 Batten Kill Valley Runners |
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A fellow walker asked me the other day, "Can you walk in running shoes". The answer is a resounding and absolute, "Maybe"
If you are a serious walker, then walking shoes are generally better.They are designed to help propel you through the heel-toe motion of proper walking technique. While runners land flat-footed, walkers land on their heels. So the heels of walking shoes are often beveled to increase stability. That stability is very important when you roll your foot forward and push off with your toes.
Some walkers experience something called overpronation. This means that your ankle rolls inward when you're walking, which puts too much pressure on your arch and nearby ligaments and tissues. This can lead to arch and heel pain over time. A good shoe will have a rollbar built in to prevent overpronation.
Having said all that, if you can't find walking shoes that fit comfortably, you can try running shoes, which tend to be more plentiful and afford you many more choices. If you include (or intend to ) some running in your workout these will serve just as well. Just be sure of the support and that there is enough room in the toebox. Walkers use that area more than runners.
If you are a racewalker, you will have to find a walking shoe that is flexible enough to meet the demands of the sport. Some racers wear and prefer running flats as they are very flexible and have thin soles.
Lastly, try em, before you buy em. If you make the purchase in a mall, ask if you can walk a few laps around the indoor corridors. Leave your children as deposit. If the shoes have any problems for your feet, you will know.
Lastly, walkers I have noticed, tend to keep their shoes much longer than runners.To keep your feet, ankles, knees and lower back injury free and healthy, replace your shoes every 500 to 700 miles. You don't have to keep records(unless you do as a matter of course), if you have them more than a year or you look at them and feel pity, IT'S TIME . . . . . . . . .
by Stanley Feingold
Lorstan2@yahoo.com
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