Walking has got to be one of the greatest forms of exercise the world has to offer! It’s an absolutely fantastic, yet underrated way to get in shape and stay in shape. By making walking a part of your daily life, you are on your way to a healthy lifestyle. Arguably the most important piece of equipment that you, as a walking aficionado, need to have… is definitely a good pair of shoes that you can use for long walks. A solid pair of shoes will easily make the difference between a comfortable walk and an uncomfortable walk. They can make the difference between you sticking to a new routine or not.
Too many people nowadays, are not paying enough attention to their footwear. But you would do your feet, as well as yourself, a really great favor by taking the time to investigate which footwear is best for your personal feet and your personal lifestyle. A person runs marathons in his/her sparetime has different needs than a person who stands upright in a retail store all day long. Different strokes for different folks. Your feet serve you 16 hours per day. There is no better investment you can make… than a solid pair of walking shoes!
Introduction To Finding The Best Walking Shoes
There are a couple of things you need to keep in mind when you are going to go out there to buy your first pair of high quality walkers.
For starters, not all walking footwear is created equal. And even if your friend or your neighbor swears by a certain brand and/or model, that doesn’t mean this very same brand/model is right for you as well. Everybody has different feet. For that reason, your requirements in shoewear are going to be different from everybody else’s.
You can divide feet in three basic categories. There are those that roll inwards upon hitting the ground. Then there are those that roll outwards when hitting the ground. Then there are those that don’t do any rolling whatsoever when hitting the ground. So you see, every foot type requires a shoe that fits it and fits it well.
Then there is also the factor of the type of terrain that you intend to traverse. Different terrains require different shoes. Will you be walking across the street or will you be walking along trails and hills and stuff?
Some people are planning on buying walking shoes so they can start walking, but want to work their way up to running. If that’s you, you can opt to buy shoes that are fit for both walking as well as running.
Additional Resources
- Walking Shoes For Overweight Women
- Walking Shoes For Overweight Men
- Shoes For Plantar Fasciitis
- Walking Shoes For Flat Feet
- Slippers With Arch Support
- Flip Flops With Arch Support
- Lightweight Walking Shoes
- Walking Shoes For High Arches
- Shoes For Standing All Day
- Shoes For Standing On Concrete
- Most Comfortable Men’s Dress Shoes
- Best Nursing Shoes
- Sanita vs Dansko
- Skechers Work Shoes
- Slip Resistant Shoes For Women
- New Balance Walking Shoes
- Cheap Ankle Booties
- Fall Boots
- Comfortable Walking Shoes
- Running Shoes For Flat Feet
- Morton’s Neuroma Shoes
How To Properly Inform Yourself To Buy The Best Walking Shoes?
The very best way for you to find out which shoes are good for you, is to visit a store that specializes in shoes for both walkers as well as runners. Not all stores you can go to to buy footwear, will have trained professionals that know what they are talking about. Sporting goods stores and big box stores are good examples of stores that have staff which only knows how to sell, but not how to advise. Go to a specialized store and have yourself informed by a real professional.
When visiting a store to buy shoes, make sure to keep a couple of important things in mind. It’s always best to go shopping for shoes in the afternoon. You see, our feet have the habit of swelling up to ever greater proportions as the day goes by. They already reach their peak mass in the afternoon. That’s when you need to go shopping and trying on shoes.
Be sure to be wearing the socks that you plan to wear while wearing your new shoes. Next to shoes especially made for walking, you can also get walking socks. If you don’t have any good ones yourself, then you will also be able to buy these at a shoe store.
It’s definitely worth investing some money. Don’t go for the cheapest, because those won’t last. More expensive socks will be made of more durable and more high quality material. They will last longer and also give you better cushioning support. If you do not have enough cushioning, then this can even injure you.
If you are dead serious about becoming a walker, then a good pair of shoes for walking is going to be critical to your success. Please make sure to use the following tips in order to get the perfect pair for yourself!
It does not matter whether you are a professional walker who has been doing it for decades already, or you are just an amateur who is just getting started in order to shed a few pounds (be sure to read my guide on walking shoes for overweight women and walking shoes for overweight men). You need high quality footwear to save your feet, ankles and knees from unnecessary wear and tear. So here is a list of 10 things to remember when you’re out buying shoes. Always be sure to get the ones that are best for you.
If you have been overweight for a long time, chances are that you’ve developed policeman’s heel. This is a condition where the plantar fascia tendon has taken too much of a beating over the years, and has now become chronically inflamed. This makes the tendon less flexible, which inevitably leads to a world of heel pain for you. If you are an overweight person who is suffering from either policeman’s heel or other foot related health problems such as heel spur, then it is important that you buy good plantar fasciitis shoes, which will give you the support you need in exactly the place where you need it. You are going to require the most support at your heels, because that’s where the pain strikes the most. Consider yourself lucky the pain from policeman’s heel is located around the heel, because the plantar fascia tendon runs all across the sole of your foot, all the way up to your toes. But it’s the heel that bears the most of your body weight, ofcourse.
