Wearing the right kind of shoes is the key to keep your joints and muscles healthy. When you run or walk, your body reacts differently. At that time, there are high opportunities for injury or capsulitis. A shoe can control your body movements and help to put comfortable steps on the ground so that your toe and legs keep fit.
Running and walking shoes have individual characteristics. What is the difference between walking shoes and running shoes, here we are going to explain.
Walking Shoes vs Running Shoes
A runner shoe has different characteristics than walker shoes. If you are performing your walking with running shoes or if you are performing your running with walking shoes, it will dangerously affect your health.
Which shoe is suitable for walking or running and what is the difference between walking shoes vs running shoes let’s learn them!
Cushioning
Runners need more cushioning
Runners need more cushioning in their shoe heel and forefoot than walkers. Generally, runners impact the ground three times their body weight per step, on the other hand, walkers only impact with 1.5 times. As the runners need to impact the ground more time than walkers, they need a more cushioning system in their shoes.
Walkers need less cushioning
Cushioning is an essential feature of a shoe. When you choose to purchase the best shoes for capsulitis, you need to consider the cushioning. Cushioning provides you extra comfort while walking.
Usually, walkers do not need extra forefoot cushioning and you can perform well with less heel cushioning. Extra cushioning adds extra weight that makes your walk or run slow.
What Do Walkers Want?
Fitness walkers always look for a lighter shoe so that they can walk comfortably. Lighter shoes provide adequate cushioning for this reason they do not feel beat up in their feet and legs from the impact after a continuous long walk.
If you want to walk for a long time like 6 miles or more than that, you should go for a cushioned running shoe. You need to keep in mind that, choose ones to shoe for your feet that meet the other criteria for a good walking shoe.
Heel height
Runner’s shoes are constructed to provide stability for runners. Runners strike the ground with different parts of their feet. It depends on the individual; they can strike their foot at the forward part of their heel, the midfoot, or the ball of the foot.
On the other hand, walkers strike with the heel and roll through the step. They do not need a higher heel to walk. Walkers should look for shoes with a heel that drops less than 8 mm, with 4 mm.
Heel Flare
Runner’s shoes can have a flared heel. These types of shoes provide extra stability for runners who strike the ground at their forefoot or midfoot. A flared heel is also considered on trail running shoes. Though runners need a flared heel, walkers do not need a flared heel.
Walkers strike the ground with their heel, if walker’s shoes have a flared heel it can impede rolling through the step. A perfect friendly fitness walking shoe has an undercut heel rather than a flared heel.
Flexibility
Both running and walking shoes need to be flexible. Without a flexible shoe, you can have capsulitis. Is your shoe flexible? To find out that press down with the toe of the shoe and see when the shoe bends.
Most of the running shoes are designed to flex at the arch or midfoot. Nevertheless, some of them are designed to flex at the forefoot. Therefore, you need to choose the shoe according to your running capability.
As walkers push with their toes, they are required to flex at the forefoot. A perfect shoe usually bends, if your shoe does not bend at all it is unacceptable. Those shoes do not flex at all, they are unsuitable for fitness walking.
Motion control
While you are running, the rotation of the foot is more exaggerated. Most of the running shoes offer motion control to keep the foot neutral. Walking shoes have less stability than running shoes.
Weight
Running shoes are necessarily lightweight, thus runners can move faster. Walking shoes are not lighter, they are a bit heavier than running shoes.
Conclusion
If you think you need a shoe that is comfortable for your fitness then it is good. But if you forgot to consider that your comfortable shoe is best for running or walking then you are going to face trouble. Because running and walking shoes both are not the same.
This article explained the differences between walking shoes vs running shoes so that you can understand and buy the perfect one for you and can utilize it properly.
