Walking shoes have become quite specialized. There are recommended walking shoes for flat feet, sweaty feet, high arches, overpronation, feet that tend to blister, feet that walk long distances and feet that like to walk on trails on in the woods. Buying the right walking shoes for your particular feet will enable you to walk in comfort, which may encourage you to keep walking on a regular basis. A regular walking routine can help keep your cholesterol in check, lower your blood pressure, keep diabetes at bay and cheer you up.
Buying Tips
When you shop for a pair of walking shoes, it's a good idea to go late in the afternoon when your feet are bigger. You want to walk in shoes for at least five minutes to determine whether they are truly comfortable. If you buy shoes online, check out the return policy. The best walking shoe for you will provide comfort, stability, cushioning and conform to your particular foot and body type.
Foot and Body Type
If you have flat feet, a good walking shoe for you will prevent your feet from overpronating, or rolling excessively from the outside to the inside. If you have a high arch, the best-fitting shoe for you will be one with extra conditioning. If you are heavyset, you'll want a shoe that has more stability control built into it. The Health Mad website picked the Brooks Beast Motion Control for men as its top-recommended shoe for overpronation and heavier people. It recommends a sister shoe for women, the Brooks Ariel Motion Control, for women who fall into the same categories. If you have narrow feet, the New Balance 760 may be just the ticket. If your stature is slight, the Reebok Premier Light may be made for you.
Activities
Recommended shoes for a general walker include two shoes selected by "Fitness Magazine." The magazine's top shoe is the Timberland Lionshead and theASICS GEL-motion is the runner-up. The former is described by an expert reviewer as "the perfect combo of cushion and support," and the latter has extra cushioning. If you are a race walker, "Fitness Magazine" touts the New Balance 904 as extremely flexible with good stability. If you like walking off the beaten path, "Fitness Magazine" favors the New Balance 1110, and Mad Health prefers the Teve X-1 Control 2. Either should allow you to commune with nature in comfort. Finally, if you want to walk as far as Forrest Gump, the Nike Air Pegasus is recommended by Health Mad for going the distance.
Running Shoes
Some of the top recommended walking shoes are actually running shoes. While a runner doesn't want to jog in walking shoes, as they are too heavy, the opposite does not apply. New technology has made running shoes as flexible as walking shoes, so a walker can be perfectly happy in running shoes. In fact, some of the recommended shoes for walking, such as the Brooks Beast Motion Control, the Brooks Ariel Motion Control and the Nike Free 5.0V4 are actually running shoes. Running Shoes Review and Ratings suggests that walkers opt for running shoes for their flexibility, durability and light weight. Plus, if you decide you would rather jog or run, you'll already own the right pair of shoes.
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