HealthyFeetBlog.com

Back in October our favorite walking blog, About.com: Walking posted a nearly exhaustive list of songs about walking and walkers. That got us at HealthyFeetStore.com Blog thinking, “Why not make a list of songs that celebrate shoes, the tools we all rely on to keep us pounding the pavement?” Without further ado, here is a list of our top five favorite shoe songs along with some honorable mentions.

1. These Boots Are Made for Walkin’ by Nancy Sinatra

These boots are made for walkin’ and that’s just what they’ll do.
One of these days these boots are gonna walk all over you.

By far, the most recognizable shoe song in history. As much as we love this song, we think that Nancy would have been able to walk much farther with fewer blisters had she invested in a pair of well-fitting walking shoes instead of her trademark patent leather spike heeled boots. Just our opinion of course.

2. Blue Suede Shoes by Carl Perkins

Don’t you step on my blue suede shoes.

Carl Perkins got the original idea for this song from Johnny Cash when they spoke about Cash’ meeting with an air force veteran who served in World War II and felt very passionate about his blue military regulation air shoes which he called “blue suede shoes”. In the same year, Perkins observed a young couple dancing together at one of his gigs. The young man had on none other than a pair of blue suede shoes which he cautioned his date not to step on.

This is our favorite pair of blue suede shoes, though technically they’re nubuck, not suede.

3. Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes by Paul Simon

People say she’s crazy she’s got diamonds on the soles of her shoes.
Well, that’s one way to lose these walking blues;
Diamonds on the soles of her shoes.

Outside of metaphor, diamonds on the soles of your shoes would probably be a terrible idea. Diamonds are the hardest naturally occurring material on earth. If you tried to imbed them in a shoe sole the diamond would eventually wear away the sole and footbed and come into direct contact with the bottoms of your feet causing, at best, severe discomfort and, at worst, foot injury. The other option would be to have a shoe with a sole made from a solid layer of diamond from heel to toe. The sole would be durable, but heavy and inflexible. You would have to walk on unpaved surfaces because your diamond soled shoes hitting the sidewalk would be as jarring as a hammer hitting a nail. No cushion, no give, no shock-absorption. Perhaps a particularly advanced orthotic footbed could compensate to some degree, but we’re not entirely certain. A wonderful song anyway.

4. Old Brown Shoe by The Beatles

I’m stepping out this old brown shoe, baby, I’m in love with you.
I’m so glad you came here, it won’t be the same now, I’m telling you.

Falling in love has many benefits, including apparently, the prevention of plantar fasciitis. Plantar Fasciitis is a foot condition caused by the straining and tearing of the ligament along the bottom of the foot which results in inflammation and heel pain. One common cause of plantar fasciitis is wearing worn out shoes that no longer provide adequate support for feet. By stepping out of his old brown shoe, George Harrison (the song’s author) probably saved himself a lot of unnecessary pain and discomfort. But, there are other methods besides love for knowing when to discard a shoe that’s past its prime. When in doubt follow these guidelines:

Walking shoes should be replaced after 500 miles of wear, running shoes every 350-500 miles depending upon the surfaces you are running on. Most walkers and runners who engage in the activity daily should buy new shoes every three to six months.

Casual shoes should be replaced when the tread begins to wear down or when the vamp is damaged.

It is usually fine to replace infrequently worn dress shoes only when they are cosmetically damaged, unless your foot size or shape has changed. Feet can change over time so don’t assume your dress shoes will still fit if you haven’t worn them recently. Try the shoes on well-ahead of the occasion and buy new shoes if the one shoes rub or pinch.

5. Those Shoes by The Eagles

Oh, no, you can’t do that once you start wearin’ those shoes.

The Eagles have a good point here. Shoes really can control a person’s destiny. For example, wearing pointed toed, high-heeled shoes, particularly with a heel higher than two inches is a recipe for bunions. Wearing flip flops that are not orthotic, pronation-controlling flip flops can lead to arch and ankle pain. Both of these foot conditions can decrease your ability to enjoy activities that involve a significant amount of walking such as hiking or even window shopping. The Eagles are right to caution women in particular to select their footwear carefully, as women tend to have a higher incidence of developing a foot condition.

Other shoe songs that made honorable mention on our shoe song list:

• Walking in My Shoes by Depeche Mode

• Walking Shoes by Tanya Tucker
• Shoes by Shania Twain
• Gumboots by Paul Simon
• Boogie Shoes by KC and the Sunshine Band

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