What Should I Wear For Walking?

You don’t need much to go out for a walk but if you plan on building up to some long miles, you should think about investing in some specialty clothing. 

Dress for weather 15 degrees warmer than it is when you set out on your walk. You will warm up quickly and if you dress too warmly, you will be uncomfortable. If in doubt, wear a short sleeved shirt under a long sleeved shirt so you can remove the top one if you get too warm. Alternatively, wear arm sleeves that can be easily removed. 

Socks
You should invest in some technical running socks. Technical socks are more expensive than regular cotton socks but are worth the investment. If you walk wearing cotton socks you will get blisters. The technical socks are made of a special fabric that wicks moisture away from your skin so you don't get blisters and your feet stay dry in your shoes. Wear your technical socks ONLY for your long distance walks. Don’t mix them up with your other socks. It is important to wear technical socks for every walk. If you get blisters or chafing from wearing the wrong type of socks, it can take days or weeks for them to get better. You can pick up technical socks at a reasonable price in many discount stores (Beall's, Ross, TJ Maxx for example) and stores like Target.

Technical (Wicking) Fabric Sportswear
You can walk wearing any comfortable clothing but as you start to ramp up to longer miles you should consider investing in some good quality clothing made of technical (wicking) fabric. You can buy good quality technical clothing from specialty running and sports stores. You can also buy from stores like Target and many discount stores (Beall's, Ross, TJ Maxx for example). The cheaper brands may not last as long but they will likely last longer than it takes for you to start getting bored with them and want new ones anyway! Good quality technical sports clothing lasts for years if you take care of it properly. I still use running shorts that I bought 7 years ago and they are still as good as new.  Wash technical clothing on a delicate wash, in cold or warm water, and hang to dry (this is very important). If you put it in the dryer, it will wear out faster and may start to smell a bit funky. Hanging to dry will avoid these problems. 

Sports Bras

For women, invest in a good quality sports bra before you start a walking program.  If you are higher than a "B" cup buy a sports bra that comes in proper bra sizes (not S, M and L). Buy your exact size. So, if you are a size 34C in a normal bra, buy a 34C sports bra. Make sure it is designed with two separate cups and is not a “unibra”. You need support, comfort and NO chafing for your long walks. Some good brands for large busted ladies sizes include, Champion (up to DD cup), Panache (up to H cup),  and Moving Comfort (up to E or F cup). When you try on the sports bra, jump up and down a bit while wearing it to make sure you don’t get excessive movement. You should be able to walk or run in a sports bra with little to no chest movement! 

If you have a smaller cup size you will likely be OK with a regular sports bra and possibly even a unibra. However, make sure you do the jumping up and down test before purchasing. You may need less support than the big boobed ladies but that doesn't mean no support!

Technical Underwear
You can also purchase technical underwear for men and women.  The fabric will wick moisture away from the body and is very flexible, soft and comfortable to wear. Under Armour is a great brand (for men and women). Moving Comfort is another popular brand.  I also like the own brand technical underwear from Road Runner Sports (available online as well as in stores). 

Compression Shorts

If you are on the heavy side or have chunky or muscular legs, you may experience problems with rubbing and chafing on your inner thighs. If this occurs, wear compression shorts, or buy shorts (or running skirts) with built in compression shorts. High end compression shorts (or tights) can be a bit pricey but there are cheaper brands. Personally, I think it is worth the investment to purchase a good brand if it makes walking more comfortable. ALWAYS try them on before buying. Alternatively you can purchase technical underwear with the short-length legs to wear under your shorts/skirts.

Shirts

Make sure when you buy technical shirts that you have enough room in them to be comfortable. Remember you will be getting hot and sweaty and you don’t want to be wearing shirts that are too tight.  Women with larger size chests, look for technical t-shirts with V necks. The high round neck (boy style) may be too tight on the chest area and ride up while you are walking. V-neck shirts will not do this (as long as they are not too tight). You can also buy technical fabric tanks and sleeveless shirts (singlets) if you find the short sleeves too constricting or too hot. You can buy technical long sleeved shirts as well as short sleeved shirts. There are warm weather long sleeves and cold weather long sleeves. You can also buy just arm sleeves that are easy to remove and store in your hydration belt pocket when you wish to remove them. Long sleeved shirts for warm weather are recommended if you burn easily in the sun or if you need to minimize sun exposure due to medical conditions or medications. Pearl Izumi make some nice looking long sleeved shirts to protect you form the sun.

Compression Socks
If you get cramps in your legs after (or during) long miles, consider investing in a pair of compression socks or sleeves (sleeves are socks that finish at the ankle - no foot part). You can wear them during exercise or put them on later for recovery (or both).  Compression socks are a pricey item but worth it if you are having circulation problems/cramps/or overly sore muscles. I prefer to use them for recovery and only wear them during a walk if it is long miles (18+). You may decide you like to wear them for shorter distances too. 

Hats, Glasses and Sunscreen

Always wear a hat (a baseball type hat works well – you can buy them in cotton fabric which is heavier, or in technical fabric which is much lighter and has moisture wicking properties), to protect your head, face and eyes from the sun. Wear sunscreen even if it is not sunny! Sunglasses are recommended for long miles in sunny weather to protect your eyes from glare and minimize headaches.

