“walking” shoes

[iris lilies]

I read a piece by New Balance, the maker of athletic shoes, that emphasized how one should buy the correct shoes for a specific activity. This really isnt news to me,
I have known this for a while. The padding is different on walking shoes than in, for instance, running sjoes.

so what do you all think about this? How important is it to have “walking” shoes for just walking? I never run, I dont hike.

I generally just buy athletic shoes that are cool looking and comfortable. I dont have teouble with my feet (escept for a bunion when weather is changing) but
I do wonder if I would better serve my feet by getting walking shoes. There are not many to choose from in the stores.

[Williamsmith]

I have become partial to a certain model of Sketchers. I can get them for about $50 at the outlet. The right shoe makes a difference.

[dado potato]

I believe that with aging the padding on the soles of the feet gradually thins, so a "Walking" shoe for an old croc like me needs to have abundant cushioning. My last purchase was Propet Life Walkers. These have 2 Velcro straps instead of laces... so they make a ripping statement when they are put on or taken off. I am not embarrassed, but some of the more delicate members of my family have noted that it sounds as though someone is breaking wind... and of course, I am the only one in the room who is bent over at the moment they hear the ripping! <wink>

[Tybee]

I have constant feet and knee pain and the only thing that has helped are Crocs, so I wear them 8 months of the year, but in the snowy months here, I wear boots. The last few days I have been wearing boots and mall walking and my feet are in agony. So I am ordering some new crocs--the nubby things wear down, and the heels wear down, so you have to get new ones to get the full effect.

[catherine]

I have become partial to a certain model of Sketchers. I can get them for about $50 at the outlet. The right shoe makes a difference.

Sketchers for me as well. I never used to be an "athletic shoe" (snobby word for sneakers) person. Ballet flats were my go-to shoe for everyday wear. Can't remember the transition--it may have been when I got into a fairly short-lived spurt of running, and I stuck with the running shoes, which weren't "running" shoes--they were just my regular Sketchers. I don't know why I like that particular brand over others except they fit really well, and they feel like slippers. When I tried running on a regular basis a second time I bought Mizunas on Amazon Prime Day. I hate them. They're so big and clunky, and they're supposed be good support and give good stability yada yada but they feel like big blocks at the end of my legs. Plus they're purple--that was the only color that was on sale.

My daughter's boyfriend works as a designer for Reebok and when she makes fun of my Sketchers, he tells me "that's OK. My mom wears Sketchers, too." And here I thought I was cool.

[Tybee]

What kind of Sketchers, Catherine? I see them and I have bought them for my sons. I need something super comfortable-can you send a link of something you recommend as comfortable but work-worthy, since I may have to be out looking for jobs soon.

[iris lilies]

Catherine, I agree that little Sketchers always look so light and dancy in the store. I do end up with big clunker shoes sometimes and I like streamlined ones.

WilliamSmith talked about getting the same model shoe overand over. Well hell, I cant seem to replicate my successful shoes because I cant find a model number. They are prnted inside the shoe but wear off. And when I go back to buy them again trying to see them online there are hundreds of models, it seems.

[catherine]

What kind of Sketchers, Catherine? I see them and I have bought them for my sons. I need something super comfortable-can you send a link of something you recommend as comfortable but work-worthy, since I may have to be out looking for jobs soon.

To IL's point, I think the ones I'm wearing now are discontinued, but here is a link to the closest two I can find. Mine are somewhere in between:

https://www.skechers.com/en-us/style/12982/summits-suited/gytq

https://www.skechers.com/en-us/style/15601/skechers-gowalk-joy-paradise/gybl

And I see I'm spelling "Skechers" wrong.

[rosarugosa]

Dado, you are too funny!
I am a huge fan of the Merrell brand, as is my Mom, my sister and now my husband. These have always been a favorite:
https://www.amazon.com/Merrell-Womens-Encore-Breeze-Slip/dp/B00D1R0HAC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1521034908&sr=8-1&keywords=merrell+encore+breeze

[Williamsmith]

My model is the 50125 in synthetic upper for indoor gym use and warm dry summer walking. I use a leather upper of same model for the wetter seasons. For winter, I picked up a waterproof replica of the Skechers made by Hi-Tech.

The key is to get ahead of the game by having a brand new replacement in the box sitting in your closet before you need it. Same goes for my winter jacket which is warm and lightweight made by Columbia.

[Tybee]

Thanks for the links!

[goldensmom]

I’ve walked for years for exercise and have never been concerned if my shoes were labeled for a specific activity or am I concerned about price (cheaper, I mean). If the shoe feels good and has good arch support they are good enough for me. Same for walking boots in the winter. I have a pair of Columbia boots for winter walking. No research, just tried them on, liked them and they have served me well for 20 or so years.

