Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 120, July 2019 | Page 57

WALK
THIS
WAY
By Anel Oosthuizen
THE SHOE
FOR YOU!
They say you shouldn’t judge a man until you’ve walked a
mile in his shoes. Well, the same applies to shoes, especially
when it comes to race walking!
I
am extremely picky about my
shoes for racing and training. I
don’t like change, and I’ve always
believed that in the mantra, “if it
aint broke, don’t fix it.” Therefore,
I walked with one specific model
of shoe from the same brand for
about six years, before I reluctantly
tried something new – and that was
only because that brand changed
the whole design of their shoes,
which made them too soft for me
to comfortably race walk in. The
problem was that this happened
a few months before I was due to
compete in the biggest race of my career, at the 2016 Olympics! I then had to make
an emergency switch to a new brand, hoping I wouldn’t pick up any niggles or issues.
Luckily it all played out smoothly.
I took a month off after the
Olympics, and that is when I
discovered my current brand of
shoe, Skechers. At that time, I
knew nothing about this brand,
which was still relatively new to
the South African market, but
I was keen to see what they
had to offer, and fortunately the
Skechers Go Meb range proved
absolutely perfect for me. It
was a pity about the timing,
because I would have loved to
race in them at the Olympics, but I am very happy with my choice. Comfort is a big
thing for me, as many low-profile shoes that race walkers prefer don’t offer that much
cushioning, but I can race 20km in my Skechers and then still walk around in them all
day without even noticing.
Shoe Shopping Advice
While I have found my perfect shoe, it seems many of my fellow walkers are
struggling to find the right shoe for them, because I am constantly asked questions
about the best shoe for race walking. Here are a few of the most frequent questions I
receive, and I hope my answers will help others make the right choice.
Q: What type of shoes should I use for race walking?
A: I specifically like a flat, lightweight, snug-fitting shoe with that ‘almost barefoot’
feeling, but at the same time it must be comfortable. This type of shoe is commonly
known as a racer, or racing flat, in the athletic shoe market.
Q: How do you choose out of all the models on sale?
A: I like to feel that my foot can control the shoe, with a ‘glove-like’ feeling for my
feet. I start by taking each shoe in my hands and testing the flexibility of the shoe,
because I prefer a more flexible shoe that I can easily bend. Next I put them on, test
the fit around the toe area, and because I have quite a narrow foot, when I tie my
shoes I don’t like there being too much material bulging up. Finally I walk in the shoes,
rolling my foot from side to side like an over-exaggerated foot-plant of a race walker,
in order to find the best fit and feel.
Q: Should I go for a harder or softer midsole?
A: As mentioned before, this is exactly why I changed brands. For me the biggest
‘no-no’ in a walking shoe is a sole that is too ‘bouncy,’ as I feel it affects my
technique. With a softer, springy shoe, my foot tends to kick back more when I walk,
and I spend too much time leaning into my hips when alternating legs during a stride.
Q: Which brand should I buy?
A: For me it is solely based on whether my foot ‘feels right’ in the shoe, including
a test walk in the shop, to see whether I can stride comfortably in it. So I cannot
prescribe a specific brand or model for everyone, because we are all different, and
have different preferences, but
I can highly recommend the
Skechers Go Meb range for
people who like that extra ‘feel’
when walking.
Q: What look or styling do you
prefer?
A: I don’t really mind what the
shoe looks like, as long as they
feel right! That said, I don’t think
I have walked in a shoe whose
look I did not like, which is a big
bonus. But if I could design my
own shoes, and I could choose
the colours, I would probably go
for something bright... because
they just tend to look faster!
The bottom line is that you
only have one pair of feet, so
treat them well, because they
deserve it!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Race Walker Anel Oosthuizen is a multiple SA
Champion and Record Holder, and represented SA in the women’s 20km at the
2016 Rio Olympics.
57