How Often to Replace Running Shoes?

We've all read various things about when to replace running shoes.  Some rules of thumb go by the quality of the tread or if there's cracking in the soles.  Another rule of thumb has it that if there are starting to be weird pains in your body where there was never pain before, it's worth considering replacement of the shoes. Most rules of thumb go by miles on the shoes, and usually it's around 500 miles.

Ultimately I had to break up with my friends at Brooks Running because they made this fantastic line of shoes and all the shoes in the line only last 250-300 miles.  (See the last line of the description in the image below.)  You'd think with only 60% of the miles they'd be 60% the price of other running shoes but no.  They're still $100.  Sigh. 

I broke up with Brooks in favor of ASICS whose shoes last a normal amount of miles and bought the ugly black shoes.  They were a bear to break in.  Part of the process involved entirely re-lacing the things so they weren't too tight or pulling in weird places on my arch.  Whatever, these were 50% off the regular price.  (I think I got a lower price because they're so ugly.)

The other conundrum in shoe replacement has to do with marathon race day shoes.  The idea is to have a relatively fresh pair of shoes on race day, but the shoes have to be broken in already.  It's a whole timing issue.  I've had the ugly black shoes long enough they might be over their mileage by race day, or right on the edge.  I needed a second pair of shoes now so I have time to break them in and get to know them before we spend an entire Sunday on a date together.

I headed back to Amazon and looked for another pair of the Lyte-33s, and even hoped to see the updated Lyte-33 2.0.  I did see the newer shoe but the price was still pretty high.  The model that's the same as the ugly black shoes was marked at a deep discount but only for some of the colors.  I didn't think anything could be uglier than the all black.  Wrong!  Honest to goodness, I paid $33 for these shoes and when I clicked "buy" I wasn't sure if it was the right choice because the picture was just so ugly. 

The shoes came in the mail today and I am thrilled to report that they look so much better in real life.  ASICS needs a better photographer, or colorist or photo editor or something.  It's not even the same shade of blue.  I can't explain it.