Chafing
Chafing can be a big problem with bras, shirts and shorts. Cotton fabric or clothing with straps that are too thin, or have rough edges can “rub” when you walk. Chafing might not be a problem on shorter walks but when you start walking 8 or more miles, or walking in the heat or high humidity conditions, it could cause a lot of discomfort. Minimize chafing by wearing well fitted clothes in moisture wicking fabrics. There are products specifically designed to reduce chafing, such as Body Glide and other brands of anti-chafing products. You can also use, stick deodorant or baby powder to prevent chafing and to minimize discomfort for chafing (sometimes, no matter what you do, it cannot be avoided). To prevent chafing and blistering on your toes, you can apply Body Glide, Aquaphor or Vaseline to your toes before putting on your socks.

I am going to say this again because it is important: When you launder technical clothing, wash it on a gentle cycle and NEVER put it in the dryer. Hang items (on hangers) to air dry. 

Lacing Techniques for a Perfect Shoe Fit

If you are wearing the correct type and size of running shoe but are not 100% happy with how the shoe fits or feels, you may benefit from a different lacing technique. Changing the way you lace your shoes can fix niggling shoe problems and transform an "OK" shoe into an "excellent" one!

Here are a 5 common shoe problems and the lacing techniques that can help alleviate them.

1. HEEL SLIPPING (USING BUNNY EARS)

Problem: The shoe feels loose around my heel causing my foot to slip up and down in the shoe. If I tighten the laces to keep the shoe on, the laces feel too tight and hurt my feet.

Cause: If you have narrow feet you may find it hard to find a narrow enough shoe. Men with narrow feet often find that wearing women’s running shoes can solve the problem. If you like a shoe with a wide toe box you may find that your toes feel great but you have too much room at the ankle.

Solution: Create a more secure fit around the ankle without tightening the laces on the entire shoe. You can achieve this with Bunny Ear Lacing.

Technique: Lace your shoes as you normally do (using regular criss cross lacing or a using a custom lacing technique). When you get to the top eyelet thread the lace straight up on the outside of the shoe and bring it through the last eyelet leaving a loop.. Do the same on the other side. Thread the opposite lace through the loop (on both sides) and pull the laces to tighten them. If the shoes feel too constricting using the 7th eyelet that is set off to the side (as pictured), use eyelets in rows 5 and 6 instead. Alternatively, you can create the loop by threading the lace back through the same hole on eyelet row 6 and then threading the opposite lace through the loop. This will enable you to tighten the laces at the ankle but not tighten the laces lower on the shoe.

2. HOTSPOT ON TOP OF FOOT

Problem: My shoe rubs one spot on the top of my foot. It may only be a problem on one foot. It may feel like the lace is too tight but just in that one spot.

Cause: The shape of your foot or arch can cause a hotspot on top of one or both feet. It may happen in all running shoes or just in a specific pair of shoes that otherwise are great running shoes.

Solution: Eliminate the pressure on the hot spot by lacing around it.

Technique: Lace your shoe as you normally would until you reach the eyelet before the area that is experiencing discomfort. Thread the lace through the eyelet above it on the same side. Do the same on the other side. Continue lacing as usual. If the problem is only on one foot then you only need to change the lacing on that foot. It is OK to have both shoes laced differently.

  

3. HAMMER TOES OR BLACK BIG TOE NAILS

Problems: I have hammer toes OR  I keep getting black toes nails on my big toe.

Cause: Hammer toes have various causes but shoes that push down on the top of the toe can make the toes curl under more. Black toe nails are not always avoidable. Running or walking long distances is an endurance activity and will put a lot of pressure on your feet so some toenail problems are to be expected.  

Solution: Take as much pressure off the toes as possible. Lift up toe box to prevent toes curling under. Ease the pressure of the shoe pushing down on the big toe.

Technique: Thread one end of the lace through the first eyelet on the same side as your big toe. Thread the other end of the lace up through the last eyelet on the opposite side. Leave enough shoelace here to be able to tie your shoes into a bow.  Take the other end of the shoelace at the bottom of the shoe and thread it back and forth through the eyelets to the top. When you tug on the outside lace, it will pull the material above your big toe up and off your nail.

4. TOO TIGHT ON TOP OF FOOT (USING PARALLEL LACING)

Problem: My shoe feels too tight along the top of my foot but if I loosen them, the shoe is too loose.

Cause: This problem is often caused by high arches. The laces feel too tight along the top of the foot, but loosening them makes the shoe too loose.

Solution: Use parallel lacing instead of criss-cross lacing to take the pressure off the top of the foot while allowing the shoes to be tightened securely.

Technique: Put the lace through the eyelets on the first row. On the big toe side of the shoe thread the lace through the eyelet above it on the same side. Then thread it through the eyelet on the opposite side (going straight across). Thread the lace through the eyelet two rows above it and then straight across to the opposite side. Then two rows above it on the same side. Repeat on the opposite side starting with threading the lace through the eyelet two rows above on the same side.Tie shoes as normal.

 

5. CRAMPED TOES  (USING DOUBLE LACES)

Problem: My toes feel cramped but if I loosen my shoes, the toes feel OK but the top part of the shoe is too loose. I have bunions and my shoes always feel tight across the toebox.

Cause: The may be caused by a foot that is wide across the toes but narrow towards the ankle. This can also be caused by bunions or callouses on the foot.

Solution: Reduce constriction in the toebox are by using two shoelaces on each shoe instead of one.

Technique: Remove the laces and measure them. Buy two sets (four laces) approximately half the length of the original laces. On each shoe, use one lace for the bottom three eyelets and another lace for the upper three eyelets. You will have two bows on each shoe – one half way up the shoe and the other at the top where you normally lace your shoe.  This will enable you to tie the bottom laces looser without affecting the tightness of the top part of the shoe.