Shoe recommendations?

[politicat]

I've got about 280 miles on this pair of walking shoes and frankly, I'm not interested in replacing them with the same model. These are a bit stiff in the ball of the foot, and if I don't tape two toes on my left foot, I get a blister on the pad of one of them. (I've also got a callus on the ball of the same foot... so these are not working out for me...)

Any recommendations? I use them exclusively on the treadmill, and I plan to change them every 400 miles or so ( so approximately every 6 months.) The Boulder Running shop fitted this last pair, and I'm a little disgusted at how poorly they fitted them. (But maybe because I'm just a walker, and not a stick figure of a marathoner, I'm not worth their time - they didn't exactly behave well when I went in there so I really don't want to give them my business again....)

[MemphisTiger]

1. Go to another shoe shop that fits you for shoes if available...

but make sure to tell them you are a walker. They should have asked you this when you bought your last pair. Also, take your current shoes in so they can see where they are worn to recommend a proper shoe for your walking type. Good luck.

[MissMillie]

2. Well, I'm a runner, but

I do know that the brand that makes my shoes also makes a walking shoe.

I use Spira running shoes. They have springs inside the heel and ball of the shoe. I really believe that my knees and hips would be complaining if I didn't use these shoes.



www.spirafootwear.com

[AlCzervik]

3. you really need running shoes even if you don't run, i was wearing

some bew balance walking shoed when i first got my treadmill and after about a month they just weren't doing the job so after much research i ended up with a pair of Asics, i forget the model number but they won an award from "Runners world" magazine and they were approx $100.

http://www.zappos.com/n/es/d/722001247/page/1.html

[mopinko]

4. if you were in chicago, i could help you

i bought my last pair of shoes at murphy's fit in evanston. they are very knowledgeable about the shapes of the different brands, and look at the shape of you foot, not just the length. i got a good fit, and they were respectful to this middle age beginner.
but, i post to say, i hate the way a lot of fitness oriented businesses treat you if you are not a buff, young thing. i was dreaming about a really good bike at a high end bike shop last summer. i really came in to buy a helmut, but i was looking into the future, walking around the shop, scoping these expensive bikes. i guess i should have drooled visibly or something. a young blond woman walked in about 5 minutes after i did and 2, yes, 2, salesmen appeared almost instantly to see what she needed. no sign that they knew her. just a small swarm. so, i will not be buying a bike there. but i wonder who is a little more likely to have the dough for a $2k bike, middle aged me, or a 20 year old?