What’s up with Fitness Shoes?

I am an athlete – I have played Team and League Tennis for years.  I have been a gym rat – in fact the top Trainer in the Gym would use me as an example of how a woman could look after training with him.  I swim, I hike, I play golf, I skate -  if it involves movement, if I don’t do it I will try.  So I feel blessed that I have done all this stuff with no injuries – so how do I hurt my knee (and get a hitch in my hip) – FITNESS SHOES!

The first shoe I bought was the natural walking shoe (Avia Avi-Motions) – LOVED the shoe – really comfortable.  So I wear my shoes for hours – walk along the lake front with a weight vest.    I get a little ‘hitch’ (pain) in my right hip.  I don’t immediately attribute it to the shoes.  Confused,but since it wasn’t really painful or constant, I basically overlook it. 

Because I hate to have dark legs and really light  feet, I really wanted to try the fitness fit-flops.  I saw a lot of them and all of the ladies I saw in them said they really liked them  Then, one of my friends bought the regular Fit-Flop and loved them.  SO, I decided to try out a pair -  I purchased the Champion version of the Fit-Flop. 

I kept the Champion shoes on all day long for many days after purchase.  I even went for weighted walks (again wearing a twenty pound weight vest) in my Champions. 

After a few weeks, I started having pains in my right knee.  AGAIN, I refused to believe that it was THE SHOES.  But, I stopped wearing them anyway.  It has been MANY weeks and my knee is almost back to normal.  AND, the ‘hitch’ is completely gone. 

My opinion is:  (1)Be careful  of the ‘exercise’ shoes and fit flops  that are designed to  keep you slightly off balance  AND, (2) don’t wear them for days on end when you first get them.  Break yourself in slowly.

I really think if I had taken it slow in the beginning  that, I may not have had such a painful experience and would be able to keep wearing my shoes. 

Tagged as: champion athletic shoes, natural walking shoe, reebok, reebok easy tones