Holes in runners, advice needed

nicol · 07-05-2014 1:13am #1

All,

My wife has been running for a little over a year and notices that she is getting holes in the material of her runners at the big toe area. It's happened a couple of times with different brands. Does anyone have any advice on how to prevent this from happening? Is it a problem with her gait possibly?

Thanks in advance.

youllneverknow · 07-05-2014 1:14am

Happens to me aswell, I don't mind it as they are only running runners and not a fashion piece.

mr.wiggle · 07-05-2014 4:45am

Duct tape, duct tape & duct tape !
Have had to use this with several types of runners I've had.
Luckily I 'sourced' some duct tape circles/dots which solve the problem.
I now put them inside my runners just above the big toe before
any hole shows up .
Just buy a small roll of it and cut to size.

And shame on you youllneverknow, runners are a complete
fashion statement as far as I'm concerned. Never leave the house
without them as a matter of fact ! :pac:

opus · 07-05-2014 6:49am

Same for me, guys in the shop said it happens to some people depending on the brand of shoe (the ASICS GT series for me). I've just ignored it & since I switched to their DS trainers it doesn't seem to as much of an issue.

drquirky · 07-05-2014 6:52am

I'd imagine if she's getting to the point where she's poking holes through her runners, a new pair could be in order? Running shoes are generally only at their best for 300-400miles.

Cabaal · 07-05-2014 7:40am

Happens to me with every single pair I've had, except the hole is right beside my small toe. Clearly my toe rubs off that bit of material and wears it down after 400-500miles or so.

I generally use it as a guide to a new pair,

BeepBeep67 · 07-05-2014 8:46am

+1 on the Duck Tape, used to happen to me on Adi Tempos, sometimes only after a couple of hundred miles.
But as the Dr says runners do have a lifespan.

Aimman · 07-05-2014 8:51am

opus wrote: »

Same for me, guys in the shop said it happens to some people depending on the brand of shoe (the ASICS GT series for me). I've just ignored it & since I switched to their DS trainers it doesn't seem to as much of an issue.

Same here with the ASIC GT's. I've always just though I had a funny running style where I run with my big toe up, but was a bit too difficult to keep an eye on it while running without hitting the odd lamppost. :rolleyes:

ThisRegard · 07-05-2014 9:22am

opus wrote: »

the ASICS GT series for me

Had the same problems with some GTs, and other Asics models, so I just stopped buying Asics altogether. No point bringing them back to the shop as from what I've been told Asics don't acknowledge it's a problem and the shop won't want to be stuck with them.

drquirky wrote: »

I'd imagine if she's getting to the point where she's poking holes through her runners, a new pair could be in order? Running shoes are generally only at their best for 300-400miles.

With me, they were only a few months old each time and a good bit short of 300-400 miles.

spurscormac · 07-05-2014 9:40am

Wear & tear will often lead to holes in the top of the shoe but could it be that the shoes are too small?
Surprised nobody has pointed this out to be honest, but worth considering.

A lot of people run in shoes half to a full size bigger than they take a normal shoe, but remember all brands are different so this will vary too. Make sure there's room for your toes to spread out as you run.

ThisRegard · 07-05-2014 9:57am

With me, plenty of space anyway as I like to flex my toes. I googled the Asics issue before and it seems to be a worldwide problem, so they either have an issue with the quality of their toe box, or lots of us just buy the wrong size in Asics only.

spurscormac · 07-05-2014 10:06am

ThisRegard wrote: »

With me, plenty of space anyway as I like to flex my toes. I googled the Asics issue before and it seems to be a worldwide problem, so they either have an issue with the quality of their toe box, or lots of us just buy the wrong size in Asics only.

It could be the design of the Asics toe box either.
When you look at different shoes, a lot of the more minimal design shoes have a wider toe box, while the more traditional type have a more tapered one (very broad generalisation there).
So while the length of the shoe might be the same (ie same size), the toes in one can get squeezed into a smaller area or push them towards the edge of the toe box which over time causes a problem.