Your 10 Step Guide To Finding The Best Walking Shoes Online
1. One of the key things you need to keep in mind, is that the quality of the shoe and its support are more important than its design and its style. There is a pretty big range of shoes available on today’s market. There are plenty of chic styles for both casual as well as athletic walkers. Visit either a store or a website that specializes in high quality shoes for walking to learn what I mean.
2. Don’t make any rash decisions when you are buying new shoes. When you decide to buy in a brick & mortar store, make sure to make use of the fact that you get to try on multiple pairs. Make sure not to rush it, because you need to get bang for your buck. Sometimes, all it takes is a minute to find out whether or not a shoe hurts your feet. You can easily discover this while still in the store.
3. Get a foot measurement from a trained professional who knows what he is talking about. Make sure you know what your exact size is. This is important. Especially if it’s been a while since your last measurement. While taking a stroll in the store, mind the fit of your heel inside of the shoe. It should be a snug fit. Not too tight and not too loose. Both are arguable equally bad.
4. You will want to find out how well the shoe fits over time. So pay attention while you are trying it on. Leather walking shoes usually stretch out over time. But not all shoes are made of leather. Other materials will not stretch as much. Let’s say that you find out a part of the shoe is rubbing up against a part of your foot, such as the toes or the ankle bone. That means the shoe is too tight. Try a larger size.
5. It’s always best to go for a shoe which has some flexibility to it. While you are walking, the shoe sole will have to flex along with the motion of your foot. It’s very important that the sole is flexible enough to follow the motions of your own feet’s soles. You can hold the shoe in your hands to test the shoe’s flexibility. Hold on to the toe in one hand and the heel in the other. Then try if you can flex the sole of the shoe a couple of times by applying gentle pressure. Some shoes simply don’t want to budge, or require way too much pressure. In that case, it’s best to keep looking.
6. A shoe has got to have good cushioning if you are serious about being comfortable while walking. During a normal day, your feet will touch the ground thousands of times, easily. Try walking barefoot for a mile on a gravelly road, and you’re going to find out all about the importance of good cushioning. So always be sure to check out a shoe’s cushioning ability to ensure that it will be able to provide you with the comfort that you deserve.
7. Are you planning on doing walking, jogging or running? Or a combination of all three, perhaps? In that case… get a shoe that is fit for all purposes. Regular jogging shoes can be used for walking and running as well. Some of these multi purpose shoes are marketed as ‘cross training shoes’. Everybody’s exercise regimen is going to look different. So read up on which shoe is best for you, or ask a local sales person if shopping locally.
8. If you are shopping locally, you can try out the shoes in the store. When buying online, you’ll have to try out the shoes at home. Be sure to only walk on a carpet and not outside. It’s the only way you will be able to return them. It is always best to go for high quality when it comes to shopping for shoes. High quality means high price. But quality also lasts longer. In the long run, you will definitely get the most bang for your buck when buying shoes above the $100 mark. That’s why it’s so important to make sure you’ve invested your hard earned cash in the right pair of shoes.
9. If you would like your new pair of shoes for walking in a good condition for as long as possible, only use them for your exercise regimen, but not for casual wear. When wearing them around the house, to work and while running errands, your shoes are going to show wear and tear considerably more quickly.
10. Recognize when the time has come for a new pair. On average, you should replace your walk shoes every 500 miles. If you are an enthusiastic walker, then your shoes will last at most 6 months. But if you’re walking considerably less, you can expect your shoes to last up to a few years. Some walkers are so dedicated to their favorite pastime, that they will bring an extra pair of shoes on their walking trips. This way, they can switch to a dry pair of shoes, ensuring that the cushioning support is in full effect. This will make the total lifespan of the two shoe pairs greater than when you had worn them out one pair at a time.
I need a lighter hiking boot for the Camino de Santiago. I need a 12 4E mens size. unfortunately, the only one that I have found is a 12 4E is made by Dunham, but while the toe box is wide, the area through the arch is barely 2 inches and it caused my arch to pinch and swell.
Can you point me to a boot that is wide in the toe (and) through the arch. ?
Brooks makes my shoes and they are wide through the arch, but they do not make hiking boots.
Thanks
George Miller
Hi George,
Perhaps you could have a look at this page, which has some wide hiking boots on it that might be able to help you out.
Sincerely,
Brian