Walking stance - part 1

I have trouble with this recently.

Walking stance, otherwise called (front) bow stance. Where one knee is bent, and the other stretched like a bow.

How wide it is, depends on the situation, balance, distancing and style. Generally, wushu stances are wide as possible and internal martial arts have a set limit (like bagua and taichi). Foot positions are different too. Taichi and wushu foot positions is front foot looking forward and back rotated 45degrees, praying mantis both feet rotated 45degrees parallel to each other, wing chun both feet rotated in (facing each other), bujinkan is very variable but mostly front foot forward looking and back foot rotated ~90degrees to maximise distance. Weight distribution is generally 70/30 or 60/40.

The problem I have with walking stance is that it's hard for me to transition to another posture. I mean, its cumbersome for me to move to another position, because it takes me forever to move my rear leg because of the distance of the rear leg and because the knee is straight (or slightly straight). Also, most of the weight is on the front leg - so if you want to move your front leg, you have to shift weight to the other leg quickly to move.

Also, taking another bow stance after the previous bow stance challenges your balance. It's like if you take big long steps on rocks that are a metre apart.

It makes me question, why do certain styles emphasize large/short stances, foot positioning, weight distribution and how do we apply it in a fighting situation.