Trainers for Running / Walking

PatZ1989 · 17 Sep 2018 at 11:43

Hello nice people of Sports, me and my wife are die hard converse wearers, but unfortunately when we went to New York and walked 5-6 miles the first day we found ourselves pretty much screwed for the rest of the holiday

We have a holiday to Japan planned that will involve a lot of walking and I'm just aware that trainers is a very crowded market with lots of people selling *****

Any sporty people that can recommend a brand to look for for sort of, purposeful trainers?

Cheers!

robj20 · 17 Sep 2018 at 12:47

Go to a decent shop and try plenty on. Never been a fan of trainers for walking, too soft, something with a stiffer sole makes for a more comfortable shoe IMO.

KiNgPiN83 · 17 Sep 2018 at 21:12

With regards to running:
Back in the day i used to run in whatever terrible trainers i had and suffered awful knee pains/issues. Then i went to a proper running shop and they got me on the treadmill to check out my running style and from this recommended me trainers to wear. Since then i have never had any issues and have done lots and lots of miles in this time. If you want to save a bit maybe find out the type you need, i think mine were pronating? and then search for this style online. Otherwise you could be paying a good £90 from someone like sweatshop.

With regards to walking as said above you may need something a bit firmer as there's less requirement from shock absorption/cushioning that you'd get from a running trainer.

jpaul · 18 Sep 2018 at 18:05

wouldn't you even get a light weight pair of boots, to give some ankle protection too , for kerbs and unfamiliar urban furniture,
won't get hot like trainers either ... they have come up before in the gd outdoor/walking thread.

neviditelny · 18 Sep 2018 at 23:58

I tend to walk a lot, both at work (HCA in NHS) and in my spare time and I use Sketchers. I find them being very good for my feet, last long and are usually very well cushioned.

Hamster · 20 Sep 2018 at 02:21

Personally, I wouldn't bother with hiking shoes unless you actually need them for rough terrain and dirty conditions. They tend to be bulky and heavy so will hinder rather than help. Running shoes are better imo.

Completely agree with the gait analysis advice. It's usually free in running shops. In my case, I had it done and it turned out i was a mild overpronator so I bought New Balance motion control (structured) shoes which made a huge difference. However, I still used to get anke and foot pains after regularly running a few miles. GP referred me to the podiatrist who made some custom insoles for me which helped a bit but I was still getting pain. GP then referred me to the orthotics department of the hospital who checked out my feet more thoroughly than the podiatrist did and made some better quality insoles for me. Since then i've had next to no pain when running even longer distances.

Too much info? Get gait analysis done and if you're having continued pain, get your GP to refer you to podiatrist/orthotics, whichever they deem most suitable but not all podiatrists are trained well in orthotics so you may end up getting the most suitable thing from the dedicated team.

robj20 · 20 Sep 2018 at 07:15

Hamster said:
Personally, I wouldn't bother with hiking shoes unless you actually need them for rough terrain and dirty conditions. They tend to be bulky and heavy so will hinder rather than help. Running shoes are better imo.

Bulky and heavy, you sure your not thinking about boots. My hiking/approach shoes are the lightest pair of shoes i own.
310g for running shoes, 305g hiking shoes.

Hamster · 20 Sep 2018 at 09:17

Aye, i was on about boots. A lot of people think they're the best thing for walking when they're often a hindrance.

D.P. · 20 Sep 2018 at 10:40

Boots also don't provide any more protection for the ankles. In fact their weight can make it more likely to get injured.

You trail running shoes for hiking.

robj20 · 20 Sep 2018 at 11:55

D.P. said:
Boots also don't provide any more protection for the ankles. In fact their weight can make it more likely to get injured.

You trail running shoes for hiking.

Don't talk silly, of course boots can provide ankle support and protection. One pair of my boots you would break your leg before you even twisted your ankle.
For plain walking i agree though walking shoes beat boots purely for weight saving and generally boots are even stiffer which when you go too far make walking at any pace more difficult.