Best Walking Shoes For Women: The Complete Buyer’s Guide

When you’re on your feet all day, whether it’s for work or play, I cannot stress enough the importance of wearing a comfortable shoe that gives you the support you need. Even just standing for too long in a shoe that doesn’t fit properly or have proper support can lead to loads of complications down the line. I’m talking blisters, bunions, heel spurs, hammertoe, ingrown toenails, and metatarsalgia just to name a few. These don’t sound like very much fun, do they?

Fear not, I’m here to help! Avoid these problems by sporting a shoe that’s supportive, comfortable, and even fashionable, so you’ll not only feel great but you’ll look great too. This comprehensive list will sort you out with all the right things to look for in the perfect footwear for walking. 

Best Walking Shoes Comparison Table

Different Types of Walking Shoes

It’s important to keep in mind that not all shoes are created equal. There are many different features that do different jobs to keep you bouncing along from morning until night. Once you have your requirements in a walking shoe figured out, you’ll be able to weigh your options to make sure you’re making the best choice for your lifestyle.

Comfortable Walking Shoes

Generally speaking, based on personal experience and a scouring the internet for reliable recommendations in search of the top rated women’s walking shoes, the most comfortable pair will have at least a few of the following qualities: a strong and sturdy arch, breathability, supportive soles, flexibility, shock absorption, and a bit of extra cushioning.

Stylish Walking Shoes

You never need to forego fashion for comfort. There are plenty of chic and smart styles out there for the woman who wants to stay healthy and active while looking fab as well. It’s important to try new shoes at the end of the day when your feet are a bit swollen so you don’t end up choosing a pair that doesn’t fit right. This is a huge mistake that many women make. It is so much more important to have a great pair of shoes that fit right and feel good, than donning a pair that makes your toes bleed for the sake of fashion.

For those of you on your feet all day at work, there are shoes designed specifically for that as well. No matter your profession, you can find the right shoe for work. Look professional and feel great with every step you take in shoes that are made for the workplace. For food industry or healthcare workers, you can score a great pair of comfortable clogs with uppers that can be wiped clean after every spill. Even if you have to wear a suit to work, you can still find proper shoes that are sensible, comfortable, and smart looking.

Shoes Designed For Support

Sufferers of flat footedness, when shopping for the best sneakers for walking you have to look for a few important features. A supportive arch is necessary, but it’s not the only feature you’ll need. The ideal pair for you would also be equipped with motion control technology, and should provide more stability than the average shoe.

Also, about 10% of people suffer from plantar fasciitis. Plantar Fasciitis is a painful and frustrating condition, but thankfully it’s also correctable. You can strengthen your plantar fascia with podiatrist guided stretches and exercises. The right footwear can help you along the way by giving you the support you need. The ideal pair will have built-in shock absorption technology and strong, supportive arches in a well-cushioned insole.

Many walkers go out every day in order to accomplish a goal of losing a few pounds. If you’re overweight and looking for the top walking shoes for your body type, make sure you find a shoe that can support your body weight. After all, when you walk you put three times your body weight’s worth of pressure on your feet, so overweight women need thick soles. Since overweight women are also more susceptible to overpronation, shoes with motion control can help correct this problem.?

Shoes Designed For All Day Wear

If you are going to be on your feet and walking about all day long, you need a shoe that fights fatigue. Yes, these actually do exist! This will alleviate pressure and stress on your legs, knees, and back. Avoid painful foot complications by investing in a comfortable and supportive pair that will sustain the long hours you’re walking for.

Flats Designed For Walking

Wait... did you say 'flats designed for walking'?  Planning on a day out shopping with your girlfriends? A stroll in the park with your lover? You don’t have to ruin your outfit with sneakers just to make sure you’re comfortable. There are plenty of options of cute flats that are made for walking. Look for a pair that is soft and flexible, with supportive insoles to keep you going that extra mile.

Best Walking Shoes for Men

Don’t worry guys, I couldn’t leave you out! The ideal walking footwear for you will be held to the same standards as ideal walking footwear for women. Depending on what kind of arch you have, you can look for extra cushioning for your high arch, stability for a normal arch, and motion control for flat feet. Your shoes need to fit properly and feel good so you can keep going and going.

Top Five Best Walking Shoes

Finding the best shoes for walking for your body type can become overwhelming once you see just how many choices there are. To help you figure out what the best option is for you, I’ve put together this list of top five best walking shoes.

1. Skechers Performance Women’s Go Walk 3

With a near perfect rating, the Skechers Performance Women’s Go Walk 3 Slip-Ons are without a doubt some of the very best women’s walking shoes. Wearing this pair practically feels like you’re not wearing anything on your feet at all, they are so light.

Because of the second-skin fit and antimicrobial lining, they’re great for going sockless, and you can toss them right into the washing machine which makes them so easy to keep clean. You’ve got a roomy toe box and breathable uppers, with great traction in the outsoles, so you can quite literally walk all day in these shoes.

2. KEEN Women’s Whisper Sandal

The KEEN Women’s Whisper Sandal has some of the best women’s walking shoes reviews out there. Thousands of women can’t be wrong, right? When it comes to the great outdoors, this brand has always got you covered.

