See Running and Walking Shoes, Pt. 1: Intelligent Feet

The Process of Evolving into the Correct Shoe

Whether you’re a walker or a runner, there are several factors in choosing a shoe:

Your BMI (Body Mass Index):
Your Body Mass Index is a measure of your body fat based on your height and weight. If you have a high BMI, the additional weight you are carrying may require that you get more support for your feet, until you lower your BMI. Use our new BMI Calculator on this page.

Your ChiRunning or ChiWalking skill level:
As you improve your ChiWalking or ChiRunning technique, you will need more flexibility and less support and structure in your shoe.

Distance you are running or walking:
For longer distance running and walking such as a half-marathon or marathon, you want to make sure your shoe will remain supportive for the entire distance.

The shoe I run in is the New Balance 790. It’s being sold as a trail racing flat. It’s flexible and lightweight, and the mid-sole is filled in, making it the ideal shoe for mid-foot contact with the ground. The shoe is built low to the ground with little more cushioning in the heel than in the forefoot. If you’re still in the beginning stages of learning your ChiRunning or ChiWalking technique, it might not be enough of a shoe for daily training, but it's a good, neutral, low-profile shoe to work towards. This is a good example of the shoe you will end up with if you follow Gradual Progress and continue to increase the lightness of your footstep.

Here are some of the general categories of running and walking shoes: Motion Control, Stability, Lightweight, Cushioning, and Trail shoes would all fall under "training shoes". A motion control shoe is always a stability shoe, but a shoe can be stability but not motion control, meaning that it’s made to stabilize your foot, but not necessarily correct for any structural abnormalities. Basically, motion control shoes are the most extreme version of a "stability” shoe and work to correct for pronation. Those shoes which are lighter weight and more minimal in structure are “racing shoes” or “flats” because they have very little thickness in the heel.

Start with the shoe you currently feel best in, and if you’re practicing ChiWalking or ChiRunning, plan on reducing the amount of structure in your shoe to the next, lesser level of structure, at your next purchase.

If you don’t have a favorite shoe, here are some things to look for in a good pair of shoes (or go to page 165-169 in the ChiRunning book or page 69 in the ChiWalking book).

Comfort and Width – First and foremost your shoes need to feel comfortable. If they don’t feel like a great pair of bedroom slippers, like you could sleep in them, look for another pair. Don’t be afraid to buy a half size larger if your feet feel cramped in any way. Plenty of width and room allow your feet to feel the ground and helps the blood circulation in your feet. As a side note, you should never wear your shoes with tightened laces, as this will restrict the blood flow and flexibility of your feet.

Light Weight and Flexible – In ChiWalking and ChiRunning you’ll also be looking for a lighter weight, very flexible shoe. Again, you don’t want to reduce the structure and support of your shoes too quickly, but you will be progressing toward a more minimal shoe as your technique improves.