Happy Feet ~ What Are The Best Walking Shoes?
Although this is a highly individual topic, we take our feet for granted, until they hurt. We need a certain amount of agility to wear really high heels, especially if we have to walk, dance, climb stairs, or even run, wearing them. Alas, those days are no longer the norm.
Running shoes don’t make the grade, unless you are a runner, or power walker. The main reason I don’t like to wear them walking is because they give me a cramp on the top of my foot. I also don’t like the way they look with jeans or a dress. But for some people, they swear by them, or keep a pair handy in case they have to walk a few blocks in the city.
Leather boots have always been my preference for long walks. In the summer, the best sandals are Mephisto by a long shot. Sandals with a cork footbed and leather upper are best for comfort and durability, in my opinion. I have never liked flip-flops or rubber boots since they lack support, breathability, etc. I don’t like any footwear that your foot slips around in, or shoes that slip if you step on certain surfaces.
Some of the soles can be dangerous. Leather soles can be really slippery, even when walking on dry pavement, if you are walking down a fairly steep hill. A rubber sole is safer and will last longer. If they do have leather soles, it is best to take them to a shoe maker, and get the leather sole partially covered with a durable topper. It will help protect the wearer from slipping, as well as the longevity of the leather on the sole.
When it comes to leather boots, ankle boots are the easiest to take off and on. As long as they are well constructed with a leather upper and good fit, they last a long time and will keep your feet dry. It’s too bad they don’t make more styles of Gortex boots for really wet west coast weather. You can find hiking boots and trekking shoes with Gortex outer layers, but you don’t often come across fashionable shoes are boots with Gortex exteriors.
The best walking footwear has a good sturdy footbed that fits the shape of your foot., combined with a leather upper. If wearing heels, again a good fit, and in particular, a style that your foot does not slip in as you walk. This is often the problem with pumps, if one foot is slightly smaller. You either have one foot that slips with each step you take, or one foot that gets a blister, because you went to a smaller size, so one foot won’t slip. Fit is everything when it comes to shoes. Next to that bit of importance is leather, since leather will conform to your foot, and breathe better than manmade materials.
When it comes to more fashionable footwear, I think Stuart Weitzman has some really cool shoes. Other standard luxury brand designers like Versace, Dior and YSL all make some really nice shoes as well, but the prices can be prohibitive. Bruno Magli has a strong history of making quality shoe designs without hitting a thousand dollar price point.
In fact, shoes can certainly be donned as wearable art. They are one of the first things people look at when they size up an outfit. I have noticed that even babies in strollers will look at your feet and then up at your face as you walk by. They are not influenced by design yet, but they have an intuitive curiosity and early awareness about feet and shoes.
Frye boots, if original and not the ones made in China, are also comfortable and long-lasting. The lace up leather calf roping boots, made in Canada and the US, are also great long-lasting boots for semi-rugged walking. In so many locations, even if it is in the city, you have to walk around construction sites, detours, pot holes, and what not. Stepping in holes could be hazardous, and is a sure way to ruin an expensive pair of heels.
Blundstone boots are a great choice for a person who does lots of walking. They are comfortable, long-lasting, and a good price considering how many miles you can put on them without worrying about scuffing them. You can also get them re-soled, so you don’t have to part with a favourite pair of boots until the bitter end.
Blundstones are fairly wide, with a wide toe box, so they may not suit people with long, narrow feet. Some people might think they have a bit of a boho or hippie look. They do go well with exploring nature, without going too far off the beaten track. Good for places like Kits beach – where you can walk for a few miles on sand, grass, sidewalks, or rocks.
Getting back to the more fashionable shoes, if the edge of the heel is covered in a certain colour of leather or a certain design, it is very difficult to repair once damaged. It’s a good thing to keep in mind when you make those expensive purchases. Cobblestone is another tough go to walk on with high heels you do not want to damage. In fact, if it is raining or if there is cobblestone and you are wearing some expensive high heels, either keep some fold up leather flats in your hand bag, or get picked up at the door.
It is no wonder they used to make rubber boots to fit over your shoes back in the fifties. Some even had heels, and no one would leave their house with a good pair of shoes on without protection their shoes. The tops of those plastic boots would cross over, and hook with an elastic that you stretched over a button. They were the dress up version of gum boots, which no one outside the farm yard would have been caught dead in.
Now it is more common to wear rubber boots, as well as crocs and other types of rubber or plastic footwear. Unless it is just to go out for some wood or to get something out of the car, or walking through puddles and streams -rubber and plastic footwear have many disadvantages.
In my opinion, even if you are walking in streams, it is better to wear Gortex boots or running shoes. Tall rubber boots can quickly fill up with water and can be dangerous, if a person is swept underwater. They do not breathe, and tend to be slippery. If it is cold and freezing, they do not keep your feet warm at all.
We have been enjoying a nice warm fall, where we know it is close to giving up the convenience of slipping on sandals to head out the door. There are always a few diehards I admire who will wear sandals and shorts when it is chilly enough to freeze.
When it comes to the elements – wool and leather are still the best protectors. They are natural and will conform to your foot. Plus they are not as hazardous if you get caught in inclement weather.
We will soon be opting for the boots, shoes, mules, or whatever keeps our feet happy. Certain brands suit certain feet. And no two feet are the same!
