The 14 Best Walking Shoes for Women, According to Podiatrists

Woman walking

We include products we think are useful for our readers. If you buy through links on this page, we may earn a small commission Here’s our process.

How we vet brands and products

Austra Health only shows you brands and products that we stand behind.

  • Evaluate ingredients and composition: Do they have the potential to cause harm?
  • Fact-check all health claims: Do they align with the current body of scientific evidence?
  • Assess the brand: Does it operate with integrity and adhere to industry best practices?

Was this helpful?

Brands including OOFOS, Hoka, New Balance, and Asics offer women style, stability, and function for walking, hiking, and more — plus support for concerns like pronation and plantar fasciitis.

  • Best overall women’s walking shoe:Saucony Triumph 19 | Skip to Review
  • Best sandal for walking:PowerStep Archwear Women’s Sandals | Skip to Review
  • Best slip-on walking shoe:OOFOS Women’s OOahh Luxe Recovery Sandal | Skip to Review
  • Best lightweight walking shoe:Brooks Women’s Adrenaline GTS 22 | Skip to Review
  • Best value walking shoe:Ryka Women’s Devotion Plus 4 | Skip to Review
  • Best cushioned walking shoe:New Balance Women’s 928 V3 | Skip to Review
  • Best walking shoe for travel:OOFOS OOmg Low Shoe | Skip to Review
  • Best walking shoe for hiking:HOKA Women’s Speedgoat 5 | Skip to Review
  • Best walking shoe for high arches:ASICS Women’s Gel-Nimbus 24 | Skip to Review
  • Best walking shoe with cushioning technology:On Cloudmonster | Skip to Review
  • Best walking shoe for overpronators:ASICS GT-1000 11 | Skip to Review
  • Best walking shoe for wide feet:Brooks Ariel 20 | Skip to Review
  • Most comfortable walking shoe:Skechers GO WALK Massage Fit | Skip to Review
  • Most trendy walking shoe:New Balance 990 V5 | Skip to Review

When it comes to buying walking shoes, many people prioritize style over fit.

The older you get, the more you will be forced to spend on healthcare. A couple retiring at age 65 in 2018 will spend $280,000, on average, on medical costs throughout their retirement, not counting the expense of over-the-counter medications or the cost of living in a nursing home, CBS News

However, according to Dr. Kenneth Cornell, a podiatrist at Austin Regional Clinic in Texas, it’s important for women to have good quality shoes — not just for maximum comfort but also to prevent injuries, especially when walking for longer periods.

“Women tend to wear a wide variety of shoe types that are often not very supportive. High or medium-height heels, many flats like ballet slippers, flip-flops with thin soles, pointy shoes, and very flexible shoes can lead to foot, leg, and back pain,” Cornell explains.

That makes it all the more important to have a reliable walking shoe in the mix.

While this can vary depending on the brand, he explains that shoes for men are typically constructed with much more stability and longitudinal arch support and tend to have more cushioning across the forefoot.

See also  Osteoporosis Fractures: Causes, Treatments, Prevention

Meanwhile, walking shoes designed for women are often more narrow and sleek, with less motion control and less padding across the forefoot.

With that in mind, we asked Cornell and other podiatrists to weigh in on the best walking shoes for women to help you make the best choice.

To help you find the best pair of walking shoes to meet your needs, we considered the following criteria:

  • Expert recommendations: We asked podiatrists for their recommendations on what makes for an ideal walking shoe, as well as any specific brands and models they often recommend to their clients.
  • Comfort and durability: All the shoes listed below have mostly positive customer reviews for comfort and durability.
  • Intended use: We included walking shoes to fit various needs, from hiking shoes to recovery sandals.
  • Price: All the shoes on our list offer good value for the price.

We even tried one of the shoes in real life (more on that later).

Here are the 14 best walking shoes for women, according to podiatrists.

A note on price

General price ranges with dollar signs ($–$$$) are indicated below. One dollar sign means the product is rather affordable, whereas three dollar signs indicate a higher cost.

Note that shoe prices on Amazon vary significantly depending on your preferred color and size. Generally, prices range from $63 to $150, though this may vary depending on where you shop and the color you choose. On Amazon, the color and even the size of the shoes can affect what you’ll pay.

Pricing guide

Was this helpful?

Best overall women’s walking shoe

Saucony Triumph 19

Price: $$$

Colors: solid black and simple gray, various neutral shades and colorways, as well as bright colors such as pink, orange, bright orange, dark blue, green, and red

Size range: 5–12, wide sizes available

The shoe makes for a comfortable walk or run thanks to a bouncy, cushioned midsole and a blown-rubber foam outsole that provides flexibility, durability, and springiness.

