For all you hand-walkers out there.....

So today i went through my second pair of etnies in less than a year since i started walking the mutt everyday.

and since aubrey is nearing two years old, i can start really putting the miles down on the pavement this year. she gets a 2.5 mile walk every morning, lasts about 35-40 minutes (depending on how much she stops and sniffs), and 1.5 mile walk at night when i get home, 15-20 minutes usually.

i plan on focusing more on how long we're walking, and check my pedometer for the distance when we get back home come this summer, hopefully getting to several hours a day in the next several months.

but i need ya'lls input on what sneakers you use when you're walking a couple hours a day.

i was checking out some pretty fly new balances -

http://www.kohls.com/kohlsStore/shoes/brands/newbalance/PRD~c10894/new+balance+644+Walking+Shoes.jsp

the "running" shoes they had at the store fit nice, and seemed comfortable, but i assumed i get a "walking shoe" as opposed to a "running shoe." :p

lemme know what kicks ya'll use, and how long they tend to last for you.

i expect replies from bullydogs, jaystreets, and anyone else who racks up the miles with their mutts.

 

i've been going through the same thing recently. Since the weather has improved i've been putting in some serious miles with the dog. I've been doing 1 to 1.5 hours a night at a fast pace, which im estimating to be around 4 to 6 miles right now. I'm actually using a pair of old b-ball sneaks that are OK, but my feet burn like a mother after about an hour. I'm probably gonna go with a good pair of walking sneaks just like those new balances. Now where i walk is mostly dirt and gravel, with a little concrete so i imagine a new pair will last me a long time compared to someone who walks mainly on concrete

 

Chef, its good to hear that your planning on doing some serious hand walking... in the months ahead. Sneakers are an essential part of the whole walking ordeal. When i started doing the 30-45 min walks i never paid much mine to the kicks on my feet. But nowadays doing 3-4 hrs walks, sneakers are a major issue. If they do not fit right and are not comfortable. It makes the walks excruciating. Running sneakers are fine for walking, they are primarily meant for forward motion. As opposed to say basketball sneakers that are designed for side to side motion. New Balance puts out some of finest sneaks period, esp. their running models. I used to work for sneaker store. A few other items that are helpful when racking up some serious miles are....good cushioned socks, and also the cushioned sneaker insoles(inserts).

these are the kick that i plan on getting. TL Nike Shox. I currently use Nike Air Mowabb($100 pair of crap i must add). But i guess what might not work for me, might be great for someone else.

Oh, i almost forget. Me and JayStreets had a discussion pertaining to... what helped us the most during long walks. And for both of us......it was hands down.....the use of an IPOD.

 

Awesome timing for this thread, I'm looking for some dog-walking shoes right now, as well. I want to check out the new Adidas Bounce shoes. Since a lot of the walking will be on asphalt and concrete, I think something with a shock absorber would be good.

Funny thing is, this would be the first time I would be wearing shoes when working a dog. Every time prior to this, including currently, whenever I began to kick it up as far as walking goes, I'm barefoot the whole time. All those dang pics from the NJ show got me out there walking like crazy, though, and I wore through the callouses on my feet! :eek:

Maybe I need to soak 'em in some white oak bark solution, toughen them up!

So ya, I'm thinking either Adidas Bounces or Nike Shocks.

 

lol, this is one thing that I've been back and forth about. I would love to use it all the time, but the problem in my neighborhood is offleash dogs. I've had to lift my DA boy's happy ass over my head more than a few times while walking and some short s**t comes running and barking at me. With an iPod, I can't hear them coming.

Oh, something else I wanted to ask. What's everyone's walking method? Walk as far as you can and then make your way back, or "laps" around the same area, without straying too far from home?

 

i do a good amount of walking and for a little over a year i've had a pair of Keen sandals that are amazingly comfortable and quite durable. not the most stylish shit out there, but the overall buy is a good deal. they are starting to show some serious wear and tear though, but at $80 a pop, lasting a year is worth it to me.

 

im the same way i need to hear whats going on around me especially because most of my walk im using a 15' lead and a lot more can go wrong if im not paying attention if the dog is that far out from me. I usually start my walk at as fast as a pace as i can without actually jogging and i go at this pace for as long as i can, gradually slowing down as the miles pack on, and then going at a steady but not slow pace for the last half mile to cool down.

 

Ive always told myself "If im walking, I might as well jog, if im jogging I might as well run." That way you and your dog will benefit much more from the time you put aside in your life to work out.

I vote for Nike Air Max whatever model fits the best. It has to be Air Max tho. That is all i will ever buy.

 

I wish I were in shape to live that motto, but with me, the last part would be "if I'm running, I might as well die." I can't run nearly as far as I can walk, so it's all just steady walking for me until I can build back up to the shape I used to be in. Smoking doesn't help, either....

