Walking footwear

[J4CKO]

I had got a bit apathetic with walking the Dog so decided last week to walk every day for a couple of miles, or at least try to average 2 miles a day, just done three tonight, 3.7 yesterday, however my footwear isn't ideal for it, just wearing Adidas LA trainers at the moment, so what would be better for walking on mainly tarmac ?

[PositronicRay]

I have 3 sets of dog walking stuff.

Wellies (a bit tiring at 1st but you get used to them)----really wed muddy fields
Brasher boots--------------Winter poor weather
Karrimor walking shoes-----------look a bit like trainers, summer good weather

The Karrimor shoes are excellent I can wear them all day and keep up a really good pace when it's dry.

Wellies (pair of £10 Dunlop jobbies off the market) need decent socks but I don't often wear them for more than 7-8 miles

I would have thought you should go to you're local outdoor shop and invest in something waterproof and lightweight that you find comfortable. Decent socks too.

Edited by PositronicRay on Monday 9th February 07:25

[J4CKO]

Cheers Ray, will haver a look at the Karrimor ones, don't seem too expensive, the Adidas trainers dont seem to be any good for distances.

Amazing how a week of 2/3 miles a day seems to be paying dividends, was doing maybe 1 every other day but doing more is helping.

[R1gtr]

I swear by Salomon as they are light and comfortable, have a look at the usual outdoor stores (Tiso, Go Outdoors, Cotswold etc) and have a look at the walking trainers (sometimes called walking shoes/approach shoes)
Many are waterproof so you can keep your feet warm and dry thru puddles and wet grass.

[Rgee]

I walk about 3.2 miles a day to and from the station to work. Up until the New Year my daily wearer was Brasher Superlites, as the name suggests light for an ankle boot, really comfortable and does not feel like I am wearing Herman Munster's footwear. I've had them resoled twice and will wear them until the leather goes. During the sales I bought a pair of North Face GTX walking shoes for a really good price (£38 as opposed to £80) so I've been using these for the fine weather and reserving the Brasher's for the wet stuff.

[PositronicRay]

The main thing is go to a shop and keep trying footwear until you find something comfortable, in budget and fit for purpose.

I've looked @ online reviews for shoes and boots, been fairly convinced of what I want and then found the fit doesn't suit me.

I think the reviews are good for things like waterproofing and is the sole slippery on rocks/wet grass.

[oldaudi]

Karrimor are good but I find their quality varies. I had one pair which were really comfortable, ordered another pair due to these gradually wearing out and the 2nd pair have a bottom like they are made out of wood. No give or bend in them at all, like walking with planks on my feet. Buy in a shop, not over the internet

[J4CKO]

Rgee said:

I walk about 3.2 miles a day to and from the station to work. Up until the New Year my daily wearer was Brasher Superlites, as the name suggests light for an ankle boot, really comfortable and does not feel like I am wearing Herman Munster's footwear. I've had them resoled twice and will wear them until the leather goes. During the sales I bought a pair of North Face GTX walking shoes for a really good price (£38 as opposed to £80) so I've been using these for the fine weather and reserving the Brasher's for the wet stuff.

3.2 miles either way ?

[sawman]

karrimors are great for day to day messing about - go to sport direct as they are usually cheapest. If you are walking on tarmac, some good cushioning and a moderately stiff sole that has a bit of rocker dialled in is best (the cheapest karrimors are not so good in these respects) as this reduces some of the strain on the foot from the hard surface you are walking on. They also tend to be quite a broad fit, which for me was their only major shortcoming

I have recently retired a pair of 5 year old karrimors, they replaced some quite expensive ecco trail shoes which were superb. My new trail shoes are Scarpa, as I am planning to do a bit of fell walking this year and thought the investment was probably worthwhile.

[Rgee]

J4CKO said:

3.2 miles either way ?

no total per day.

[RobM77]

Comfort and support are the main things, as if it's rough terrain then I like to feel what's going on under my feet - I'd recommend visiting a walking shop, getting advice and trying on a few. I walk 4 miles a day and usually do a walking holiday once or twice a year and have been through a number of different shoes and they're all subtly different in the way they fit and support your feet. I do favour one brand in particular (combined with a particular insole), but there's no point me recommending them because everyone's feet and needs are different.

[Mark-C]

Adidas Kanadias for me ... bought a pair to try trail running years ago and they were brilliant. I now have Salmons for running off road (lighter and less cushioning) but buy a pair of Kanadias whenever I feel like I need new ones for dog walking when it's not wet enough for wellies.

[speedysoprano]

I've got a pair of New Balance walking shoes that I absolutely love. They were only about £40 IIRC but they're comfy, supportive and even seem to be waterproof. I power walk 5km 3-5 times a week so they get a decent amount of use.

[Nimby]

I've had many walking holidays, here (with a dog/dogs) and abroad, in a good mix of weather and terrain.
I've never liked boots and never found "ankle support" necessary or comfortable, even on the roughest ground. I find approach shoes suit me and I'm on my fourth pair of North Face Hedgehogs, which are really comfortable, light perfect for all conditions. And they are waterproof - to start with.

And that's the problem with the lightweight fabric+leather/Nubuck GTX shoes; the Goretex lining lasts a year or so but then fails and they leak like a sieve.

I also have some some Brasher leather shoes which aren't quite as light, grippy or comfortable and need regular conditioning, but they have remained waterproof for years so they tend to get used in the wet and the Guaranteed-To-Keep-You-Dry-Until-The Guarantee-Runs-Out (tm) GTX ones in the dry.

Edited by Nimby on Tuesday 10th February 17:37

[cslwannabe]

North face hedgehogs for me - done Yorkshire 3 peaks in them and national 3 peaks and still wearing well. Not the cheapest (I paid around £60 for them a few years ago) but more than had my money's worth out of them and much prefer them to the Salomon trail shoes I had before. Adidas kanadia might be ok for walking - I use them for trail running but wouldn't say they're very kind on my feet.

[Huntsman]

35 years of mincing about the Solent in deck shoes left me with collapsed arches and killer plantar fasciitus.

Merrell Moab Ventilator are a revelation.

[Hugo a Gogo]

another vote for cheap Karrimor from sports direct, I've done 5 marathon walks (for charridee) and all the associated training in them (not the same pair)

buy cheap, buy 2 - wear one pair, rest one pair

[jmorgan]

Gave up on Karrimor, they used to be good. Merrel now, the light boots and shoes are superb. Don't bank on the gortex boots being any use in any form of h2o. Like a sieve.

Edited by jmorgan on Wednesday 11th February 09:05

[cslwannabe]

I'd heard similar reports about Karrimor having gone downhill a lot since Sports Direct acquired them.

[MYOB]

If you're only going to walk on tarmac for a few miles per day, just get some trainers that are comfortable for you. No need to go overboard and buy genuine walking shoes/boots that are mostly designed for trail walking. Standard Merrell or Ecco trainers are sufficient if you are not going off the beaten path.