That's my take on it anyway.

sconhome · 07-05-2014 10:51am

spurscormac wrote: »

It could be the design of the Asics toe box either.
When you look at different shoes, a lot of the more minimal design shoes have a wider toe box, while the more traditional type have a more tapered one (very broad generalisation there).
So while the length of the shoe might be the same (ie same size), the toes in one can get squeezed into a smaller area or push them towards the edge of the toe box which over time causes a problem.

That's my take on it anyway.

Quite a tapered toe box on most of the ASICS shoes and if you are not generous with size the material gets very easily stretched as your foot spreads under landing load.

Repeated stretch leads to the material tearing. Generally people need more room that they would expect.

oldrunner · 07-05-2014 11:08am

Gave up on ASICS 21 series. Last pair lasted 3 weeks before tear and big hole. I have returned pairs under warranty.
Switched to Brooks GTS12 and GTS13 - wore out 3 pairs without any tears. Bought the new GTS14 and tear after 150 miles - swapped them under warranty. The design has changed and there is less toe covered by the harder plastic. I suspect swapped pair will also tear.
We tend to blame ourselves but this is ridiculous for what is clearly a design fault in many different shoes. Smacks of built in obsolescence and drives me absolutely crazy. It's definitely a very common problem but customers keep coming back for more of the same rubbish.
Everyone should return torn shoes if it happens too quickly. We must be covered by the Sale of goods act.

ThisRegard · 07-05-2014 11:20am

oldrunner wrote: »

Switched to Brooks GTS12 and GTS13 - wore out 3 pairs without any tears.

Pretty much the same as myself, switched to the Brooks GTS and no sign of any excessive wear. I still have a 4 year old 'gardening' pair of Nike Triax that get well abused and again no sign of issues. Every pair of old Asics I have thrown up in the attic have holes in the toe.

I'm would put it down to an Asics quality issue anyway. If you google "Asics toe" it auto completes with a variety of queries related to holes in them, and when you press enter you have pages and pages of people in various forums and sites talking about the issue.

NSAman · 07-05-2014 11:29am

OK from years of experience, a few things come to mind:

1. Cut your nails.
2. Shoes are too small. (Always purchase shoes depending on the brand half a size larger than ordinary shoes (one size in adidas at least (smaller fit).)
3. Shoe laces are not correctly tied and allowing the foot to shift in the shoes too much.
4. Faulty material in Shoes

The ONLY time this has ever happened is with nike Pegasus for me. I wear Kayanos all the time and this has never happened since I changed. I do 60kms a week and the soles (or is it my soul) wear out before the uppers for me.

Muppet Man · 07-05-2014 12:30pm

I wear Asic Keayno, and fairly consistently after 400 to 500 miles my toe will start poking through... BIZARRELY enough, more so on the right shoe than the left... people mentioned it might be poor gait or heal striking, but having had an analysis done, it doesnt appear to be the cause. Doesnt really bother me either... will start using Duct Tape to try and get another 100 or so miles.

Muppet Man.

Krusty_Clown · 07-05-2014 12:38pm

NSAman wrote: »

1. Cut your nails.
2. Shoes are too small. (Always purchase shoes depending on the brand half a size larger than ordinary shoes (one size in adidas at least (smaller fit).)
3. Shoe laces are not correctly tied and allowing the foot to shift in the shoes too much.
4. Faulty material in Shoes

None of these apply to me. For me, it's a recent phenomenon (last five months) and has been happening on left shoes only, across a range of shoe makes/models. Needless to say, I'm also finding myself with a lot of holes in my left socks! I'm putting it down to a change in gait/running style, related to increasing pace (focussed on 5ks) and spending much of my time running counter-clockwise around a track which has a bit of a camber. Seems to be happening to my shoes around the 300-400 mile mark, but after just 120 miles in my racing flats.

Part of me wonders if the shoe companies are intentionally making their shoes a little more disposable.

tHE vAGGABOND · 07-05-2014 12:43pm

Part of me wonders if the shoe companies are intentionally making their shoes a little more disposable.

