It started with an email from Strava:
The nudge was intentional. I’ve had a few bouts of plantar fasciitis. To try and prevent more rounds I look to replace my footwear before it visibly wears out.
This is hard for me. My gut says “Those shoes look fine.”
The clicking of my calf and heel tendons are telling me that, actually, I need new shoes.
I know a slip on shoe made for walking works for me so back to the Sketchers brand I go.
I try to get them on sale. I am not picky about colour. Although the white always look raggedy so I picked a dark blue from the discount website. $80 CDN plus tax is better than $120!
The shoes arrived with a 32 page booklet from the Mayo Clinic “Walk your way to fitness.”
Huh.
Unexpected!
I gave it a read and could not find one critique of the information inside.
It treated walking with the respect it deserves. It is exercise!
The booklet outlined guidelines on physical activity as well as suggestions on starting a walking routine.
On page 19 it mentioned replacing worn out shoes. It happened to use the exact distance I walk every day. At a minimum I cover 3km a day which means I should replace my shoes every 6 months.
I’m pretty sure those white Sketchers are coming up on a year. My feet have been whispering “replace your shooooooes” for a while now.
So I log my new shoes in Strava in the “My gear” tab. I often record my walks with my watch which is connected to Strava. The gear plus workouts means I will continue to get nudges on replacing my shoes.
My phone tells me I average 4.5 km a day. It’s always watching.
Unlike Strava, there are no buttons needed for my phone to count steps and kilometers. Since it doesn’t get all the distance the Strava nudge is my failsafe. It honestly feels like I just bought the white shoes. Honest!
This confirms I can’t rely on my perception on how long I’ve had shoes or when I should replace them l.
Reading the booklet reminded me of many things I’ve learned about walking and how this movement supports my wellbeing.