My Secret Hack to Save Money on Running Shoes

As I’ve mentioned before, getting fitted for a good pair of running shoes is so so so important! This is always my number one recommendation for beginners who are just getting started with running – invest in a high quality pair of running shoes! But running shoes are usually really expensive. So what should you do? Well you’re in luck! What if I told you that I buy my running shoes at almost 50% off, almost every single time! Yes, that’s right! Today I’m going to share my secret hack to save money on running shoes!

Finding a High Quality Shoe

Over my tenure as a runner, I have visited various running stores and had running shoe fitments done multiple times. When I first started running I started with a pair of Brooks and they changed everything for me. They felt amazing. They were expensive, but it was totally worth it.

Shortly after that, when I was fitted again, I decided to change to the Asics Gel Nimbus. They had a softer cushion and literally felt like I was running on a cloud. I have been wearing that style of shoe ever since. The last time I was fitted was a few months after having my son. My shoe size actually increased by a half size after pregnancy (which is common), so it was good that I got a new fitting!

The Asics Gel Nimbus shoes are about $150/pair. I go through about 3 pairs per year with the volume of running that I do. That add up to A LOT of money over time!

While I do think they are worth the investment, I think it’s always a good idea to try to save money if you can. And thankfully, I’ve been able to find a way to save on my favorite running shoe! I love to save money and I’m a huge fan of frugal hacks!

Most running shoes come out with a new model numbers every year. For example, the Asics Gel Nimbus shoes current model is Asics Gel Nimbus 22, at $150/pair:

My Hack for How to Save

Each year with the new model numbers, they change the style slightly. To me, the changes never make a significant difference, so I don’t mind using the previous year’s model.

So I wait until a new model comes out, and then I shop for the previous year’s model, which is heavily discounted. Here is an example of the pricing for the old model, compared to $150 for the new model:

You will see here that the “old” model, Gel Nimbus 21, is discounted to $99.95 or $75.95!

$75.95 is the price that I bought my latest pair for.

Sometimes when they discount the prices like this, they will only be in stock until they sell out, so if you know you are going to need multiple pairs over the next year, another strategy you might want to take is to buy a few pairs at the discounted price, and keep them in your closet until you need them.

Sometimes when you take this approach, certain colors sell out fast, so you may be limited to only a few colors, but to me it’s a fair tradeoff to save over $70 per pair!

This same approach applies to all other running shoe brands as well.

So there you have it! My hack for how to save a significant amount of money on running shoes!

• Have you ever used this method to save on running shoes?
• Any other good money saving tips to share?