Long Distance Walking Shoe Suggestions

[Shermanator]

Hello

I need some advice and suggestions on the footwear for long distance walking. I've got a goal to complete 2500 miles by the end of 2022, an average of 6.85 miles a day. My job involves moving a bit so I do 3.5 miles every weeknight, and then whatever I can/feel like at the weekend which so far is working well to balance out (by the end of May I'd done 1079 miles). I've just purchased some new footwear, a couple of pairs of Asics Trainers at the recommendation of a friend who runs around 8 miles a day. They are terrible! I'm currently on my 8th mile today (2 weeks off work) and my feet are throbbing in the same way they would when the trainers are completely worn, and they are brand new!
Considering I've got a plan to walk 40 miles in one day on Tuesday neither of these trainers is going to cut it.

Criteria:
Budget is maximum of £100 a pair
Can be trainers or boots, whichever is best
Terrain: Hard surfaces, concrete and such. Canal towpaths will be the vast majority of the 40 mile route.
Long lasting, got to manage hundreds of miles in their lifetime so I feel I got my money's worth.

[LordHaveMurci]

Go to a decent outdoors shop & try loads on, buy what fits YOUR feet.

You’ll get loads of recomendations which will all be basically worthless as your feet may be totally different!

[RichB]

Running shoes are quite specific and are different to generic trainers so it's not clear if you have runners or trainers. Either way you could never chose running shoes on the recommendation of a friend, your feet and gait will be different. Likewise as said previously walking shoes will be different to running shoes. Runners will be deigned to be light, I assume walking shoes will be more substantial.
p.s. I ran marathons and half marathons and used Nike, Brooks and Adidas. I settled on NIke as being the best for my feet.

[Aunty Pasty]

For long distance walking you really need walking shoes rather than light trainers. The trainers will initially feel more comfortable but you really need a harder and stiffer sole to stop your feet flexing too much, especially in the longitudinal direction. It is this flexing which causes your feet to tire and ache prematurely.

[Inverness]

I both run and walk, and have very different footwear for each. When I use to do a lot of walking during a working day, I would always choose a pair of Doc Martins, I use to get about 2 years out of them, and still use them for doing stuff in the garden.

[SuffolkDefender]

Put your budget up just a touch - maybe £30 - and buy some Salomons, trail walking or trail running shoes - simply superb.

https://www.salomon.com/en-gb/shop-emea/men/shoes/...

[HappyMidget]

I swear by Adidas Terrex Swift walking shoes. Waterproof and sturdy. Can usually find them for just under 100 depending on colour combo.

[Shermanator]

Thanks all, I'll swing by a "local" Mountain Warehouse tomorrow and see how it goes. If not, I'll have a look at the links provided and go from there.
Bit annoyed I've now got two trainers/runners (considering how light they are I'll go with them being runners) that are basically useless for my usage. Looks like they'll turn into very expensive general errand footwear for the next few years.

[LordHaveMurci]

Shermanator said:

Thanks all, I'll swing by a "local" Mountain Warehouse tomorrow and see how it goes. If not, I'll have a look at the links provided and go from there.
Bit annoyed I've now got two trainers/runners (considering how light they are I'll go with them being runners) that are basically useless for my usage. Looks like they'll turn into very expensive general errand footwear for the next few years.

I’d try Cotswold Outdoor or a local independent.

[Escort3500]

SuffolkDefender said:

Put your budget up just a touch - maybe £30 - and buy some Salomons, trail walking or trail running shoes - simply superb.

https://www.salomon.com/en-gb/shop-emea/men/shoes/...

Have you had any problems with them? I switched to Salomons from Merrell last year and had to return two pairs when the elasticated lace pockets failed. Gave up and went back to Merrell!

[here_we_go]

LordHaveMurci said:

Go to a decent outdoors shop & try loads on, buy what fits YOUR feet.

You’ll get loads of recomendations which will all be basically worthless as your feet may be totally different!

this x 10. There's lots of good outdoors shoe makers but you have to find the ones that fit you.

[oddball1313]

the new salomons gtx 4 are terrible - very poorly made, low quality materials and not a patch on the 3’s.

just did an 18 mile walk in the cotswolds and wore these, probably the most comfortable shoes i’ve ever had.

https://www.adidas.co.uk/terrex-two-flow-trail-run...

[SuffolkDefender]

Escort3500 said:

Have you had any problems with them? I switched to Salomons from Merrell last year and had to return two pairs when the elasticated lace pockets failed. Gave up and went back to Merrell!

I last bought a pair in 2015/6 for trekking in Italy. They're still going so, no, I've not had any problems whatsoever but maybe more recent ones are not so good then!

[Escort3500]

SuffolkDefender said:

Escort3500 said:

Have you had any problems with them? I switched to Salomons from Merrell last year and had to return two pairs when the elasticated lace pockets failed. Gave up and went back to Merrell!

I last bought a pair in 2015/6 for trekking in Italy. They're still going so, no, I've not had any problems whatsoever but maybe more recent ones are not so good then!

