Why Are Running Shoes Bad For Walking?

Even though it isn’t as tough on the shoes, walking around in your running shoes will cause them to break down more quickly, shortening their life. If you wear running shoes for day-to-day activities, it can also be harder to feel when a shoe has begun to break down and is nearing replacement time.

The pounding, high-impact nature of running prescribes that running shoes take a beating. The heavier you are, or the more severe your heel strike or pronation issues, the more quickly your shoes will break down. The difficult part about running shoe breakdown is that it’s not always easy to tell when a shoe is “dead.”

A woman is tying her sneakers. One of the benefits of running is its minimal equipment requirements; a good pair of shoes, some support and you’re off for a good workout. But the shoes are a critical piece of equipment.

Podiatrist George Hill, from Fleet Street Clinic, says: “Walking shoes are different from running shoes as they are designed for different ways of moving. Walkers tend to strike first with their heels and roll through the step. Whereas runners strike in the midsole and often need more shock absorbers to soften the impact.”

What is the difference between walking shoes and running shoes?

Running shoes are typically more lightweight, which makes it easier to make quick movements. Walking shoes, however, are usually heavier, which helps you maintain stability throughout your walk. In other words, running shoes support faster movements while walking shoes support a slower, consistent, and steady pace.

Experts can’t emphasize this enough: Cushioning is an essential design quality to consider when picking between a running or walking shoe. Both walkers and runners want to feel comfortable throughout their intended activity. For most walkers, that means having good foot support over an extended time, while runners care most about protecting their foot’s base as it continually hits the ground.

Compared to walking shoes, most running shoes include more cushioning in the forefoot and heel. Walkers don’t need that extra cushioning.

Walking may be one of the simplest things you can do for your health —but picking out a shoe to do it in can be another story . With so many options available, it’s easy to either get caught up in the bells and whistles of it all—or get so overwhelmed that you wear one pair of shoes for everything.

You can also add arch support to your running shoes; it may help prevent arch pain that develops as you walk over a period of time, says Casey Ann Pidich, D.P.M., also known as Dr. Glass Slipper, a podiatrist at Park Avenue Podiatry Care in New York.

Runners and walkers need good shoe flexibility, but the location of it matters. Shoe flexibility determines a shoe’s ability to move with you. Most running shoes are more flexible in the midfoot or arch, which support the runner’s constant strike at their midfoot or the ball of their foot. Walkers need good arch flexibility since they use their toes to push off.