Why should you where work boots?

One job I had was at an auto parts store. After the first 2 weeks of working there a coworker comes up to me saying that I won't last 6 months. He says with the shoes that I am wearing my knees and ankles will be screwed if I keep wearing running shoes. That I should be wearing work boots, as he challenges me to a race and he says that he will beat me (he had to be 60 years old) That I should find a pair with the thickest hardest soles so they will take the shock out of each step I take when walking on cement floors. So I took his advice because I had a pair of work boots. That was 30 years ago and I am so glad that I listened to him. The places where I work now sometimes look like the walking dead their knees ankles hips and back are screwed. Everyone has had injuries from the strain of the amount of walking that we do. They all wear running shoes. I would like to thank the person for telling me this work place tip because I do not have any ankle knee, hip or back problems. And it has been 30 years since I worked there.