The Best Carbon Plate Shoes for Racing running shoes at Runner's World, but we also aren’t afraid to modify and customize them. After all, they’re a tool to help you accomplish your goals. Here are our favorite tweaks to make footwear meet our needs.
No-Slip Grip
You don’t need a fancy traction device to run on snow and ice. Hit the hardware store for #10 x 3/8-inch hex-head screws. Drilling into the thickest parts of the sole, add six on the forefoot and four on the heel. You can take them out quickly (with a power drill) to run in dry conditions, and replace the screws when they wear down.
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Lace to Fit
A few years ago, we got shoes that were missing a top eyelet. The heel slipped, so we grabbed a pair of hole-punch pliers and added our own. These pliers are essential for runners who want to adjust the lacing of their shoes to fix fit issues.
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Install Drainage
A problem with too many shoes is that when water gets in through the top, there’s no way for it to get out. Break out a ¼-inch drill bit and add six holes through the thinnest spots on the forefoot. When you run, you’ll pump the water out.
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Bosch 18V Compact 1/2" Drill/Driver Kit $129
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Patch It Up
A common tool for runners until recently was Shoe Goo. Parts were always coming loose on shoes. That doesn’t happen much anymore, but occasionally a rubber patch will work loose. Just add a dab of glue and stick it back on.
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RW+ Membership Benefits $6
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Let ’Em Breathe
If you find a new shoe causes blisters on your pinky toe late in runs when your feet swell, or presses a little too much on a bunion, use an X-Acto knife and cut a window in the upper, or make small slits over the areas of pressure for extra room.
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X-ACTO Knife $5.50
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Jeff is Runner-in-Chief for Runner’s World and the director of product testing. He has tested and reviewed running shoes, GPS watches, headphones, apparel, and more for nearly two decades. He regularly tests more than 100 pairs of shoes each year, and once had a 257-day streak running in different models. Jeff can usually be found on the roads, racing anything from the mile to a marathon, but he also enjoys racing up mountains and on snowshoes. When he’s not running, you’ll probably find him hanging from a ladder making repairs and renovations to his house (he’s also director of product testing for Popular Mechanics).
