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Athletic Shoes are a dying breed in America. Actually, they’re not dying; we just kill them when we wear them badly. Athletics can be divided into a few main groups: Runners, Cross-Trainers, Walkers, Hikers, and Tennis Shoes. Let’s take a look…

Running Shoes

Runners are runners because they fit your foot for running. The fit of a runner feels like the shoe is cupping your foot on the sides (as if you were holding a baby bird in your hands.) This fit keeps the shoe from moving around and blistering you when you run. No blisters = fun run.

The shoes also lace up tighter because the loopholes tend to be a little closer together. This gives you a solid fit that makes your mile (or 26 miles) easier on your feet.

Cross-Trainers

Cross-Trainers are runners gone mad. A Cross-Trainer doesn’t have as tight a fit as a Runner because you need to have a little room to breathe. Unlike running shoes, cross-trainers are made for forward and lateral movement.

So, while you’re training to get picked 1st in the NFL Draft you need to be able to move forwards and backwards as well as side-to-side. This looser fit allows for this motion because it doesn’t dig into your foot and the outsole is only slightly contoured so you don’t trip over yourself.

Walkers

Walkers are, you guessed it, made for walking. Don’t think for a second about wearing these shoes with your normal casual wear, because they go great with this sort of thing. Many teachers and medical professionals wear walking shoes because they are made with heavy support for the arches of your feet and lightly contoured outsoles that allow you to traverse the halls of your school or hospital with relative ease.

Hikers

Hikers are a whole other breed. Yes, hiking boots are great for hiking, but some people would prefer a low-top shoe to hike in.

Sometimes a light hiker is called a trail shoe because the upper is not heavy duty, but the outsole is quite rugged. A regular hiking shoe will have this same rugged outsole, but it will also have a fabric and leather upper that will be able to take just about any punishment.

Hikers also work well with casual wear because they tend to be colored in the scheme of the most popular fall and casual wear.

Tennis Shoes

Tennis shoes are not all athletics. We just call them Tennis Shoes because we don’t know what else to say. In reality, Tennis Shoes are designed with very flat outsoles where the contouring is recessed so that you can have some traction, but also the ability to slide at a moment’s notice.

Ever seen a Tennis player slide across a clay court to hit a backhand? That Tennis shoe helped out a lot.

Tennis shoes are the ultimate in simple athletics if you just want to wear them with casual wear, but be careful not to try to do anything harsh in them as they are not made to hold up to steady running, training, or hiking.

How to Care for Athletic Shoes

Overall, caring for Athletic Shoes is no different than your regular shoes. Brush suedes, polish top calf leathers, and treat oil-tanned leathers. By all means, wash your shoes in the washing machine (if the manufacturer says you can), otherwise stay away from the washer.

Pictures of Athletic Shoes

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