Are Running Shoes Good to Wear to Walk?

Not all shoes are created equal.

I had a friend, we’ll call her Jane. Jane loved to run and she had kind of gotten out of it for awhile. But she wanted to get back into it. We talked about it and we got her set up for a program. She decided to wait on the return to running program until the next month and wanted to start walking in the meantime. She thought that getting some walking miles in first would make it easier for her when it came time to running. (And she’s right, it would.)

Anyway, so in the meantime she starts walking. She figures she walks around all day so she would start off by walking 5 miles every day for a week and then increase it the next week.

She started noticing different aches and pains in her legs.

Her toes hurt.

Her shins hurt.

Her hips hurt.

And her back hurt.

What’s the deal? She walks 8,000 or so steps every day just doing her normal routine, what gives?

Part of the issue was that although she does walk that far in her normal day, that’s across the span of maybe 16 hours or so, not all at once.

So she tried to go too far too fast.

The second thing that contributed to her problem was she was wearing the wrong shoes. She was wearing her running shoes to go walking.

Maybe that seems like something you would do, too and I advise against this. Running shoes, walking shoes and other shoes are not created equal. The soles of the shoes are created with padding and cushion in different parts of the shoe to accommodate the differen tpressure points for when you do something different.

So when you are finding the right shoes for your feet go to a shoe store and go to the section labeled for what you want to do:

Walking for walking shoes.

Trainers for cross training shoes.

Running for running shoes. These shoes will be built up to accomodate the pressure points for running contact.

Basketball for basketball shoes. These shoes will have a higher ankle to give support at the ankles which are at risk for rolling in basketball.

They don’t really tend to have a section for weight lifting shoes, but maybe if it’s a specialized store it will. But for weight lifting a flat shoe like converse work nicely.

To recap: Different shoes are made for different activities. If you’re going to start walking and need new shoes go to the walking section of the shoe store. If you’re going to start running and need new shoes go to the running part of the store. If you wear running shoes to walk they aren’t going to support you well because the sole of the shoe is made different to accommodate the different pressure you put on your foot for walking vs running.

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