Light Weight Walking Shoes

Keeping your feet happy while you walk for your fitness should be a priority. After all, if you're not enjoying your exercise routine, it's going to make it a lot more difficult to keep up with it. Walking shoes that utilize lighter materials and construction provide an enhanced ground feel that can make your walking routine more pleasurable.

  1. Lighten Up

    • Reducing the weight of your shoes by reducing the amount of cushioning and supportive materials in the soles and upper is a way to walk healthier. Podiatrist Dr. Michael Nirenberg of Friendly Foot Care in Indiana, states that the incidence of foot problems and deformities is much higher in societies that use protective and supportive footwear as opposed to those for which shoe use is minimal. Using a pair of lightweight, minimalist walking shoes allows you to more naturally work your foot and ankles.

    Let's Get Synthetic, Baby

    • Shoes with lighter, less dense foam in the insole substantially reduce the weight of the shoe. Most lightweight walking shoes are designed with an ethylene vinyl acetate -- EVA -- midsole, which uses a porous foam rubber with exceptional durability and elasticity to provide protection at a reduced weight. Companies that use EVA soles will often have their own specific compound, and use additives to increase the rate of breakdown for an environmentally friendly disposal. The upper materials in lightweight walking shoes are usually made from breathable mesh or another synthetic material, and use fibers of polyester and nylon instead of leather to substantially reduce weight without sacrificing durability.

    Finding Your Sole Mate

    • Different walkers have different levels of pronation, which defines how your foot lands when you take a step. An overpronator steps on the inside edge of their foot, collapsing the arch and distributing pressure unevenly across the muscles of the foot. A supinator steps on the opposite edge, which is mostly rigid and designed for propulsion. The outside edge does a poor job of absorbing impact, causing jarring and shock to your feet. Lightweight running shoes can be designed with an outsole and insole that compensates for these common issues; high-density and low-density foam in specific places cradles areas of high impact and properly distributes your weight with each step. You can go to a sports clinic or podiatrist to have yourself checked for pronation, and most shoe manufacturers have shoes designed for both types of pronation, or for people with neutral pronation.

    Learning to Walk

    • If you're just getting started with lighter weight or minimalist walking shoes, you'll want to slowly increase your mileage. Transitioning to a new shoe, especially one that eliminates some foam support and cushioning, will take some time for adjustment. The muscles in your feet that weren't previously used need to strengthen over a period of weeks and months. Start with a shorter walking routine comprised of a few miles a week, and slowly increase it by 10 percent or less with each successive week until you reach your walking goal.