| Walk the Walk: Taps for Shoes |
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| by Diet Detective Editorial Staff | |
| Wednesday, 28 June 2006 | |
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Know when it’s time to turn your walking shoes into your gardening shoes. I just took my car into the shop, and they discovered that I had a nail in one of my tires. Although I had noticed that my tire was loosing air, I didn't know what the problem was. It's lucky that I got it fixed, as I could have had a tire blowout and done a lot of damage to my car. Walking shoes are a lot like the tires for a car. You may not really notice if you have a serious problem, but you can get some side effects that point you to the problem. Unfortunately, many of us are not aware that the shoes are the culprit when you have a problem. Many people think that because their shoes still look good, they are still okay to walk in. The important part of the shoe is the midsole, which supports your foot and therefore your body. If the midsole of your shoe is all worn out, regardless of the wear on the rest of the shoe, you should probably send it to the shoe burial ground (for me it's gardening shoes; for others, it's just the back of the closet). Here are some signs it might be time for new shoes: How long have you been using them? Most shoe experts say that you can get about 300 to 500 miles of wear out of any shoe. After that, they usually start breaking down. If you're not sure how many miles you've walked in them, figure out the average number of miles per week that you walk, and then multiply that times the number of weeks you have had the shoes. Press down on the midsole on the inside part of the shoe (it's where the bottom of your foot hits the shoe, in case you were wondering). Does it spring back? Is there some "give" to it? If it feels hard, chances are it's time to put these shoes out for retirement. Look at the bottom of the shoes. Do you see an uneven wear pattern? This may be a symptom of wearing out one part of the shoe more than another. Got any back, knee, hip or ankle aches? If the shoe is past its prime, it is not doing the job of supporting your body, and therefore can give you aches and pains in different places, depending on how you walk. The shoe might not be the only reason for it, but it's a good one to check. If you're feeling guilty about throwing out "perfectly good" shoes, consider donating your old shoes. Check out your local area to see if there are places that will accept old athletic shoes. They may get a new life. Ken Mattsson, M.S., has written and lectured in the personal development field since 1990. In addition to his work as a walking coach and instructor for organizations such as the Cambridge Sports Union, Cambridge Center for Adult Education, and the Leukemia-Lymphoma Society, he also helps people reach their professional goals as a career development consultant with Resonare Consulting (http://www.resonare.com) in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
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