The benefits of walking can be best availed with correct walking technique. Shoes are the most relevant pillars to support the walk. Walkers often neglect this fundamental knowledge and thus suffer from temporary or permanent health problems or severe injuries. With every move of your foot, most of the parts of the body are affected. If your feet are unable to walk properly, other parts of the body will also compensate for it. It is inevitable to suffer from pain in heels, knees, ankles, hips and lower back if your shoes are not appropriate for a walk.
Shoe directly affects the speed and distance covered while walking. No one can walk any distance or any speed if shoes are uncomfortable. Make your walk pain and injury free by wearing correct shoes that fit your feet well.
It is not a difficult task to choose the right shoes for yourself. When you visit a shoe store, the staff attending you there is well trained to advise you the best type of shoe suited for your feet. You can also take the advice of a podiatrist to assess the needs for your foot support.
Spending hefty for shoes is a valuable investment because they affect your overall health. Its price cannot be compared with the cost you would have to pay for your injuries.
According to the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, you should replace your shoes every 350 to 400 miles or about every six months.
You have to consider few things while making a right choice of shoes for walking:
- Make sure that shoes fit properly from heel to toe. Your feet should fit snug but not tight. A shoe upper should feel comfy and secure around your instep.
- Your foot should be able to move side to side in the shoe’s forefoot.
- There should be a thumb’s width of space between your longest toe and the end of the shoe. Your toes should wiggle free up and down.
- The shoe should be flexible. It should bend and crease along the same line your foot flexes. A lack of flexibility leads to arch pain. The shoe should have a super flexible toe that makes it easy to quicken the pace.
- Walkers who want to jog should opt running shoes that are flexible enough for the rolling motion of walking.
- Feel the shoes you have chosen before buying. Put them on and walk on the sideway of the sore or down a hallway. You can do a quick jog too if the store has a treadmill. A natural feeling support under the arch of your feet should be satisfactory. If you feel your arch cramping, don’t go for that shoe.
Your shoe should complement and support the style of your walk. Your choice of the shoe should not amend it. Make your feet feel comfortable mile after mile, try a variety on and finally opt the shoe that is fit, stable and feels best on your foot.