due to overuse. The lugs in the right photo are intact. They still have a lot of life left to give.

5. Worn Laces

I know what you’re thinking: just replace the laces. But it’s not that simple. Your laces are actually a good indication of your hiking boot/shoe health. If you find yourself replacing your laces due to fraying, check the other components of your shoes, too. It may be a sign that your boots have run their course.

6. Holes

The obvious sign of the need for a replacement is holes. Your shoes are probably fine when the stitching frays or even comes apart a little bit. When holes appear, though, it makes hiking a little harder. Holes allow for water, mud, and dirt to seep into your shoe, which can then harm the inside materials. Essentially, holes = not waterproof = uncomfy and bad for your shoe.

muddy, worn down hiking boots

side of shoe with holes in toe

These hiking boots and trail runners were well-loved with many holes in them (which turned into one big hole in the boot). They lived long lives. Arguably too long.

7. Ankle Support

Pay attention to the ankle support if you have hiking boots. If the fabric gets soft and thin, the boot no longer provides the support ankle support it is supposed to. It’s time to find a better, more supportive pair.

It may be tough to see here, but the inner fabric of the boot's ankle support has softened

These are the seven signs I usually ignore because I don’t want to throw away shoes, but I know that it’s important to do so. It’s ultimately better for your health and your hike to pay attention to your footwear. Make sure that you’re being kind to your feet and your whole body by giving yourself footwear that provides comfort and stability.

Has the time come to part ways with your favorite hiking boots? I know it’s hard, but you got this. Your next pair is waiting for you to break them in!