Walking does a body good. As the Mayo Clinic website explains, walking is an extremely gentle and low-impact exercise that can be done by almost everyone. If you adopt a regular walking routine, you can derive a wealth of health benefits. These include lowering your bad and raising your good cholesterol, lowering blood pressure, reducing the risk of diabetes, keeping your weight in check and improving your mental state. So it is worth investing in a good pair of walking shoes, which will help prevent injuries and increase your comfort. There are a wide variety of excellent walking shoes that fit people with different types of feet.
Fit
The best walking shoe for you will be the one that fits you best, says Consumer Reports. That may seem obvious, but it is easy to get seduced by the look of a walking shoe and ignore the basics. In addition to the basics -- shop late in the day when your feet are larger, measure both feet to see if they are the same size, wear the same socks you will wear when you walk -- it is important to take into consideration your foot type as well. If you have a high arch, you will want a thick midsole for extra conditioning. If you have flat feet, you will want a shoe that prevents your foot from rolling too much to the inside and overpronating. For example, the Brooks Beast Motion Control walking shoe, a top-rated walking shoe by the website Health Mad, is particularly good for overpronation and for heavier people.
Specialization
You can buy walking shoes for almost every type of foot and activity. Health Mad likes the Nike Air Pegasus for long-distance walking, since it is well-cushioned and flexible enough to help prevent knee or foot pain. If you walk in extremely hot weather, the Under Armour Revenant, with breathable mesh, may be just the ticket. People with narrow feet should enjoy the fit of the New Balance 760, which uses both regular laces and straps for a snug but not tight fit. You can also find recommended shoes for those who suffer from blisters, the Adidas Supernova Glide; for those who like walking in the woods, the Teva X-1 Control 2; and for those who don't weigh much, the Reebok Premier Lite.
Running Shoes
While a walking shoe is too heavy for regular runners, a running shoe may be a perfect fit for a walker. The Brooks Beast, one of the 10 best walking shoes selected by Health Mad, is an excellent running shoe that also works extremely well for walkers. The same is true of one of Health Mad's top-ranked shoes for women, the Brooks Ariel Motion. The top-ranked shoes for walkers from Running Shoe Reviews and Ratings are also running shoes: the Nike Free 5.0 V4, selected for its excellent fit, flexibility and comfort, especially in the heel; and the New Balance 1064, with plenty of lightweight cushioning.
Considerations
Running Shoes Reviews and Ratings makes a persuasive case that the best running shoes are also the best walking shoes. Walking shoes need to be flexible and used to be quite a bit more flexible than running shoes. But new technology has made running shoes more flexible, so walkers can find flexibility, durability and light weight in running shoes. And if you decide to graduate from walking to jogging or running, you've already got an appropriate pair of shoes.
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