The 7 Best Walking Shoes, According to Podiatrists
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These comfy shoe picks are perfect for hitting the pavement or trails.
Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD
Walking has so many health benefits! Walking can also help you lose weight (when paired with a healthy diet). But you don't want to log a bunch of miles in unsupportive shoes or shoes that aren't right for your feet—and don't even think about walking in flip-flops (not even around the house!).
When looking for the best walking shoes, comfort is key, of course, but you'll also need to think about the unique shape of your foot, says James Yakel, D.P.M., a sports podiatrist in Longmont, Colorado, and past president of the American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine. "If you have a high-arched foot, look for a shoe with more cushioning to help absorb shock. If you have more of a flat foot, look for a shoe with more support and stability," Yakel says. And you probably don't want to hear this, but you should never choose a walking shoe based on appearance. "No question, you sacrifice style for comfort," says Yakel.
So, if you're in the market for walking shoes, where should you start? We have suggestions! We consulted with podiatrists and even ran some live tests for comfort, stability, support, fit, styles and colors, to bring you our top picks.
Our Walking Shoe Recommendations
Best Overall: Brooks Addiction GTS 15
Best Value: Ryka Devotion Plus 3
Best for Narrow Feet: Altra Rivera 2
Best for Wide Feet: New Balance 928v3
Best for Foot Pain: Brooks Adrenaline GTS 22
Best Cushioning: Hoka Bondi 8
Best Neutral Shoe: Brooks Ghost 15
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The Best Walking Shoes, According to Podiatrists
Best Overall: Brooks Addiction GTS 15
What we like: This shoe has a roomy forefoot area and ultimate support for your feet.
What to know: It only comes in limited colors.
The Brooks Addiction GTS 15 is a great shoe for walking or running every day. "This is a really good shoe that has been around for a long time and provides maximum support for those with flat feet," says Yakel. The proprietary cushioning adapts to your stride, weight and speed to reduce the impact on your joints. Roomier in the toe box, it's a good choice for anyone who wears orthotics or whose feet need that extra space. The upper is made from 3D fit print and engineered air mesh materials, giving the shoe the ability to stretch and your foot the ability to breathe. The GTS 15, along with other Brooks shoes, includes GuideRails technology, which includes extra cushioning around the heel to prevent excess shin and heel rotation to protect and support your knees and hips. It's worth overlooking the shoe's basic design and colors (it only comes in a few shades) to benefit from how comfy this shoe really is.
The GTS 15 has the American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA) Seal of Acceptance. The seal isn't an endorsement, but designed to help consumers identify shoes that the AMPA believes are beneficial to foot health (e.g., it allows normal foot function and promotes quality foot health). The GTS 15 is also PDAC A5500 Diabetic certified, which means you may be able to receive a healthcare reimbursement from Medicare (if your doctor takes Medicare) when you purchase this shoe.
Available sizes: 5 to 12 | Width options: Narrow, medium, wide, extra wide | Fit: True to size | Cushion level: High | Materials: Engineered air mesh, rubber sole
Best Value: Ryka Devotion Plus 3
What we like: It is stylish, durable, and provides great traction and support.
What to know: They come in a small assortment of colors.
This brand makes footwear with a narrower heel, roomier forefront, increased instep volume and a more secure footbed. "I particularly like the extra cushion the shoe provides around the collar and tongue. This allows walkers to tighten their laces without constricting blood supply and causing irritation," says Wenjay Sung, a podiatrist based in Los Angeles. There's extra cushion built into the midfoot of the shoe for shock absorption too.
Sporting pretty iridescent overlays and a limited—yet nice—selection of colors, the shoe also provides great traction and durability with its eight-piece rubber sole. They come in both medium and wide widths to ensure the proper fit for your foot. It's a good shoe designed for all-day-long comfort.
There's also a slightly updated version of this shoe, the Ryka Devotion Plus 4 Walking Shoe. It features all the same cushioning and materials, but they are slightly lighter in weight and have the APMA seal of approval.
Available sizes: 5 to 12 | Width options: Medium, wide | Fit: True to size | Cushion level: Moderate | Materials: Breathable engineered mesh, iridescent overlays, rubber sole
Best for Narrow Feet: Altra Rivera 2
What we like: The comfy cushioning and selection of bright, flashy colors.
What to know: The ball of the foot area tends to run narrow.
