Mino FleX Review

I have been a fan of the Mino shoe life tracker for quite a while (click here for my review of the original Mino).  What first drew me to the Mino was that your shoes only have a life expectancy of 300-500 miles according to the various shoe companies out there.  The problem is that depending on what surface you run on, or if you are really rough on your shoes, they might wear out sooner.  When should you replace your shoes?

I recently read an article from Competitor.com, “4 Signs You Should Retire Your Running Shoes.”  It says that it’s time to replace your shoes when one or more of the following happens:

1) The tread is showing significant wear in one or more areas of the outsole.

2) The insole or sock liner is showing significant wear, which can lead to hotspots and blisters.

3) The midsole looks the good, but you feel like it is not providing the same amount of cushion as before.  (I have seen where the midsole collapses under the constant impact, making it look like a stack of pancakes).

4) If you wear out your laces or you are wearing a hole in the upper material

The article had some good points, although, just because you don’t notice those items, doesn’t mean that your shoes are still protecting your feet.  That is where the Mino comes in.  It is a thin foam insert that goes under your sock liner.  There is a sensor that measures your steps and can tell based upon an advanced algorithm when your shoe should be replaced. 

While the Mino was great, there was some room for improvements.  Introducing the Mino FleX.  It looks very similar to the original Mino in shape.  The colors are different and the indicator lights are labeled better.  The sensor inside the foam is smaller in the Mino FleX and the tape on the back is larger, which will do a better job of holding the Mino FleX in place under your sock liner. 

Pros:

Very light weight material

You don’t even know they are there

Let you know when your shoes need to be replace before you get injured

Inexpensive ($14.99 for one or 3 for $29.99)

Cons:

You will have no excuse to use your shoes longer than you should.

I love the concept of the Mino and the Mino FleX just improved upon the original.  It is lighter and the instructions on the device itself are clearer.  I have a Mino in every shoe I own.  I could have spreadsheets that track my mileage to tell when I hit the magic mileage number or look for wear on the shoes, but I would rather play it safe with the Mino FleX.  You can get yours at the www.runmino.com or at select running stores (Click here for locations).  If you order from www.runmino.com, be sure to enter the coupon code "flex" to get free shipping and ensure you get the Mino FleX, not the original Mino. 

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Note:  I received this product in exchange for a review.  The review is my personal opinion of the product and I was not required to give a particular opinion of it.  I am not a doctor, so please use all of the products that I review at your own risk.