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Wondering about walking shoes?

Posted on September 28, 2011 at 04:53 PM

Every now and then, someone asks about walking shoes. Will just any old shoe do, or do you need a special pair for walking? How much should they cost? What’s the best brand?

The answer to all these questions seems to be “**it depends!**” It depends on things like how often you walk, how far, and what kind of surfaces you walk on. It can also depend on previous injuries you’ve had, and on the shape of your foot and how it moves.

That said, the key requirement for a good walking shoe is always that it’s comfortable for you – something that feels good on and doesn’t rub or pinch anywhere on your foot. If you’re only walking for short distances, you probably don’t need anything fancy – whatever’s comfy will work.

But the more you kilometers you cover, the more you need a shoe that supports you over the distance. If you live somewhere near a dedicated sports shoe store (e.g. Shoe Clinic), the staff there are trained to fit you for your “perfect” shoes. If you don’t, you may just need to try on pair after pair until you find something that makes you feel like you’re walking on air.

So how do you know it’s time to invest in a “proper” walking shoe? Listen carefully to your body. If your feet start feeling a bit tired and achey after you walk, or if anything starts to twinge, chances are it’s time to get fitted for new shoes. Otherwise, you can probably make do with what you have right now.

So what about you, lovely Wonder Walkers?

• What shoes do you wear when you walk now?
• Have you tried any other kinds? What did you think of them?
• Are there any shoes you’d recommend avoiding?