Possibly, in common with many manufacturers. I don’t think Merrell are as good quality as they used to be.

[FiF]

Echo those who are saying the fit is most important.

On issue of Merrells I bought some after I'd been disappointed with a pair of Scarpa boots after years of being highly satisfied with the brand. The last pair before the faulty ones had gone 4000+ miles, but these had only gone a few hundred.

Bought some Merrell walking shoes, trainer style things. First few times wore them on forest tracks felt like the soles of my feet were on fire, thought I'd made a big mistake. But after about 50- 100 miles they were completely comfortable, still are.

The last two pairs of Scarpa are back to the old standard and still prefer them but that's out of budget so ignore me on that side.

[Randy Winkman]

My advice is to buy them slightly on the large side. Day after day your feet are likely to be swelling a bit.

[ben5575]

A few things to think about (in a typical PH ignore the budget, this is what you want kind of a way )

Fit - important for obvious reasons
Material - Leather, nubuck/suede, fabric - how water proof do they need to be? How warm/cool do they need to be? How heavy or light?
Flexibility - A, AB, B, BC etc. If you you're walking up mountains on granite rocks you'll need stiffer than if you're walking on tarmac
Rise - Boots if you're on uneven ground, mid or shoes if your generally not
Weight - if you're doing silly mileage (like 40 miles!) then you'll need a lighter boot. Mids/shoes obviously lighter than boots.

I like hiking, although not to the extent you're doing!

I have two pairs - a heavy pair for winter/big uneven hills - full height, cork soles, insulation. By far the most comfortable but they 'clomp' along flat/smooth and are hard work for anything over 10/12 miles.

And a lighter, more flexible mid rise for mileage easy/medium/smoothish/summer for everyday/Camino

If you're doing this kind of mileage, then you're not going to have much time to do anything else in your life, so spending £100 seems like a very false economy. Particularly if you're 40+yo as your feet will remind you.

However the cheapest choice is: https://www.trekitt.co.uk/clothing/socks/darn-toug...

[TeaNoSugar]

Interested to see any recommendations for good (really good) long distance walking shoes. I’ve had 3 pairs of Salomon X ultra 3 in a row. They’re fantastically comfortable right out the box, great for walking, light enough (in the “mid” height fitting) to run in if needed, as they’re really a chunky trainer with a slightly higher heel “cup” to give some ankle support. The problem is the soles just wear out so quickly I seem to get through a pair every 18-24 months. Maybe not that bad in terms of time, but most of my miles will be done in running trainers so these aren’t really lasting well in terms of miles. Especially at £130-£150 a pair.

I’m wondering if some more traditional boots might be better for longevity and less “flex” in the feet (which I think is probsbly beneficial if you’re out for >5hrs at a time).

What are Brasher like these days? Or maybe Scarpa? Something else??

[Muppet007]

HappyMidget said:

I swear by Adidas Terrex Swift walking shoes. Waterproof and sturdy. Can usually find them for just under 100 depending on colour combo.

I was a big Salomon fan but don't like their current models so switched to Terrex. I'd rate them better than my Salomon's. More chunky and a little heavier but great for walking.
Just bought my third set (backup for when the 2nd fails) for £60.
To note I do about 6-10 miles a day in the Lakes.


Edited to fix late night phone typos

Edited by Muppet007 on Monday 4th July 11:22

[ben5575]

TeaNoSugar said:

Interested to see any recommendations for good (really good) long distance walking shoes. I’ve had 3 pairs of Salomon X ultra 3 in a row. They’re fantastically comfortable right out the box, great for walking, light enough (in the “mid” height fitting) to run in if needed, as they’re really a chunky trainer with a slightly higher heel “cup” to give some ankle support. The problem is the soles just wear out so quickly I seem to get through a pair every 18-24 months. Maybe not that bad in terms of time, but most of my miles will be done in running trainers so these aren’t really lasting well in terms of miles. Especially at £130-£150 a pair.

I’m wondering if some more traditional boots might be better for longevity and less “flex” in the feet (which I think is probsbly beneficial if you’re out for >5hrs at a time).

What are Brasher like these days? Or maybe Scarpa? Something else??

I found the Scarpa Cyrus Mid GTX as the best fit for me for warmer/long distance/dog walking - light, mid rise (which I personally prefer over shoes) and flexible enough. But can feel rocks through the soles so hard work and tiring over uneven ground.

My favourite heavy boot is the Meindl Meran particularly as they do a wide fit (see above post re your feet swelling). Any stiffer and it feels like I'm walking in ski boots.
https://www.meindl.co.uk/product/mens/boots/meran-...

Muppet007 said:

HappyMidget said:

I swear by Adidas Terrex Swift walking shoes. Waterproof and sturdy. Can usually find them for just under 100 depending on colour combo.

I was a big Salomon fan but don't like their current models so switched to Terrex. I'd acyratebthem better than my Salomons. More chunky and a little heavier but great for walking.
Just bought my third set (backup for when the 2nd fails) for £60.
To note I do about 6-10 miles a day in the Lakes.

Going to give these a go