Love your old pair of tennis shoes? Find out when it’s time to replace that torn-up pair of shoes with newer, more supportive footwear.

While you may feel out of your comfort zone without your trusty pair of shoes, hanging on to them can put you at risk for serious injury. As time passes, running shoes start losing stability as well as their impact absorption capabilities.

"Sometimes we love our old pairs of tennis shoes so much that we don’t realize we have been wearing them out for multiple years," explains Dr. James F. Watt, fellowship-trained surgeon at Orthopaedic Associates. "We generally recommend that patients replace their shoes every 350-500 miles or every three to six months."

Failure to replace your shoes can result in:

• Daily aches and pains
• Sprained ankles
• Soreness
• Falls resulting in fractures

Remember to replace your shoes with new ones by marking your calendar or picking out a few pairs at one time. Doing so will keep you pain-free and give you the comfort and support you need to stay active and avoid injury.

If you suffer a foot or ankle injury, call 850-316-8066 to schedule an appointment with one of the doctors at Orthopaedic Associates. Request an appointment online by clicking here. For additional injury prevention tips, "like" Orthopaedic Associates on Facebook and follow @Ortho_AssocFL on Twitter.

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