When the line of New Balance shoes I had used for a decade was discontinued, I was steered to the New Balance 904 as a replacement. I had used the 830/825 series for 10K through marathon walking, including many long training days. Would the 904 be a suitable replacement?
Photo courtesy of Pricegrabber

The New Balance 904 is a very lightweight stability shoe with motion control elements. I can use stability, but don't need motion control as I don't overpronate. I like the 904 because it doesn't have any shoe elements that rub in the bunion area. Finding a shoe with that feature is difficult, but it makes the difference between constant pain and no pain. The shoes have a low heel and good flexibility, so although they are running shoes, they are suitable for fitness walkers.

I immediately noticed that my feet, ankles and knees could tell that there were motion control elements in the shoe. They all threw me muscle aches after the first few walks as muscles were stressed in new ways. These were all simple "training aches" that I knew would go away as I trained more in the shoes. The first time I wore them I had shin splint pain after the first 15 minutes, which is common when switching to a shoe with a different "ride." I didn't experience that again with further walks, as my shins quickly got used to the new shoes.

But I also got some concerning pain at the back of the heel and perhaps more tiredness in my legs after walking. I believe these to be signs that the shoes are lacking in the amount of cushioning I am used to in the other models. I started wearing socks that have light padding in the heel and the heel pain went away.

I first purchased the trail version of the New Balance 904 and I took them on their first trail hike this weekend. Although they say they are trail shoes, they don't have a rock plate in the sole. They performed well on soft trail and small gravel. But I could feel larger rocks and roots, so I don't plan to wear them on rocky trails.

It takes experience to sort out what aches and pains are normal when switching to a new shoe and which mean that the shoe is wrong for you. Buying your shoes from a local running shoe store that caters to serious runners is your best bet. The staff there can give you advice and help guide you to right shoe. It's worth the time and effort to patronize these small businesses to get the right shoes.
Walking Shoe Types
New Balance 904 Review

The Wall Street Journal today reports that more people are running marathons and, surprisingly, the overall finish times are getting faster. Usually, the more people who enter a race, the slower it is. But the speculation is that more people have extra time to train, and as a result, they perform better in the race.

Has the recession given you more time to walk and exercise? It is one way to turn lemons into lemonade. Using idle time to improve your fitness is a great way to invest in your future, even when you are short on cash. State agencies in my area, and other businesses are giving their employees furlough days. But at many workplaces, this means that those not laid off are working harder, and may have less time to put into their fitness routine.
Tell us how the recession has affected your walking fitness
Hat tip to: Portland Your Money Examiner

Many walkers use a topical pain relief ointment such as Bengay or Aspercream to relieve muscle aches before and after exercise. The BBC News reports on results of a systematic review of controlled trials of muscle relief ointments (rubefacients) containing salicylates (aspirin). The lead author, Dr. Andrew Moore, is quoted by the BBC as saying that for acute pain rather than chronic conditions, "When it comes to rubefacients, they do not work well enough to take any notice of them."

Other analgesic gels containing ibuprofen or may perform better. ""What we know does work is topical non-steroidal anti-inflammatory gels like ibuprofen. There is pretty good evidence that they work well and are pretty safe," Dr. Moore said to the BBC News.

The review is listed in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, but the results have not yet been published.

Do you have smelly walking shoes? The stink comes from bacteria and fungus that grow happily where it is warm and damp. There are two tactics to keeping your shoes odor-free. First, you can inhibit the bacteria and fungus from growing by using socks woven with metal fibers, such as silver or copper. I received a review pair of Aetrex Copper Sole Athletic Socks this week and I really like them for their fit and sweat-wicking ability. The copper fibers prevent most bacteria and fungus from growing, which should prevent foot odor.

Review of Aetrex Copper Sole Socks

The second tactic is to dry out your shoes thoroughly between wearings. Stuffits Shoe Savers use cedar shavings in a foot-shaped insert to put in your shoes to dry them out quickly after wearing them. They should work for dress shoes as well as athletic shoes. I haven't personally tried this product. Photo © Stuffits

I generally don't have foot odor as long as I wear sweat-wicking socks. I've only had problems with the Nike Free 5.0 shoes that I wore barefoot. They would get so smelly after four hours that I could smell my feet while sitting in an office chair. I solved that with a sprinkle of medicated foot powder in the shoes before and after wearing them. The powder helped keep the shoes dry and inhibit the bacterial growth.
What is Your Tip to Prevent Shoe and Foot Odor?