Alphaflys - Is there any harm in putting a pair of shoes into cryostasis?

imnothammer

Moderator
Wss3IW9.jpg


Here's a weird question... I recently made the slightly impulsive purchase of a pair of Alphaflys. I don't have an actual race on the calendar until at least June but I mean... look at how beautiful they are! Can you blame me?

I am trying for a BQ and I like to hit these sort of efforts up with relatively fresh shoes (less than 30 miles), so I am going to have to stash these away for about 6 months. Is there any harm in shelving shoes for this sort of period? My fear is that something akin to dry rot in unused cycling tires will strike and the foam will just crumble to dust when I actually strap these on.

The obvious, logical answer is that shoes sit for a while in warehouses and retail shelves before they ever make it to our feet but I wanted to ask in case the concept of a "use-by" date wasn't completely insane for shoes.
 
  • Like
Reactions: TER

RW Staff

Administrator
Staff member
Hi @imnothammer,

Great picture!! Thanks for sharing!

From what I know, the foams themselves really don't have an expiration date. As long as you store them in a place where there aren't any temperature extremes or too much moisture, your shoes should last quite a while in storage. What really damages a shoe's foam is if something is stored in temperatures that are either too hot or too cold, as it can affect the level of cushioning and responsiveness of the shoe.

Under normal circumstances, the first thing to go bad with shoes in storage is the glue, which can then cause the shoes to come apart a little easier. However, I have personally had shoes in my closet for several years and haven't had any issues with this.

Best Wishes,

Tyler
RW Staff
 

imnothammer

Moderator
Much appreciated!

I am somewhat new to rotating shoes (I normally just buy of pair of daily trainers for immediate consumption and run them as close to "into the ground" as is healthy) so I figured someone here would have more experience with shelving shoes or keeping pairs on the backburner.

I think these will survive a 6 month stint in sneaker jail.
 
Top