Difference Between Running Shoes and Walking Shoes

Are you looking to buy a good pair of shoes for running? How can you make sure that you don’t end up with a pair of shoes designed for walking? Check out this post to know five significant differences between running and walking shoes.

Be it walking or running; you surely need the right pair of shoes to keep your muscles and joints healthy. But as compared to walking, running is a more physically intensive exercise. This makes it very important for you to invest in a good pair of shoes that are exclusively designed for running.
But as both, the running and walking shoes, look almost the same from the outside, a lot of buyers often find it difficult to make the right selection. If you’re struggling with the same, here are five ways in which shoes for running are different from a pair of walking shoes-

1. Cushioning
As mentioned above, running is a more impactful exercise as compared to walking. Every time your foot reaches the ground while running, your body is required to absorb around 3x the weight of your body.
This means that shoes created for running needs to have more cushioning as compared to walking shoes. This cushioning is mostly in the forefoot and heels of the shoes.

2. The Height of the Heel
When you walk, your heel generally strikes the ground first. But when you’re running, you might strike the ball of the foot, the midfoot, or the heel as per your running style. Due to this, the shoes made for running generally have higher heels as compared to walking shoes.
If you carefully check the walking shoes, the majority of them would have a minimum height difference between the toe and the heel.

3. The shape of the Heel
Shoes designed for walking generally have a straight or an undercut heel to help with the forward rolling movement when you walk. On the other hand, shoes for running have many different types of heel to offer better support as you run.
For instance, if you are a trail runner, you should look for a pair of shoes with a flared heel for better support on rough terrains.

4. Flexibility
You push off with your toes when you walk. This requires walking shoes to have more flexibility near the forefoot. Moreover, the arch area in these shoes does not have any bending as the shoes will then fail to offer a stable platform required for the correct walking form.
But as running is more intensive than walking, shoes made for running generally have flexibility at their fore/midfoot or the arch.

5. Shoe Weight
As compared to walking shoes, running shoes are usually lighter. This is because you need a light pair of shoes to help you with running.
Moreover, if you prefer longer walks, you too should consider lightweight walking shoes which can offer enhanced comfort without the extra weight.

Get the Right Pair of Shoes
Now that you know the differences between a pair of running and walking shoes, you are now ready to make a selection. Remember that selecting the right pair of shoes is not only important for support and comfort but performance too. If you are looking to improve your running performance, a good pair of shoes for running can surely help. On the other hand, walking shoes can be the right choice if you are looking for walking comfort.