Distance runner turned walker Sharon Locke was working her way back into ultra running after rotator cuff surgery. Last May, she was looking forward to the 2025 Great Saunter: a 32-mile walk around the perimeter of Manhattan. The race is hosted by the well-known walking club the Shorewalkers. Originally, Sharon was planning to run the first 13 miles of the Saunter and walk the rest. However, after her first walk with the Shorewalkers, a 20-mile, 7-bridge journey, she decided she wanted to walk the entire distance.
The discomfort Sharon felt in her hips and feet led her on a deep search for better walking shoes and training support. This is when she discovered Coach Carmen’s Reshod Walking Shoes YouTube Channel. There, Sharon learned that running shoes are not the same as walking shoes, and that the racewalking community has limited footwear options to choose from. Sharon reached out to Coach Carmen for a shoe recommendation, and she recommended the Coach Carmen® Race Walk Shoe.
After trying the shoe, Sharon said, “The feel is indescribable to me as a person who has been wearing running shoes and barefoot shoes for the most part… nothing I own feels anything like the Reshods. There is a midsole support that is so comfortable, and when I tried out the beginner race walking techniques from Coach Carmen’s videos, they worked as advertised!”
At about the midway point of the Great Saunter, Sharon changed her socks and added preventative tape to the balls and sides of her feet. Her left heel, which had been giving her problems before switching to Reshods, was not bothering her at all.
Sharon added, “Mile after mile thereafter, I continued to have zero issues. I didn’t change my socks or do anything to tend to my feet for the remainder of the walk. When I finished, I was tired, but in no pain. I completed the Great Saunter at a steady pace, all in Coach Carmen’s Reshods.” Sharon also reported feeling wonderful the next day, with the exception of her left big toenail being a little sensitive to the touch. “No heel pain, no foot aches or pains – nothing else,” Sharon exclaimed.
Sharon’s only suggestion was for Reshod to offer “casual,” wide, foot-shaped shoes for day-to-day wear. Thank you for your comment, Sharon. We are planning to offer a wide shoe style in 2027 – stay tuned!