These sandals will take you from the beach to the mountains to the hard pavement of the big city. The fit is comfortable and secure thanks to the nifty quickdraw elastic cord lacing system and the compression molded EVA footbed. Despite how lightweight they are, these are still a quite sturdy, durable, and waterproof choice.

3. Saucony Women’s ProGrid Integrity ST2

When it comes to more traditional athletic footwear, the Saucony Women’s ProGrid Integrity ST2 Walking Shoes are the best walking sneakers for women. These high performance sneakers have loads of innovative features to keep the spring in your step. For starters, the Heel ProGridTM with Respon-TekTM delivers remarkable shock absorption in the compression molded EVA midsole.

The HRC Cushioning with Strobel Boards corrects your gait while supporting your heel with every strike to the ground. The flexible outsoles have Walk TracTM technology that is guaranteed to give you more traction with a solid grip.

4. Easy Spirit Women’s Romy

Right up there in the list of the best women’s walking sneakers, I present to you the Easy Spirit Women’s Romy Walking Shoe. This pair is great for those of you who have foot problems.

Women are so excited about this sneaker because any aches and pains they were suffering from before purchasing the Romy Walking Shoe have now subsided.

There is excellent arch support so if you’ve got flat feet, these would be a good choice. The removable, cushiony sock liner gives you extra padding and shock absorption, and the breathable uppers mold to the shape of your feet for extra comfort.

5. Nike Women’s Flex Trainer 5

These lightweight and supportive sneakers are the best Nike walking shoes. It’s hard to go wrong with a trusted name like Nike, and the Women’s Flex Trainer 5 Training Shoe is certainly no exception. This lightweight sneaker has mesh uppers to ensure optimal breathability. Incredibly flexible, the Phylon outsole offers good traction and grip for walking.

Women’s walking shoes reviews confirm that this shoe is extremely comfortable and offers enough support to make sure every step you take is better than the last.

The Next Five Best

Easy Spirit Women's Traveltime Clog

The Easy Spirit Women’s Traveltime Clogs are stylish slip-on mules with flexible outsoles. The rubber outsoles absorb shocks easily for comfortable walking.

Jambu Women's Blossom Flat

In classic Mary Jane style, the Jambu Women’s Blossom Flat keeps your foot secure with a single simple adjustable strap across the top. This durable and long lasting pair comes with a removable, cushiony insole, as well as eco-conscious All Terra TractionTM rubber outsoles with excellent traction.

Clarks Women's Haley Stork Loafer

These sporty slip-on loafers are great alternative to traditional sneakers. The Clarks Women’s Haley Stork Loafers are supportive and flexible, thanks to the front and back elasticized insets.

KEEN Women's Presidio

The Keen Women’s Presidio Shoes are the perfect blend of class and comfort. The Keen Metatomical EVA footbed hugs the natural shape of your foot while also giving you great arch support.

Skechers Sport Loving Life

The name of this pair says it all. The Skechers Sport Women’s Loving Life Memory Foam Fashion Sneakers are lightweight, comfortable, and a great pick for someone who is on their feet all day.

The Walking Shoes Buying Guide

There are certain features to keep an eye out for when shopping for the best walking shoe for women. While it can be difficult to find all of these features in just one pair, it is possible to find most of them. To help you make the best decision, I’ve put together a list of the most important elements of the top rated walking shoes here.

Wide Base

With a wide base on your feet, you can ensure maximum lateral stability with every step you take.

Shock Absorption

You should take care that the pair you choose offers shock absorption. This feature is designed to protect your feet as they strike against hard walking surfaces.

Roomy Toe Box

The front of your shoes, otherwise known as the toe box, should be roomy enough for you to wiggle your toes a bit. Leave about half an inch between the tip of your toe and the shoe to prevent calluses and blisters.

Supportive Insoles

The top rated walking shoes have soft and cushiony, yet strong and supportive insoles with firm arches to support your feet while walking for extended periods of time.

Breathable Upper

The upper is what holds your foot in place. Uppers are often made of leather, but often you’ll find athletic shoes with synthetic mesh uppers that allow your feet to breathe more. Letting the air circulate will keep you cool and prevent sweaty feet.

Outsole with Grip

Treads and grooves in a rubber outsole will create extra traction while walking so you’re more stabilized and unlikely to slip in less than ideal conditions.

Motion Control

Research shows that overpronation is easily corrected with the help of motion control.

Check out this video for some more great tips to consider when shopping for the best walking shoes for women:

A Final Word

You deserve to spend your time in a shoe that gives back to you. Avoid painful complications like bunions, heel spurs, plantar fasciitis, blisters, calluses, and the like by investing in at least one pair of proper walking footwear. This list of the best walking shoes for women was curated for you to make a well informed decision for your feet.

While there are so many options out there, just remember that the best pair for you is the pair that makes you feel the most comfortable. Once you’ve found the right pair, you’ll be bouncing all around town ready to show off your new gear!

Product images sourced from Amazon.com