Made of lightweight, breathable mesh (in bright colors, to boot!), these walking shoes are flexible yet provide ample shock absorption and cushioning. Altra's proprietary FootShape technology gives that just-right fit, and they come in original, standard, or slim widths. "These comfortably fit a woman's foot and are designed to give your feet more space," says says Suzanne Fuchs, D.P.M., a board-certified podiatrist specializing in sports medicine and foot and ankle surgery at Luxe Podiatry in Jupiter, Florida. Furthermore, "A balanced cushioning platform provides better alignment by positioning your heel and forefoot at an equal distance from the ground," she says. Plus the midsole has grid-like grooves, which help with movement, flexibility and performance. The shoe runs true to size and has a roomier toebox, but the ball of the foot area is not wider so be sure you get the right width you need for your feet.
There is also an updated version of this shoe—the Altra Rivera 3. This walking shoe has a slightly higher stack height to provide more cushion and uses layered mesh on the upper.
Available sizes: 5.5 to 12 | Width options: Original, standard, slim | Fit: True to size | Cushion level: Moderate | Materials: Breathable engineered mesh, rubber sole
Best for Wide Feet: New Balance 928v3
What we like: The extra cushioning in the shoe makes for ultimate comfort when walking.
What to know: They're not the most stylish.
Look past the somewhat geriatric appearance of this pair (we think the grey and white options are the most stylish), and you'll invest in really great walking shoes that have plenty of support and are extra-well-cushioned. In fact, our Senior Food Features Editor, Carolyn Malcoun, is a devoted New Balance wearer. "New Balance is known for wide widths, so if you have a wide foot or experience foot swelling, this shoe is a good choice," says Yakel. This particular style comes in narrow, standard and wide, as well as X-wide and XX-wide. They truly accommodate any foot width. It has a leather upper, a rubber sole and a two-layer foam for superior cushioning and comfort.
Available sizes: 5 to 13 | Width options: Narrow, standard, wide, extra wide, extra extra-wide | Fit: True to size| Cushion: High | Materials: Leather upper, rubber sole
Best for Foot Pain: Brooks Adrenaline GTS 22
What we like: The shoe has great performance, comfort and color selection.
What to know: The shoe laces are short in length.
If you're looking for a shoe that performs equally as well for cross-training and HIIT sessions as it does on the walking path (or even running), look no further than the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 22, an upgrade to the GTS 21 from a previous version of this list.
"This is a fairly lightweight shoe for a neutral to high-arch foot type [that] provides plenty of cushion, shock absorption and stability," Fuchs said of the GTS 21s that were on this list prior to the release of the upgrade. During tests, we found the GTS 22s to be lightweight, which helped reduce any strain or pain in the knees.
"I have been running in this shoe for over 10 years—and it's the only running shoe I'll buy," says Penelope Wall, EatingWell's Senior Editorial Director. "I started using them when I was training for a half marathon and started having foot pain. The pain stopped when I switched to these shoes."
One gripe was that the shoelaces could stand to be a bit longer in length, but otherwise, the design is versatile, comfortable and stylish. Plus, thanks to the variety of colors, you can even select more than one pair to match any outfit.
Another perk: the Adrenaline GTS 22 has the APMA seal of approval.
Available sizes: 5 to 13 | Width options: Narrow, medium, wide, extra wide | Fit: True to size | Cushion level: High | Materials: Upper mesh, rubber sole
Best Cushioning: Hoka Bondi 8
What we like: The mesh material has impressive breathability keeping the feet from sweating.
What to know: These shoes are heavier and clunkier than other walking shoes.
If it seems like all your friends (and their parents) are wearing bizarrely chunky-looking Hokas these days, you're not alone. Try a pair of these once, and you'll be hooked. Their lightweight material is ultra-breathable and thanks to a full-length midsole made of ethyl vinyl acetate (or EVA) also provides lots of cushioning and shock absorption. "A slight rocker bottom [enables] a smooth transition when walking that will prevent too much pressure and strain on the midfoot and ball of your foot while still providing support and stability," says Fuchs.
The Hoka Bondi 8 comes in an assortment of pastel and bright colors, from pale pinkish to dark purples and many more. During tests, we found these shoes to be a bit heavy and clunky, making it an effort to propel the foot forward while walking, especially over long distances. Yet the shoes offered monumental breathability, and our feet didn't get sweaty and stayed comfortable.
Available sizes: 5 to 12 | Width options: Regular, wide | Fit: True to size | Cushion level: High | Materials: Mesh, rubber sole
Best Neutral Shoe: Brooks Ghost 15
What we like: They have extra room in the toe box area and are very comfortable.
What to know: Not all colors are available in wide width.
