Racewalkers need a light-weight, flexible shoe with zero heel drop, i.e., a heel that is no higher than the front sole.  This shoe fills the bill on all that.  My previous racewalking shoe was also a Merrell "Glove", a "Trail Glove", which I liked very much but this one seems just slightly more stable. Although the shoe is designed around the idea that you would not wear socks, I do wear them.  And because racewalking requires that you land on the very back of your heel, I have inserted two thin, flat Spenco Rx insoles into each shoe.  They protect my heels from rocks on the trail without affecting the flexibility.