This...

its in their interest for you to need several pairs a year - if they made runners which lasted for life they would make feck all money

Happened every single pair I have ever run in, and I dont really care tbh, as others have said, I generally use it as a guide to stop running in them. Once I stop running in them I use them for going to work or wearing around the house, holes or not

SamforMayo · 08-05-2014 9:37pm

drquirky wrote: »

I'd imagine if she's getting to the point where she's poking holes through her runners, a new pair could be in order? Running shoes are generally only at their best for 300-400miles.

This happens to me with Asics after only a few weeks. Definitely not the wrong size either. Anyways I changed to saucony on the advice of a sales person in a running shop and this has been a disaster! Constant blisters on the arches of my feet, I have returned to Asics, holes or not.

thirstywork2 · 08-05-2014 11:24pm

spurscormac wrote: »

Wear & tear will often lead to holes in the top of the shoe but could it be that the shoes are too small?
Surprised nobody has pointed this out to be honest, but worth considering.

A lot of people run in shoes half to a full size bigger than they take a normal shoe, but remember all brands are different so this will vary too. Make sure there's room for your toes to spread out as you run.

I wear my runners tight and never an issue,more likely to happen if too big in my opinion.Also aiscs it happens more than any other brand out there.
Toe nails might be abit long but the main issue is when some people run there toes curl up causing friction and breaking down the mesh.

ger664 · 08-05-2014 11:55pm

Has happened with every pair I have every had, most likely because I have toenails that would pass for horses hoves.

SamforMayo · 09-05-2014 10:52pm

ger664 wrote: »

Has happened with every pair I have every had, most likely because I have toenails that would pass for horses hoves.

Have you considered cutting them?:D

corcaigh1 · 15-05-2018 3:42pm

My asics nimbus after very little use, indoor use mostly on the treadmill at the gym

@160 a pair its a ridiculous design on the toebox imo, second pair of asics this has happened...

walshb · 15-05-2018 7:33pm

Cut your fooking toenails!

corcaigh1 · 15-05-2018 7:58pm

walshb wrote: »

Cut your fooking toenails!

lol really!? I do but that is hardly the issue?

Hurrache · 15-05-2018 8:02pm

Nothing to do with your toenails. I see Asics still haven't corrected the problems of holes in toe boxes.

corcaigh1 · 15-05-2018 8:23pm

Hurrache wrote: »

Nothing to do with your toenails. I see Asics still haven't corrected the problems of holes in toe boxes.

Nope and they wont either id say, as "Krusty Clown" posted here earlier its in Asics interest to make their shoes more disposable...

Id imagine Asics have received countless returns and emails etc to complain and as "This Regard" stated here earlier no point bringing them back to the shop as from what he's been told Asics don't acknowledge it's a problem...

Putting duct tape on the inside when new is the way to remedy the issue from what ive read, a really simple fix and Asics engineers cant or wont do something with similar material glued on properly inside the toebox...ridiculous really.

jamule · 15-05-2018 10:23pm

Don't wear asics. Last pair was 5yrs ago. Toe through within days.

Jakey Rolling · 16-05-2018 12:11pm

Cabaal wrote: »

Happens to me with every single pair I've had, except the hole is right beside my small toe. Clearly my toe rubs off that bit of material and wears it down after 400-500miles or so.

Same here with my Mizuno Wave Riders. Perfect for me in every other respect - I can put them on new and run an ultra with no issue. However I wear a hole above my small toe in 200k or so. Not an issue in itself, but the nature of the mesh upper means it starts to unravel quickly after the hole appears.

Have taken to pre-emptively glueing a layer of athletic tape then duct tape in that spot. Currently rotating 3 pairs like this with 800k+ on each, plus one new pair. Same issue on last 4 iterations of the shoe.

Would be great if the manufacturers would strengthen known problem areas, but I guess not in their interest.

skyblue46 · 16-05-2018 1:09pm

Ironically I have found my Kayanos bombproof is this regard. Over 800 miles on them and not a problem. On the other hand my Saucony Guides developed holes over both big toes after about 200 miles.

Holes in runners, advice needed

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