these shoes are made for walkin'

my new walking shoes arrived today. I took them for a test run er, walk to pick up Noah from day care, and wow--Could I ever tell the difference!

I walked 3 miles in my regular cross-training shoes yesterday, and my right hip was pretty sore as I was walking around work today. The only way I could get it to not hurt was to consciously point my right toe straight ahead (normally, I waddle slightly--my toes point outward a little). The supports in these new shoes seem to make that correction naturally, so that I could walk in them without the joint hurting. Hopefully this means that I'll be able to do the long walks in them and not get sore in the first place.

One thing I did notice was that my calves were feeling the burn more in these than they were in my other shoes. Maybe it has something to do with the gait modifications...I imagine walking like a normal person uses different muscles than my natural stride. I also think the heels on these shoes are a bit higher than my old ones, which is probably a major contributing factor too. I'm cool with this, though--walking is supposed to be felt in the calves, right?

This was their first time out of the box, so they have a few minor discomforts...a little tight in places, and I probably should have gotten a half-size bigger. They aren't too small, and I'm pretty sure my feet are done growing, but it would be nice to have just a little extra room at the toes. Other than that, they're perfect! I can't wait to really break 'em in.