By now you have probably heard of Steve Vaught, “the Fat Man Walking across America.” Over the last year, he walked approximately 2,843 miles from San Diego/Oceanside to New York to lose weight and regain his life. Before his trek, his podiatrist recommended switching into new shoes at least every three weeks. In the end he had lost over 100 pounds and used up 15 pairs of shoes and 30 pairs of socks. What kind of shoes? The brands he mentions in his journal are Nike Air, Reebok, and New Balance. He especially liked the New Balance 791 running shoes. On a long journey like this, the right shoes proved to be critical in achieving his goal. Congratulations to Steve Vaught!

Here are some excerpts (that read just like Shoe-n-Tell reviews) from his website:

4/17/05 - Got a new pair of skins today. Nike Air size 12. Awesome! I normally wear 11 but with the socks that I am wearing I decided that the 12’s just fit better. It is funny how something that is normally a minor incident in one’s life becomes epic when you are involved in something like this.

3/16/06 - I stopped at a chain sporting goods store and bought a different pair of New Balance running shoes, 791 to be exact. Instantly, yes instantly, my feet were feeling better. The next day I walked for almost ten solid miles without taking a break and without significant pain. Normally, after the first ½ mile or so my feet are sore and it takes two or three to a tolerable state of balance between pain and pace. So there you go a simple fix to a seemingly daunting problem. I thought about ankle braces, massage, different orthodics and a lot of other things when all along I had the wrong shoes. I guess I learned, again, that sometimes it is as simple as it seems. I still have the stress fractures obviously, but now, with the right shoes, it is more manageable.

New Balance - MW791 (White/Navy) - Men's

New Balance - WX791 (White/Blue) - Women's