Shoes

[rockvillage]

What shoes do you wear while walking?

So far, the shoes I have worn are:

- SAS walking shoes. Look like men's business shoes. Comfortable, good support, good cushioning. These are probably the best walking shoes I've tried so far.

- New Balance walking shoes. Look like athletic shoes. Comfortable, good support, good cushioning. These are slightly less expensive than the SAS, and almost as good.

- MBT sandals. These are really interesting shoes, with their unique roll bottom. Not cushioned enough for all day walking, though. My feet hurt by the end of the day.

- ecco walking shoes. At least for me, I needed to put a different innersole into these to bring them up to snuff. (The Walking Store has some expensive but excellent innersoles.)

- other various shoes for brief periods, which are fine for on & off but not for all day.


Anne

[shonofear]

Hey,
this is a great topic indeed as I have been getting sore feet or recent times.
So I also did some research and found these shoes to be very popular:

Dansko
Crocs
birkenstocks
earth shoes

But I'm thinking of getting some runners with good padding and maybe some insole risers for walking the tread.
But for long hours standing I'm thinking the Dankos could be a great option.

Also, does any one else have a problem with bad foot odor from so much shoe wear ???
And any tips/special socks that help feet NOT sweat and smell deadly...?

What shoes do other also where? brand etc

Cheers

[Robert Stehwien]

I have put 200 miles on my Vibram Five Fingers ("barefoot" shoes with toes). For the 800 miles that I used my Spira springy shoes and some skateboard shoes. Once my feet and calves got used to the barefooting it is great (shoes take away a great deal of strength building and mobility) .

[shonofear]

hey those Five Fingers shoes (surfing booties) seemed pretty cool so I put on my stored surf booties that are pretty similar and am currently walking in them now :P and yes they are comfortable indeed, funny that, who would of thought.
Also had a look at those Spira Springy's and they look interesting as well.
I'm finding I can get sore in the forefoot (balls) of my feet from long periods of walking with certain footwear.
I have to just keep swapping shoes at this stage until I find the perfect shoe.
Do the Spira Springy's have good cushioning around main ball area of the foot?
The MBT are also on the cards at this stage,

Cheers for your tips,
Shono

[shonofear]

Well, Ive now tried the MBT's and can say they were NOT for me.
They gave me problems from the very start but luckily I was able to resell them. They made my hips really sore like I've never experienced before in my life. Also tricky to use them whilst on the treadmill, I've reverted back to single pair of thick black socks (pref wool). Bare feet still gets a little sore after a while, need more practice.

[rockvillage]

I actually love the MBTs, but not for treadmill desk walking. Bare feet don't do it for me; I need more cushioning. (Definitely agree on the wool socks.)

I have a pair of crocs, and those w/ thick socks seem pretty good. I alternate those w/ New Balance walking shoes or my SAS.

New cushion insoles are on their way to me right now. Hopefully that will give some of my shoes new life.

[rockvillage]

I will have to check those shoes out. Never heard of Five Fingers! I have a pair of birkenstocks, but not sure how well this would work walking all day.

Thin wool socks are my favorite type, and seem to avoid foot odor. I don't wear the same pair two days in a row, which also helps avoid foot odor.

[Melody Joy Buller]

So far I have just been wearing an old pair of running shoes, and they're ok, but I need some new ones. I've got to say, as much as I hate the commercial, I'm thinking about saving up for a pair of Reebok Easytones (or trying to find them cheap on sale somewhere). I did a little research and it looks like they offer great support in addition to helping that whole toning thing along. I'm hesitant, though, because I've never ever been one to spend sooooo much on shoes. Anyone tried 'em?

[Barbara BC Gleason]

I'm using various shoes, from my comfy crocs fleece slippers when I get down here early in the AM, to my MBT walkers, too. I vary what I wear, depending on the number of hours I'm treading, too; long days I wear both my Brooks running-walking shoes as well as the MBTs. I also modify the insole, too, wearing an arch support for folks with plantar fasciitis in some shoes if the arch isn't quite arched enough. I think my Brooks need replacing, though, as their cushion isn't cushion-y any more after Nordic Walking and Trikking many miles on the bike paths this past year! But, the MBTs offer me the most cushion across my arches since I try to avoid plantar fasciitis pain whenever I can.

And yes, the MBTs took me a while to learn to use, too, and they are basically exercise shoes, not general wear-around shoes, but they are GREAT for plantar fasciitis and really helped me get over that last year.

I also do lots of post-treadmill stretching, too, both fronts and backs of legs... and that really helps my knees, hips and feet, tons! You might not think of it for feet pain, but trust me: it's key!

[Melody Joy Buller]

I have to say I am loving these skechers Shape Ups. They are great on the treadmill and all, but I just got back from a week-long tradeshow and am amazed. These convention centers all have cement floors, and even with the bit of padding they put under the carpet for the booths, gel soles in my shoes and arch supports, every day of these things is agony for your feet. But not this time. Actually, I also twisted my ankle while walking w/my husband late Sunday night before the tradeshow began. But wearing these shoes, there was obvious fatigue, but not any of the pain I typically feel. No shin splints, no fire in my feet...I am pretty impressed. So...these are definitely my walking shoes for a loooooooooong time.

[Christy]

I currently have a old pair of Nike Shox, which I love. I will admit however that I have been looking at the Sketcher Shape-Ups or something similar. I'm thinking I may get a pair as an interim reward for meeting a goal.

I should also mention that when I go out of town now and know that I'm going to be doing a lot of walking, I always were Crocs. They are the only shoe I can wear consistently for 6+ hours of walking/strolling without my feet hurting.

[Melody Joy Buller]

If you want to "try out" the shape ups w/o investing in them, then you should know that Danskin sells a version of the same type of shoe. They call it the "Danskin Now Women's Spring Shoe," and you can get them at Wal*Mart for $25. They only have a white sneaker though, as far as I know; so I needed something that would look a bit more professional and just jumped in with the shape ups. You can read my full review of them in my blog posts.