[lmerullo]

I had a high-tech New Balance fitting years ago and those shoes are still the most comfortable. I have since gone to Saucony and I like those as well. Both versions are more of the Cross training / walking style as opposed to running shoes.

[lmerullo]

My edit button never works, anyone else have that problem? Anyway I have the Saucony Cohesion 9. Turns out they ARE classifying it as a running shoe. Very stable. I have no natural balance and have been known to roll an ankle with those "minimalist" style shoes.

[catherine]

I’ve walked for years for exercise and have never been concerned if my shoes were labeled for a specific activity or am I concerned about price (cheaper, I mean). If the shoe feels good and has good arch support they are good enough for me. Same for walking boots in the winter. I have a pair of Columbia boots for winter walking. No research, just tried them on, liked them and they have served me well for 20 or so years.

I agree. I'm skeptical of many of the things we "need" to have depending on whether we're running, walking, playing basketball, or hopscotch. Have you ever read Born to Run? I realize I'm not 20 anymore and that as I get older my feet may have special needs, but I tend to be skeptical about how marketers present the solutions to those needs. Why sell one kind of athletic shoe, if you can sell one for every activity that takes place on two feet?

[Williamsmith]

As long as the shoes are fifty bucks or less....it qualifies in my book. I guess my feet are worth about twenty-five dollars a piece then. I figure a company that has their shoes made in a third world country by children ought to be able to sell them that cheap to hordes of American consumers.

[Teacher Terry]

I wear Easy Spirit Traveltine shoes for everything.
They are expensive so I wait for a sale. They are very comfortable and I tend to have foot pain if I don't have a good shoe.

[oldhat]

One problem with shoes, like lots of other kinds of consumer items, is that brand names don't seem to mean too much any more. You can love a particular model of a particular brand, but by the time you get around to replacing them with what you think is the same thing, you're getting something made in a different factory and probably a different country.

Case in point: A few years ago I bought a pair of New Balance running shoes that wore like iron. Replaced them with NB, but didn't get the same quality.

I liked Merrill trail shoes for a while and owned several pair but felt like their durability kind of went downhill. I love my OBoz--most comfortable trail shoes I've ever owned and very sturdy. Not cheap--about $140 retail. But I plan to buy another pair before they discontinue the model.

[goldensmom]

One problem with shoes, like lots of other kinds of consumer items, is that brand names don't seem to mean too much any more. You can love a particular model of a particular brand, but by the time you get around to replacing them with what you think is the same thing, you're getting something made in a different factory and probably a different country.

Case in point: A few years ago I bought a pair of New Balance running shoes that wore like iron. Replaced them with NB, but didn't get the same quality.

I liked Merrill trail shoes for a while and owned several pair but felt like their durability kind of went downhill. I love my OBoz--most comfortable trail shoes I've ever owned and very sturdy. Not cheap--about $140 retail. But I plan to buy another pair before they discontinue the model.

My husband discovered the same thing. Now if he finds something he likes he usually buys two just in case the one he likes is discontinued or changes in quality. I won't, however, let him do that with trucks.

[razz]

I walk into my favourite discount shoe store in my Merrels and buy another pair. I have tried so many brands including pricey ones but keep coming back to Merrels for walking the 1 1/2 hours each day with my dog. Very comfortable. The Saucony's have a soft heel that I need a shoe horn to keep up when I put my foot into the shoe. I don't with Merrels.

[SteveinMN]

My guideline is whether I do a lot of whatever activity calls for a special shoe. For instance, for my new bike I will wear my plain ol' New Balance all-purpose athletic shoes. But if I start putting on piles of miles or start doing longer trips, it will make sense to buy bicycle shoes (which have cleats in them which lock onto the pedal for more efficient pedaling). They're barely usable elsewhere but they're the right tool for the job. I never used to discriminate among different types of athletic shoes, but when I wore through a pair of NB running shoes within a year or so, I was told that people go for running shoes partially for their construction and partially for their lightness. That lightness did not serve an overweight casual wearer (me). I know basketball players typically need a shoe which will support their ankles. That's another thing I don't need to go grocery shopping. But if I played basketball a lot, it would be worth getting shoes optimized for that activity.

[Reyes]

I walk about 2.5 miles to work and then back. I've used New Balanced shoes for years. I tried walking styles but prefer the fit of the runners so have stuck with that.

[nswef]

I like the lightness weight wise of running shoes.

[pony mom]

Someone once told me that you can use running shoes for walking, but not walking shoes for running. I bought NB running shoes many years ago and have since given up running but they are fine for walking.

My work shoes have to be black and non-slip and I spent $60+ on a pair of Skechers. They are worth every penny. They're over a year old and the leather looks great. The memory foam insert, however, is worn out. The places where I have calluses on my feet have made holes right through the insert. Now I just buy cheap ones to cover it. Since I'm on my feet 40 hours a week, I don't mind spending what to me is a big chunk of change for my work shoes.