Shoes are a primary part of your life. You cannot do without them. If you try to, you’ll expose your feet to all manner of unpleasantness from injuries to deformities.
Get this, today is not that day where we advocate for fashion. It’s cool to wear good-looking shoes-especially in this century where everyone wants to look dapper like their favorite celebrities. However, today is one of those few days where we put health first.
No matter your profession, one thing you should consider in walking shoes is comfort. So is it that simple? No, sometimes it’s not. Comfort is an umbrella term that represents many pacifying features.
We know time is precious so how about we dive straight into the juicy details? Cool. Keep reading to learn how to pick shoes that will make you productive in everything you do.
How to choose walking shoes
Here are the most important things to consider in walking shoes:
1. Comfort
Walking shoes are among the comfiest items you should own in your home. For such one simple word, we can write a whole book on it. Why? Because comfort can never be insisted enough.
Without comforting elements, you’ll end up spending so much on walking shoes only to ditch them a few days later. We don’t want that for you.
There are a couple of features that define a comfy shoe. The first is padding. If you are planning to walk all day, the collar and tongue of your kick should be padded. This is a comfort feature for walking and running sneakers.
Secondly, look at the footbed. If the outsole is skull hard, then you need a soft footbed-possibly with high-end removable orthotics. Speaking of that, most shoes will not arrive with the right feeling. For that matter, always look for shoes that accept custom insoles so you can rump up the good feeling.
You can solve your pronation problems through orthotics. However, it is ideal to buy a shoe that naturally caters to your arch. If you didn’t know, there are three types of arches; neutral, high, and low (aka flat feet). Check out our publication on arch support shoes. Who knows, you might get a pair that will make your everyday walk fun and fulfilling.
Midsoles too are primary elements of comfort. This particularly so for walking and running sneakers. Other shoes might feature an extremely thinned version. Sneakers, however, feature extra huge varieties and high-grade technology. So if you want casual shoes for long-distance walking, stick with sneakers.
Other features that impact comfort include toe box, quality of the upper (mesh or otherwise), and type of material.
2. Size
Get the wrong shoe size and your feet will take the heat. We can all agree that if shoes don’t fit properly, then wearing them is simply looking for foot problems. But it’s not just that; when you ditch them, that’s hard-earned money going to waste.
But shoes vary in size based on design, make, and many other things. So how do you go about getting the perfect fit? Well, keep reading.
How to get properly fitting shoes
Here are a few guidelines to help you buy walking shoes that fit nicely:
- By now you should know what shoe size you wear. If not then visit a shoe salesperson and let them take down the measurements for both feet. This should be done in the evening as feet expand in the daytime’s heat.
- If buying online, peruse the review section to understand what people are saying about the shoe’s size. If many downsize or upsize, follow suit.
- If you are not sure if the shoe will fit, make sure the seller offers friendly return policies so you don’t spend more than you should while buying your favorite walking shoes.
- Lastly, if none of your shoes fit to the level you want, check your feet shape. You probably need custom orthotics to get a snug fit.
3. Flexibility
How easily do your shoes bend in the toes during lift-off? Do they dig into your skin? Do they overtax your feet for every lift-off? Well, the truth is, you should avoid inflexible shoes. There are nerves in the toe region and when aggravated one too many times, your entire foot could hurt.
4. Weight
This should be simple, right? Although not that straightforward. Industrial workers who walk all day long must deal with heavy steel toe shoes. A lighter selection would be composite toe work boots.
For those who work in less risky environments, you won’t have problems finding a lightweight shoe. Most manufacturers try to keep shoes within a reasonable weight. Even better, most shoes’ description pages indicate how much they weigh.
5. Type
Here’s something interesting; did you know that there are many types of walking shoes-almost for every career? You see, it’s unfair to give someone who works in a concrete company the same type of walking kicks as one who works in a restaurant. You get the idea now, right? Excellent.
Shoes for walking on concrete carry not just comfort but exceptional protective features. This is because those who work in such industries are exposed to a lot of hazards. For those doing lots of long-distance walking, you can admit comfort and lightweight design will take the center stage, don’t you agree?
There are also walking shoes for wide feet designed for individuals with big feet. So if you are a wide feet person, try options that have more room to keep discomfort at bay.
6. Age & feet conditions
Aaah the sweet feeling of being young. So much freedom to wear anything one ever wished for. But as nature has it, we all have to grow old and become extremely selective on what we wear. As an elderly person, you probably have weak muscles that need lots of pampering. To get that level of comfort, you need to focus on walking shoes for the elderly.
What’s so special about kicks for the aging? For one, they are light but immensely padded to support weak muscles. Most feature Velcro straps for easy on and off.
If you have other underlying conditions such as Sciatica, Plantar fasciitis, Tendonitis, Neuropathy, and others, it’s better to prioritize orthopedics. These kinds of shoes sport unrivaled comfort and protection features.
Tip: You should worry about style last. We know you want to look exceptional but nothing trumps feeling great after a long journey. If this doesn’t ring well with you, then you probably should try to love your feet some more.
Wrap Up
We can tell you…scratch that. We already told you everything that makes for comfortable walking. But you know what, the best and final advice we can leave you with is this; keep it personal.
Your feet are unique to you. Your job is unique and so are your requirements. So yes, there is no cut and dry answer to ‘what are the most comfortable walking shoes for my feet?’ As such you must answer a few questions on your own.
So before you buy your next pair of walking shoes, here are a couple of questions you must first answer; what’s the condition of my feet? Do I have narrow or wide feet? What are my walking goals? What’s my pronation type? How old I’m I? These questions will help you narrow down a list of shoes to the right selection.
Of course, you can’t get the best shoe the first time. Try different shoe types. Go for sneakers, try boots, check out Moccasins, flats, and anything you fancy appealing. This way, you will finally bump into shoes that might be a part of you till the end of your days. Well, that was a lot to take in. congratulations on reading all the way. We hope you always have healthy feet. Bye now.
