Existing models for the shear strength degradation of reinforced concrete members present varied conceptual approaches to interpreting test data. The relative superiority of one approach over the others is difficult to determine, particularly given the sparseness of ideal test data. Nevertheless, existing models are compared using a suite of test data that were used for the development of one such model, and significant differences emerge. Rather than relying purely on column test data, the body of knowledge concerning degradation of concrete as a material is considered. Confined concrete relations are examined to infer details of the degradation process, and to establish a framework for developing phenomenologically-based models for shear strength degradation in reinforced concrete members. The possibility of linking column shear strength degradation with material degradation phenomena is explored with a simple model. The model is applied to the results of 7 column tests, and it is found that such a link is sustainable. It is expected that models founded on material degradation phenomena will be more reliable and more broadly applicable than the current generation of empirical shear strength degradation models.