Puma H-Street Wear & Longevity: How Long Do They Last?
“I can’t believe you’re still using those shoes,” a couple Fort Collins runners told me as I did a warm-up run at the track in some rather well-worn white and blue Puma H-Streets—a shoe model that was a favorite of POSE runners in the 2000s and still is my favorite.
But gauging by how the colored sole had worn through to the minimal padding under the heel of both shoes, my friends’ comments were probably warranted. Also, these were 2008 models that I had been using since June 16, 2009. Six years! How in the world did these shoes last so long?
One reason is I was only using them for races and track workouts until early 2014, when I retired a pair of similar, but slightly heavier and less durable, Puma Salohs. After that, the H-Streets became both my training and racing shoes.
A second reason is the Puma H-Streets are simply very durable. I got 1114 miles out of the very first pair, and these went 1174 miles and 220 hours of running. The fabric was starting to tear where it met the sole, but nothing too alarming. I might have continued to run with them even longer had I not have two additional boxes of 2012 Puma H-Street+’s and I was not getting all those comments.
On the other hand, it appears that how quickly the Puma H-Streets wear is largely dependent on an individual’s running style. My friend Adam, however, has worn some pretty significant holes in the soles a couple centimeters outward of where the ball of his feet would be.
In fact, one of the photos below are of his and my shoes. His are the ones in the Oakland Raiders colors. Never mind that he is a San Diego Chargers fan.
I think it is so cool that we run in the same shoes!
Why I Still Like Puma H-Streets
There are many reasons why I continue to use Puma H-Streets, including:
- They are really lightweight: only 5.8 ounces each.
- They are inexpensive: usually about $40-65.
- They are very comfortable.
- They are long lasting, as discussed above.
- I have successfully used them for over 100 races between 1-100 miles, including off-road ones.
- I like their style. They also often come in different colors.
Where to Find Them
It seems like Puma has been making the H-Streets for decades but frequently stops making them for a couple years before bringing them back. When they have brought them back (e.g., 2008 and 2012), I have stocked up on some boxes.
Fortunately, there are other channels you can usually find them from. For example, eBay has many listings of Puma H-Streets, albeit not in every size.
What to Use Instead
[Written May 2021] Unfortunately, Puma discontinued the H-Streets in 2012 and unless you count the 2020 H.ST.20 Training Shoes that were inspired by the H-Streets but seem to have a rather thick sole, never brought them back.
So in 2017 I started using Lems Primal 2 shoes and have been using them for training—and even a few marathons and walking across Spain—ever since. Read about my experience with the Lems Primal 2 shoes.
There are 9 comments.
I'm at 318.0 miles with my "Oakland Raiders" Puma H Streets, and the first hole has popped through the sole of the left shoe. I don't know how you kept your soles hole-free for 1000+ miles! I've been scouring the web for H Streets in my size, but have left empty-handed in my searches. If and when Puma creates a new lot, I'm going to be buying half a dozen of them to use.
Thanks for the update, Adam! I would suspect that based on the premature wear of your shoes (and also blisters you showed me) you are striking the ground too hard, but considering how fast you have gotten while not getting any injuries, maybe your running form is fine. Also, when I ran with you in Colorado, it did not sound like you were striking the ground hard (but then, we were not running fast).
In contrast, I was once told by someone that it sounded like I was "slapping" the ground. So I do not consider myself the quietest runner. Yet I am consistently getting high longevity with the Pumas even though most of the miles I had on this last pair were "racing" miles.
I've had 2006, 2008 and 2012 Puma H-Street models; I wonder if that means Puma will be bringing them back in 2016?
What if several of us emailed Puma often enough asking for perhaps a limited edition version to be released?
The Puma H-Street is by far the best running shoe I've ever owned.
I landed on this site searching for these shoes. My grey and teal h-streets are finally dead. I can't even imagine another shoe, and these wide-box mesh shoes just don't hug the same.
Hi Jaime. Thanks for stopping by my site! Bummer about your H. Streets finally dying.
Coincidentally, I pull my last pair of size 9.5 black-and-blue 2012 Puma H. Streets out from the shoe closet to add to my running shoe rotation.
But they were so old that the glues dried up and the sole was completely peeling away from the shoe uppers! I was able to repair it with Shoe Goo, but it comes to show shoes don't last forever even when they are not used!
I too wish Puma would bring them back, as I ran nearly all of my 50 marathon states using them with good success.
That said, I have largely moved on from them. The last couple of years, I've been using the Saucony Kinvara 13. My conclusion was the Kinvaras were just about as light and flexible but with a little more cushioning, and at least for long distances were as fast.
Last week I got a pair of Kinvara 14, size 9 Wide. They have thicker sole and are slightly less flexible than the Kinvara 13, and therefore feel even farther removed from the H. Street. But I am enjoying the bouncy platform.
I'm going to run 12 or so miles tomorrow with them to further assess them. I'll probably post something on my site sometime in the next week, so visit it again if you are interested.
In the meantime, happy running!
I may have found a replacement that checks all the boxes for me. The Saucony Kilkenny XC no spikes. Lightweight, mesh, almost zero rise: they're somewhere between a sneaker, a slipper, and watershoes. They weigh almost nothing.
Thanks for the tip, James! Sounds like you found a great H. Street-like shoe. I'll have to look into the Kilkenny SC; I'm intrigued especially since I've become something of a Saucony fan the last few years!
How would you compare the fit compared to the H. Street? E.g., is the Kilkenny XC narrower?
I couldn't imagine there were people like me looking for H-Street in 2024 :-).
Maybe Puma will hear us one day.
Hi Mozart, thanks for visiting my site and for your comment. It's funny timing—today I just retired my second-to-last pair of Puma H. Streets. Below is a photo; they're the black-and-silver ones from 2012. I started using this particular pair in 2019 and managed to get 596 miles out of them, including 16 runs longer than 20 kilometers. Those 16 include 6 official marathons. They even carried me to a 2nd place finish in Alaska, my 50th marathon state!
I still have one more pair, but I'm mostly preserving them as a reference model now.
Like you, I hope Puma will bring them back one day.