Here’s What Actually Matters in a Walking Shoe

I love shoes. But unlike most women, instead of a high heel collection, I collect athletic shoes. I confess, as a fitness expert and health coach, I just can’t help but be drawn to the colorful trendy shoes and the shoes with the latest technology. I even have a pair of wedge athletic shoes for those days when I want to dress up. But as an athletic shoe collector, I’m here to tell you, not all shoes are created equal. Which is why I was super excited when The Walking Company reached out to me to try their ABEO line of shoes, completely customized to your foot!

I’m going to be honest, what the shoes look like matters to me. I want them to look trendy and work with my fun leggings and athletic wear. But as I get older, I’ve had to pay more attention to the support I’m giving my feet because it can truly affect back pain, hip pain, knee pain and more. (Getting older is so much fun isn’t it?) As much as I want fashion before function, all you ladies my age will understand, comfort starts to play a bigger role. I’ve had a bad back for years and I know that I can make it better or worse depending on the shoes that I wear. You may not know that you have a quarter of the bones in your body in your feet along with many joints, tendons and ligaments. Shoes absolutely make a difference when it comes to pain management.

So I met with the friendly people over at The Walking Company and they took a digital foot scan of my foot and talked to me all about what my feet need. I thought that was super cool. Check out my scan below!

The team determined my specific arch and foot profile to find my “sole mate” and provide me with the perfect balance, support and cushioning. Come to find out, I have high arches and need to support them. I’ve had arch issues like plantar fasciitis in the past and those of you who have had it know it isn’t fun or easy to get rid of. The team told me that the insole of a shoe is as important (or maybe more important) than the outside of a shoe. Hence my education began with the ABEO footwear line at The Walking Company. The ABEO line of shoes come with customized orthotics designed to support your arch, align your body, balance weight distribution, increase stability, shock absorption, and reduced stress on joints. As a result of the customized foot scan, they were able to determine which level of support was best for me.

Related: 12 Yoga Poses To Relieve Back Pain

Now the fun part… looking at the styles of the shoes. After trying on a bunch of styles, they sent me home with three pairs of shoes for different occasions and I couldn’t wait to try all of them out.

The ABEO Advance

Let’s start with the athletic shoe. Again – I was attracted to the style that looked trendy, like the newer knit and lightweight shoes on the market. I picked out this style called the Advance, a multi-colored knit shoe with a lightweight EVA midsole for added arch support. Plus, they added the proper ABEO Sport Orthotic that I needed based on my foot scan.

I am an avid walker thanks to my girlfriends and my golden retriever, Roxy. At least 4-5 days a week I walk anywhere from 2-6 miles. I’m pretty picky about my walking shoes. I need good support because of my low back issues. So the trendy shoes I lounge around in during the day don’t always fit the bill when I’m out power walking. I’ve been walking in the ABEO Advance pair of shoes for the last month and I love them. The added arch support is noticeable. Yes they are lightweight which is trend-right, but they still give me good stability throughout the foot and heel which is what actually matters! They are easily packable for a frequent traveler like me and the bonus is that I’ve received compliments on these shoes too.

ABEO Alea

I also got a pair of casual thong sandals. We all know how horrible flimsy flip flops are for your feet. It’s no news that podiatrists aren’t always fond of flip flops and anyone with arch issues shouldn’t wear them for long periods of time. But in the summer, it’s near impossible to not slip-on your flip flops for the beach, or to go shopping or after a workout. Who knew that you could get casual thongs with arch support, but you can – at The Walking Company! I ended up with ABEO Alea sandals because I liked the style of the thin straps. I can’t tell you how cool it felt the first time I put them on. I’ve never had arch support in a pair of thong sandals– it felt amazing. I can now have happy and stylish feet all summer long while supporting my arches.

ABEO Lilia Metatarsal

Finally, the third shoe I walked away with was a wedge heel called Abeo Lilia. I know, crazy but I do wear dressier shoes once in a while and when I do, I want them to be fashionable and comfortable. I’ll admit, there is nothing worse than barely being able to walk at the end of a night out because your feet hurt. These again have the arch support, wider toe box and metatarsal support. Ideal for high arches, metatarsal support redistributes weight from the ball-of-foot and relieves forefoot pain and pressure. They are all black suede and have a fun lace up front. They’re stylish, easy on the feet, and I can’t wait to wear them for summer nights out with my cropped jeans or a cute sundress.

I have enjoyed my journey into wearing ABEO footwear from The Walking Company. Great for those of us who love fashion but understand function matters when it comes to feet. I think the more active you are, the more you care about how your footwear performs. If you aren’t active at all, then maybe a pair of shoes from the ABEO footwear collection at The Walking Company will motivate you to get moving!!