"This attractive shoe, which feels plush from the moment you slip your foot in, strikes the perfect balance of being lightweight yet cushioning for impact absorption," says Graham Wolff, general manager at Fleet Feet at the Roosevelt Collection Shops in Chicago. Plus, he adds, "its engineered-mesh upper is roomy and smooth, and it provides just a bit of stretch to help mold it around the unique shape of your foot." Wear these on hot summer days for supreme breathability.
The Ghost 15 is made from over 50% from recycled materials and plastic bottles. It sports a newly updated and lighter-in-weight DNA LOFT v2 cushioning. We tested these and found them to be comfortable and provide stability for your feet while walking or running. They were roomy in the forefront toe area and had great support with just enough cushion. There is an assortment of colors to choose from, and some even have a camo-type effect design on the outer sole or upper mesh area. (Just know that not all the colors are available in wide widths.) To top it off, they are a certified PDA A5500 Diabetic shoe and have the seal of acceptance from APMA.
Available sizes: 5 to 13 | Width options: Medium, wide, narrow | Fit: True to size | Cushion level: Moderate | Materials: Engineered air mesh, rubber sole
The Bottom Line: The Best Walking Shoe for Women
With a roomy fit that allows you to stride more naturally and stable construction, the Brooks Addiction GTS 15 (view at Zappos) is our overall pick for a walking shoe. However, if you're looking for a more budget-friendly walking shoe, the Ryka Plus 3 Devotion (view at Amazon) is another pick that podiatrists love.
Choosing a Walking Shoe
The great thing about walking for exercise is that the only gear you really need is a pair of shoes. When searching for a great walking shoe (or sandal), look for one that provides cushion or shock absorption (for both the ball of the foot and the heel), stability and the right amount of arch support for your individual foot type (flatfoot, neutral or high arch), says Fuchs.
Always prioritize comfort over style (sorry!). Generally speaking, walking shoes tend to be a little bit blander compared to training shoes, which are flashier and come in more colors—but above all, opt for comfort, stability and quality over anything else when it comes to choosing the best walking shoes.
Our Search for the Best Walking Shoes
To bring you these recommendations for the best walking shoes, we interviewed podiatrists, physical therapists and shoe-fitting experts for their recommendations on styles and brands. We also ran tests on some of the walking shoes in this round-up—trying them out in the real world and assessing them for comfort, stability, support and fit before we determined which walking shoes made the cut.
Common Questions
What are the best walking shoes?
As we mentioned earlier, when looking for a walking shoe you should prioritize comfort, support and fit. Look for shoes with ample cushioning to help absorb the impact from walking on hard surfaces like concrete. A supportive arch and sturdy heel counter (the material that wraps around the outside of the heel) can help ensure your foot stays aligned and stable within your shoe, which can help prevent injuries.
Fit is perhaps the most important factor to consider. Since your feet can swell throughout the day, you may want to try on shoes in the late afternoon or evening to get a more accurate picture of what size of shoe you'll need. When you stand, see if the shoe allows about a centimeter of space between the end of the shoe and your longest toe. The best walking shoes will not feel too tight or loose around your foot, and should be comfortable from the get-go (no breaking in required).
Can my shoe size change over time?
Surprisingly, yes! Your foot size can change as you get older, so you should always remeasure your foot when buying new shoes. Turns out, between 63 and 72% of people wear inappropriately sized footwear (according to a 2018 study in the Journal of Foot and Ankle Research), which can lead to problems such as plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendinitis, blisters, corns, ingrown toenails and more.
How long do walking shoes last?
The answer: It depends! The lifespan of your walking shoes will depend on factors like how far you walk, what surfaces you walk on and even your natural gait. Generally speaking, most walking shoes will last between 300 to 500 miles, so if you walk three miles a day, that gives you somewhere between four and six months' worth of wear. (The same goes for running shoes.) Rather than relying on mileage, you'll want to listen to your body. If your knees or feet start to ache, it might be time for a new pair.
Our Trusted Expertise
Kelsey Ogletree talked with multiple podiatrists, and with their expertise and knowledge, determined the best walking shoes. Some of the recommended shoes were also tested in our lab and so we included some of those insights. The article was reviewed by Jessica Ball, M.S., RD, Nutrition Editor for EatingWell, who devotes her time and knowledge to writing, reviewing, and editing food, nutrition, sustainability, and health articles.
An update of this article was edited by Katie Tuttle, a food editor and contributor to publications such as Food & Wine and The Spruce Eats. It was reviewed by Brierley Horton, M.S., RD, Senior Commerce Editor, who has 15 years of experience reporting, writing, and editing nutrition and health content.
Read the original article on Eating Well.
