Decided to do some walking as the trails are a sodden mess right now so hauled on a pair of Brasher walking boots that I had bought maybe 6/7 years ago but never worn the fit is fine and the boot feels comfortable although the sole feels very rigid and the heel rather tall I feel like I am tipped slightly forward,so not long into the first walk I have shin pain Is this likely to just be the unaccustomed exercise and just stick with it ?
I don’t want to cause an injury I only walked for an hour but I was cracking on.

Are you sure they’re not ski boots?

unaccustomed exercise

cracking on

Poor combination

No there Brasher hillmasters although not the current version.

maybe its just the unaccustomed exercise, My mistake maybe thinking reasonable cycling fitness equipes me to walk.

My walking boots gave me shin pain something chronic. I think it was pressure points from the upper / tongue bit causing swelling and pain. Taking more care lacing them and decent socks helped.

I’ve had similar when I haven’t walked for a while. It wears off after a couple trips but can get quite painful at the time. I wouldn’t push it, could lead to longer recovery. It’s a bit like arse pain from a bike saddle when you have been off bike for extended length of time.

I get the same thing and have never been able to find a definitive reason. What helps me is building up the distance gradually over a few weeks and/or starting off at quite a slow pace. I can walk slowly all day long but if I go off at a cracking pace I’ll be in pain after about 1km.

The other odd thing I’ve noticed is that the pain can ease off after about an hour if i do push on.

The type of shoe/boot doesn’t see to be an issue for me, I get the same issue in full leather walking boots or lightweight trainers.

for me I get it with some boots – I think its over stretching of the muscles at the front of the leg as when you put the heel down your foot does not roll naturally but your weight pushes your toe down. More flexible boots or shorter strides might help

Mud tyres?

Mince.

I rarely do up the top few laces on boots. My shins hurt if I do.

…if I go off at a cracking pace I’ll be in pain after about 1km.

… the pain can ease off after about an hour if i do push on.

I get the same. I think it’s some sort of cramp. It’s worst when setting off walking briskly on tarmac, but almost never happens walking on grass. Once it’s started, if I can sit down for about 10 minutes with my legs stretched out, it usually goes away.

So I suppose: start slower and try and avoid surfaced roads.

Once it’s started, if I can sit down for about 10 minutes with my legs stretched out, it usually goes away.

Yep, same for me. Also I find that it’ll ease to bearable levels if I just slow the pace down for a bit then eventually wear off altogether. The surfaced roads thing is interesting, I had noticed that it was more likely to happen if I was walking around the streets rather than on a country hike but I’d put that down to the idea that i tend to walk slower on a hike but it could well be the hardness of the surface.

Like I said I’ve no confirmed cause but my (I am not a doctor) best guess is that years of cycling without much stretching will have caused some muscle(s) or other to contract and this/these muscle(s) comes into play when walking.

Could be a little bit of unacostomised to the exercise and overly tight upper laces. Try loosening the fit a little and doing some stretches for your calves and shins at the start and during your walk. If the pain persists or gets worse go to see your gp or a witch doctor.

Thank’s all some interesting posts here..

Anyone use those tall nordic walking sticks? is there much of a benefit with them workout wise?

http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/shin-splints/Pages/Introduction.aspx

You don’t just get it from running, I remember fast marching/tabbing etc causing it in army boots, and I’ve had it more recently when in a hurry pushing the buggy somewhere, as someone who normally travels on two wheels.

Yeah, basically walking in high heels innit. You’re asking the muscles in your shin to hold your bodyweight when you walk with a heel first landing. they’re naturally quite small muscles, so it hurts after a while.

Another vote for not doing the upper laces up tight. Just get the lower ones tight ish so your heal does not lift up..

(I am not a physio, but) I have experienced this pain for years. When younger it was particularly hard hockey pitches that would set it off.

These days, because of a lack of exercise means I’m a buffet, I find brisk walking does it. Worst is straight off the (2 hour) train journey to London on Monday mornings – sit stationary and then blast down the platform and along the street to the tube. Am usually crippled by then.

I don’t believe it’s shin splints in my case – the pain isn’t associated with the shin bone. Instead, I think it’s a short term case if compartment syndrome in the muscle st the front of the shin (anterior tibialis), which is down to the muscle expanding with blood flow as I suddenly demand it walk briskly before the less flexible tissue surrounding the muscle has had a chance to relax.

Slowing down helps. Also, some pre-walking exercises can help: heels on floor and raise foot upwards 20 times, repeated 3 times. Also try kneeling with your feet pointing behind you and sit back on your feet. Last exercise is stretching calves – when I did some yoga this seemed to help.

I’d always described the feeling as ‘shin splints’, but following the NHS link above, it sounds much more like chronic compartment syndrome, but could just be cramp – there are no lasting effects whatsoever for me – the pain can be gone in minutes – and it only happens very occasionally.

I think it’s probably linked to landing heel first and then my foot pivoting around the heel of a stiff soled boot (I don’t get it with trainers) – possibly worse when walking at a faster pace than comfortable (keeping pace with others). I don’t lace the top eyes of my walking boots (never have).

Luckily, it is more of a curiosity than a problem for me.

I get muscular stiffness in shins after tackling gradients and speeds that I’m unaccustomed to. I put it down to cyclist-specific musculature combined with good cardio vascular fitness which means it’s easy to over exert tight muscles.