 

thanks fellas!

i got an ipod, but don't use it at night.

my neighborhood is literally on the edge of town, nothing but corn fields for miles. her morning walk is one block out across the road and into the country. this is where i use her long lead, i guestimate it's about 15 ft long, and i can rock the ipod then.

i think i posted this before, but i flagged down a farmer last fall when he was clearing his fields...they're lined with trees for about 7 miles on one edge of his land. he gave me permission and let me take some orange spray paint and mark every 1/2 mile along the edge of his field. that's the easiest way for me to tell the distance we're walking. that'll be our route as we increase time and distance. i like it since she can run in any which direction along the corn on her long lead.

at night, i take her through the neighborhood, on her 6 ft lead, but like others have said, i can't risk an ipod so i can hear other critters or little kids coming our way.

i see us primarily walking a long distance once a day, that, along with the longer lead seems like it'd work better for us.

so ya'll think some nice sneaks will hold up on that terrain? or would i be better pressed to look into some hiking type gear. my brother who's in the marines swears up and down by combat boots. his argument when i asked him (since he runs 10 miles a day) was that the military had boots designed to walk, hike, and run for miles upon miles in any and all conditions and keep you comfy, supported, and dry.

any input on that?

 

Jeep, thats a neat motto.

However, there is a difference between hand walking & jogging(running) a dog. They both provide their own benefits. I think all three should be used in combination.

Pip, you bring up a good point. By all means, a person using an ipod during hand walking should be fully aware of his/her surroundings. There are some areas around my way that just do not merit the use of music. I def. feel that good judgement when using an ipod is of upmost importance.

 

As far as the long lead goes, I didn't think of it until an old timer was giving me some conditioning tips, a long lead being one of them. He said 30 ft lead, but I'm sure that is for a much more rural area than where I live, so I just use a 12 ft. I make my own leads, so I link the next one will be 15 ft (I lost the 12 footer).

As far as the combat boots, my vote is no. They were built to be a tough, durable shoe that would not fall apart, not necessarily the most comfy. If you're going through rough terrain, combat or hiking boots may be best, with thick socks and insoles like bullydogs said.

Is it a dirt or paved road that you're walking along? If it's paved, I'd definitely go with some good sneaks.

 

Last summer i bought some Nike SHOX those were very confortable, i used to walk around 3h a day with my pup, 3 sessions of 1h to socialize and etc and shoes lasted 3 months top but they were very confortable.

Now i'll look into Nike Airmax, im using right now some adidas for soccer but for summer feet gets too hot.

Would be nice to know more information about long leash and harness vs collar, i have a long leash that i use with harness because dog gets trapped always and short leash for collar.

What do you guys think? I love to walk my dogs, not really getting them for a show but i like them to be in shape.

 

jeeperino - good to see you posting again.

i'm on pavement for less than half a mile before i get to his field. then it's grass/dirt, no real gravel or hard debris. in town, pavement obviously.

there's miles of road out there, but she seems to stop and sniff less going along the woods as opposed to checking out ditches, mailboxes, etc along the roadway.

i'd considered a longer lead, possibly 20+ ft. i like it, b/c when she slows down, and sees me getting ahead, she runs up to the end of it, and to me it seems like she has to keep a quicker pace to keep the lead taught.

i've had someone recommend a thicker rope, also. right now i put together my lead with 1/2 inch rope, clamps, a swivel, and quick connect. the TSC had 1 inch rope for a decent price.

anyone heard of using thicker rope for the lead and/or seen results from using one? i'd imagine the added weight from the thicker rope might have some benefits, but i don't know for sure....

i still rock the 2 inch stillwater collars. i'd been looking into getting a stillwater harness. i'm along the same lines of thought as pirbul - harness vs collar for long distance walks.

input?

i like this thread btw, lots of good input so far.

 

i'm mainly walking on dirt roads and i prefer a good sneaker over anything else. The soft dirt is much easier on ur shoes than pavement which in turn will do less damage to the sneaks, other than get them dirty. I use a 5/8" nylon rope lead thats 15' long, and it seems to work good for me because the dog has plenty of distance to run back and forth but i can still quickly reel him in if i have to, oh and also at 15' u can keep better control of the rope to not allow it to get hung up on rocks and roots on the ground, JMO

 

now, this is all just fro experience, I'm no expert on the matter....

PirBul, I rarely use a harness unless I know they are going to pull. A long lead and collar should work fine. I like the Stillwater seatbelt collar, because it has less friction.

Kergin, I think the rope I use is 5/8ths. I would choose the thickness more for what's comfortable for your hand, rather than weight. If you want to add weight resistance to the workout, I think dragging weight from a harness or even just a weighted harness would be a better idea.

And if I were in that rural of an area, I'd go with 20+ feet for the lead. And definitely with the collar.

 

I have flat feet, well actually one flat foot (which makes it worst). I have ALWAYS had aches and pains after walking dogs. I have found that cushion is number one need for anyone walking. Here are type of sneakers i currently use:

http://www.zappos.com/n/p/p/7356947.html (couldn't find the man's version) If you have wide feet, you should also seek wide sneakers (like me).

http://www.zappos.com/n/p/p/7355860/c/119090.html

Now let see what you guys wrote...lol

 

I should have taken a picture of my last pair of shoes. They had split in half on the bottom.

 

This pair of kicks should do wonders for your feet.

Gotta get these.

 

Damn, i should buy from USA... the change coin benefits euro alot hehe.