I like my New Balance shoes but need to buy new ones as mine are falling apart after many years.
Posted on 09/11/2021 2:08:35 PM PDT by US Navy Vet
Here’s what you really need for walking.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbyAZQ45uww
Nancy Sinatra recommended.
Brooks Adrenalin.
Sketchers, definitely.
I walk five miles a day, 4 days a week.
I have triple collapsed arches in each foot. I have ligament damage across the top of both feet. Because a cow stepped on my right foot as a teenager the toes on my right foot do not bend. That means unless the shoe is 2 sizes too big, my toes will blister unless individually wrapped. I have osteoarthritis in the left foot. It feels like somebody drove a nail through the outside edge. I have used a cane since was 37. (61 now)
I find that better than arch support something with a thick, spongy sole works well. Expensive shoes are painful for me to wear. In Hong Kong I had shoes custom made, but that is too expensive here.
Honestly, I buy heavy soled, sandals with a deep memory foam layer on the sole from Walmart for $20.00. That works better than anything else I’ve tried. They don’t have heal so it does not matter how the foot lands. (Good since I cannot control the left to right turn of the foot.) Open toed so I do not get blisters on my toes.
They work better than $100 sneakers and last a lot longer.
Reebok Walk Ultra 7 DMX MAX are very comfortable shoes.
I’ll chime in on New Balance too after several pairs an 2-4 miles walking a day. Just got some MW669s which were about $60. I’d pay more but these are so good!
Spira Walking Shoe. I bought my first pair locally, after trying them on in 2018; wore them out. Found replacements on Amazon. Best walkers I’ve ever had.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000EOQB1E/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
horseshoes...
you can walk back and forth barefoot while playing the game...
I like Brooks running shoes for walking...the Glycerin model. It has foam soles to absorb shock. I also immediately replace the Brooks inserts with SofSole inserts for extra comfort. Don’t forget about good socks. Quality padded sports or hiking socks. Try to buy socks without a pronounced toe seam. Good socks will produce the sock with a flat seam. I also use a sock liner...Fox River poly liners. Put together a kit with foot “repair” products. I like Leukotape Sports tape for hot spots/blisters. Apply it directly to the irritated spot with no medicine. It’s like a tough second skin. I WILL use a little A&D ointment on the back of my heel because it gets dry and can split. A callus file comes in handy for filing down accumulated dead skin/calluses.
That sounds like overkill, but the first week, 10 days of walking on soft feet will produce the most problems. As time goes by, problems tend to go away, you won’t be “protecting” your feet as much because they’ve toughened up.
To me they are ridiculously comfortable. There was virtually no break-in period. They just felt good right from the start.
I've had mine a little over a year now. No real wear on them - in spite of walking anywhere from 1 to 5 miles a day in these. My usual dog walking loop alone is nearly 3 miles.
I like my New Balance shoes but need to buy new ones as mine are falling apart after many years.
As is clear by all the comments, there is no consensus about the “best” walking shoe, and what is “best” is vary individual and it suggests you need to determine “best” by trial and error on your own, and only then will YOU say you found the “best” - for YOU.
Just go somewhere with a wide variety of Asics and try on as many Gel-Nimbus as they carry, particularly GN22 and GN23.
If you find a good fit but you don't like the fugly colors in the store, just remember your model number and order from Asics or Amazon. You'll find something tolerable color-wise in GN22 or GN23.
For travelware, out-of-the-box Monaco Blue-on-black looks great with a fresh pair of jeans.
I love the Vionics. I used to suffer with planter fascitis and a therapist recommended.
I suffer from pronation, a low arch, heel spurs and plantar fasciitis. I love walking but it was becoming too painful.
My podiatrist recommended a local running shoe store – Flying Feet
https://www.flyingfeet.com/
I was a bit skeptical because I’m not a runner or an athlete, but they were great. They took their time to measure my feet for the right fit, listened to my foot issues and fitness goals and I ended up buying a Brooks walking shoe as it addressed the pronation and had the cushioning that helped with the plantar fasciitis.
The Brooks shoes cost me over $100 dollars, but it was the best money I ever spent on a shoe. I was able to go walking again without pain and lost over 30 pounds as a result.
Sketchers, most comfortable shoes I’ve ever worn, that’s just me though.
New Balance Hook and Loop (Velcro) 577. Around $80 and I averaged about 900 miles a pair.
YMMV, but I’ve found that as long as the shoes are wide enough to not pinch my toes and I replace the standard insole with Spencos*, just about any pair of shoes is fairly comfortable. Spencos are a little expensive, but I’ve re-used them over multiple pairs of shoes as the soles wore out. In fact, I’ve gotten at least a decade’s use out of the ones I’ve bought. The model that I use is “Spenco Polysorb Cross Trainer Athletic Cushioning Arch Support Shoe Insoles”. The Spenco website lists the entire spectrum of products. https://spenco.implus.com/
* Originally based in Waco, TX.
‘A lot of walking’ to me means on trails etc. where it’s important to not go over on one’s ankle. A few years ago, I looked at a pair of Merrell hiking boots but the Salomon boots were cheaper so I bought them. They have worked out well.. summer, winter and just about any activity imaginable. I’m going to get another pair soon.
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