What Not to Wear Walking - Bad Walking Gear

Walking Gear and Clothing to Avoid

Cotton socks are a bad choice for walking. They hold sweat next to the skin, which allows blisters to form more quickly. Your walking socks should be made of a sweat-wicking fabric. They should be anatomically designed, rather than tube socks, so they stay in place at toe and heel. The right walking socks can help prevent blisters.

Denim is a bad walking choice. In hot weather, it is heavy and hot and holds sweat next to your skin. In wet weather, it soaks up rain like a sponge. If you end up wet from either sweat or rain, you may soon be chafed on your thighs and crotch. Instead, choose walking pants made from a sweat-wicking fabric.

Men or women, cover your head and shoulders. A walk of an hour or more will give you lots of sun exposure on your head, shoulders, neck, back and cleavage. I never leave home without a hat, as the top of my head easily burns. You can also easily overheat in hot weather or cool too fast in cold weather, if your head is bare. This is why I simply don't understand wearing a visor instead of a hat. For your shoulders, even if you wear a good sunscreen, wearing a skin-baring tank top provides too much sun exposure. It all adds up over the years to age your skin and raise your risk of skin cancer. It's best to wear short sleeves. Your skin will thank you.

I have a couple of walking buddies who I have to undress when we meet up for winter walks. They are wearing five to six layers of clothing and end up shedding two or three within the first half hour. If you are warm when you start walking, you will soon be too hot. Start off feeling slightly cool. As hikers know, you need only three layers (not counting your bra). The first layer is a shirt of sweat-wicking fabric. The second layer is an insulating layer of performance fleece, wool or down. The third layer is a windproof jacket, which may also be waterproof. Unless you are walking in subfreezing temperatures, this is all you need. Add a hat, gloves or scarf for extra comfort.

Dressing like a ninja and walking after dark is an unsafe fashion choice. Cars and bikes aren't expecting you to be crossing streets. Give them at least a chance of seeing you. Choose your after-dark clothing to have lighter colors and reflective stripes. Or, for pity's sake, wear a reflective safety vest. For myself, I love my Glo Glov gloves —- they are easy to take along, and I can stop traffic or even direct aircrafts with them.

Even in daytime, if you are walking alongside a road, you need to be highly visible to approaching cars. Wearing drab colors or even camouflage (unless you are in a military unit) is dangerous. You do not want to blend into the scenery. Choose your walking outfit to include at least one item in a bright color that can be seen from front and back. A safety vest is a great solution. Learn to practice safe walking etiquette. If you must walk on the road or in the bike lane, walk on the left side of the road facing traffic, single file. Thinking that cars will see you in time to brake on a blind corner may be dead wrong —- literally.