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How to Find Cheap Throwing Shoes
Photo By: Steven Pisano
Beginner throwers might get away with throwing in basketball or tennis shoes for awhile, but as they develop and get more interested in track and field, they’ll almost certainly want to upgrade. If you are on a tight budget or just want to save a few bucks, there are 4 things you can do to find cheap throwing shoes.
- Ask a former teammate – If a teammate who wears the same size throwing shoes as you has graduated or isn’t coming out for the team this season, you should absolutely check into their plans for their shoes. If they aren’t going to be throwing again, they may be willing to just give them to you for free or at least cut a deal to give them to you for cheap. This saves the seller the hassle of listing them for sale somewhere or just storing them indefinitely. This can also work on athletes that you know are graduating from a rival school. It doesn’t hurt to check with them also.
- Look for used – It can be risky, but sometimes buying used is the best way to find cheap throwing shoes. The best places to look would be eBay and Craigslist. Buying used, you can’t be sure what you will get so, on eBay for instance, try to purchase only from reputable sellers that will allow you to return the shoes if you have to. People don’t always allow used items to be returned, so that may be something you have to deal with. Either way, you’ll want to see multiple pictures of the shoes before you buy. That won’t tell you everything, but you may be able to see how worn they already are.
- Be Patient – If you are looking well in advance of the time you need the shoes, you almost always will be able to find a good deal. Maybe you won’t get many 50% off sales, but if you wait long enough, you should be able to find a good percentage off and/or free shipping, which can sometimes be just as valuable.
- Wait until end of season – This isn’t always practical – obviously if you need shoes for a meet next week, you can’t really wait around – but if there isn’t a pressing need, you might be able to stock up for cheap at the end of the season. Most shoe suppliers want to get rid of their stock in the early summer, after the track and field season is over. They need to make room for next year’s models so they will usually offer the old stuff at a big discount just to get rid of it. If you know you will use them eventually, this may be a good time to get 2 or 3 pairs.
- Go with low end options – If none of these work, and you have no choice but to pay full price for a new pair of throwing shoes, you can just simply pick from the least expensive options. The Nike Rival SDs and the Asics Hyper Throw are reasonably priced at almost always among the lower cost throwing shoes. And, frankly, any pair of throwing shoes from a reputable brand should provide a major upgrade for shot put and discus throwing over a pair of basketball or tennis shoes.
Additionally, you should be able to save money by using the same shoe for all rotational throwing events. Choosing a shoe that will work for all your events, like shot put, discus, and hammer throw will prevent you from having to buy multiple pairs at once. If you don’t know what brand or type you would like, check out the throwing shoes review guide here.
Most rotational shoes shoes should be able to handle all 3. Although, if you do have a different pair for say, the shot put and discus, each pair would only wear out roughly half as fast. So overall, this probably doesn’t change the overall cost in a significant way.
With cheap throwing shoes, you may get what you pay for. While buying new for a reputable brand shouldn’t be a problem, buying used is always risk. Even if you see the pictures, its impossible to tell how many reps the shoes have left or how close they are from a hole appearing.
If you do buy used, it helps if the seller tells you how much they have been used and how close to new they are. Obviously, they are motivated to convince you they are in great shape, but most sellers will give an honest answer about the quality of their throwing shoes.
Also remember that the cheapest option doesn’t always provide you the best value. Constantly buying used throwing shoes won’t save you any money if they always wear out within a couple months and you are back looking for a replacement right away. Perhaps going with something more expensive, but with better durability. will save you money in the long-run.
