If you do quilting, you will be glad to have a walking foot. Unfortunately, I didn't know that until about 3 years after I started quilting. It makes straight line quilting much easier as explained by others. I use it for bindings too and a lot of other things. I have used it for reverse sewing but have been told that it shouldn't be used for that. I admit I have had to buy a 2nd. walking foot because of stripped gears but I'm not sure that reverse sewing caused that...think it was just plain worn out.