Walking and hiking shoes

Walking shoes are very different to the regular shoes that are worn in the home and office for performing the routine tasks of daily life. The typical everyday shoe is worn by a wearer who spends most of their day sat down and the shoe’s design takes this into account.

With a walking shoe or boot things are very different. This is footwear that has to perform a job and its primary role is shifted from doing little more than "clothing" the foot to being a functional product that has to interact with the human body. For this reason it has a different design and a different look to a standard shoe.

Challenges facing a walking shoe

Walking or hiking shoes are worn by people who want to spend prolonged periods of time on their feet. Most walkers choose rural areas to explore this pastime and this means that the terrain and surface conditions that the shoes will have to deal with will be uneven.

The leisure interest of walking on uneven ground, and on a range of different gradients, mean that the feet and ankles are continually been twisted and challenged in a way that is not typical of normal life. This activity of prolonged and often testing walking also means that the feet get hot and can become uncomfortable and sweaty if the wrong kind of footwear is being worn.

Other challenges facing this type of shoe are rain, mud and puddles of water which few walkers will go out of their way to avoid. All of these factors mean that a good walking shoe has to have a number of features embodied into its design to counter these outdoor challenges.

What to look for in a good walking shoe

In selecting a walking shoe or boot, careful consideration needs to be given to the kind of walking activity that is anticipated. This is because the requirement for a shoe that is used on fairly even and dry terrains is different to that needed for a more rocky, hilly and slippery terrain.

Most people will wear thick hiking socks with walking or hiking shoes. This means that a walking shoe will generally be about half a size bigger than a standard shoe to accommodate the thickness of the sock.

If the anticipated walking will be over rough and difficult terrain, then a boot that extends over (and consequently protects) the ankle will normally be recommended. If the walking is more leisurely then a lower neck "shoe style" should prove adequate.

The sole of the shoe is an important feature that again should be determined by the type of walking that will be done. If the walking will be primarily on paths and bridleways then the sole can have a light tread. If on the other hand the walking will be undertaken on rough ground a heavier tread may be advantageous. When this is the case the sole should also be stiffer and less flexible.

The materials from which a walking shoe, and particularly the upper, is manufactured are important. These materials need to be waterproof and, if manmade fabrics are used, the ability of the fabric to breathe (known as wicking) is a feature to look for. There are a number of patented materials that can perform this wicking function, examples of which are Gor-tex and Coolmax, but there are several more.

Naturally how a walking shoes fits and the padding and impact absorption properties that it has are very important. Accessing these properties, even if you can try the shoe on, is very difficult, but standing on a downward slope and being aware of how the shoe grips is one basic test. All walking shoes should have rigid counters (behind the heel of the foot) to help stability.

Another thing to be aware of is that walking expands the feet, so a shoe needs to have some freedom of movement (when it is first put on) along with a toe box that is free rather than constrictive. Wearing extra layers of socks is one way to counter a shoe that is slightly oversize, however if a shoe is too small there is no fix.

A good walking shoe should be built to last, so spending money on this kind of purchase is usually a long term investment that will prove more economic than continually replacing poor quality cheap shoes.

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