According to Cornell, the Saucony Triumph 19 is a good choice because it’s a supportive running-style shoe that provides cushioning to the forefoot and support and stability to the whole foot.

Pros

  • good traction and durability
  • provides a custom-like fit

Cons

  • not as cushioned as others on this list
  • limited arch support

Was this helpful?

Best sandal for walking

PowerStep Archwear Women’s Sandals

Price: $

Colors: black, plum, brown, khaki, and teal

Size range: 5–11

When it comes to sandals, Cornell recommends selecting a pair with adequate arch support and cushioning for the forefoot, both of which this shoe offers.

Unlike many other sandals, which can be thin and flimsy, this PowerStep sandal has built-in arch support and plenty of cushioning in the midsole to absorb impact.

Its lightweight treaded outsole provides better traction than many other sandals, and its comfortable straps won’t dig into the tops of your feet.

See also  How To Measure Fundal Height

Pros

  • built-in arch support
  • deep heel cup for added stability
  • cushioned midsole to absorb shock and impact
  • lightweight outsole with nonslip tread for better traction
  • comfortable straps with soft lining

Cons

  • runs small
  • better for short walks
  • some reviewer complaints of heel pain after prolonged use

Was this helpful?

Best slip-on walking shoe

OOFOS Women’s OOahh Luxe Recovery Sandal

Price: $

Colors: black and latte

Size range: 5–11

OOFOS have a reputation for feeling like walking on clouds, which is why they’re the recovery shoe of choice for runners to switch into after a long marathon-training run.

These rubber sandals are also a reliable house shoe for those who may be prone to plantar fasciitis, an injury that causes sharp, stabbing pain on the bottom of your foot and heel.

Thanks to its cushioned arch support, this recovery sandal offers a comfortable way to avoid making your plantar fasciitis any worse.

“OOFOS shoes are made with a special foam that is designed to absorb shock and reduce impact on the joints, making them a great choice for those looking to reduce foot and leg fatigue while walking,” says Dr. Daniel Pledger, a podiatrist and the founder of ePodiatrists.

Pros

  • super comfortable and cushioned
  • comes in neutral colors that go with almost any outfit

Con

  • some complaints that the shoe wears out quickly with frequent use
  • expensive

Was this helpful?

Best lightweight walking shoe

Brooks Women’s Adrenaline GTS 22

Price: $$

Colors: 28 colorways, including various shades and combinations of black, red, white, pink, almond, purple, blue, gray, coral, teal, blue, and green

Size range: 5–13, with narrow, wide, and extra-wide sizes available

The Brooks Women’s Adrenaline GTS 22 is a versatile shoe that can be used for walking and running.

The shoe is lightweight and features a DNA Loft Crash Pad to cushion your feet with every step and stride.

It offers the brand’s GuideRails holistic support system, which is designed to help you move comfortably and to reduce excess shin and heel rotation. It also promotes natural knee motion to reduce or prevent pain.

Basically, this technology provides additional support by keeping excess movement in check, allowing you to maintain your natural stride even when you start to feel fatigued and supporting your feet, knees, and hips.

“This shoe promotes adequate motion control of the foot,” Cornell says. “The heel counter of the shoe tends to be more rigid to provide stability and motion control to the arch during walking and running.”

Considering that they offer support and cushioning to promote stability and decrease pronation, it’s no surprise these shoes have many favorable reviews.

Pros

  • lightweight
  • good for high arches
  • lots of colors to choose from

Cons

Was this helpful?

Best value walking shoe

Ryka Women’s Devotion Plus 4

Price: $$

See also  How to Prevent Cataracts: 6 Ways to Lower Your Risk

Colors: dark blue, navy blue, gray, and black

Size range: 5–11, with wide sizes available

Featuring a lightweight molded ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) foam midsole and a platform specially designed to absorb shock and impact, the Ryka Women’s Devotion Plus 4 is a relatively affordable walking shoe that can keep your foot comfortable, even over long distances.

What’s more, the shoe is designed specifically for women’s feet, which differ from men’s feet in the following ways:

“Ryka is a brand that specializes in shoes for women, so they are definitely worth considering if you are a woman looking for a good walking shoe,” says Pledger. “The brand’s shoes tend to be very supportive and comfortable, with features such as padded collars and insoles to help cushion the foot.”

Reviewers note that the shoe fits true to size and remains comfortable even after all-day wear.

Pros

  • designed specifically for women
  • more stylish than many other athletic-style walking shoes

Cons

  • highly padded, which some reviewers dislike
  • fewer color options than the previous model

Was this helpful?

Best cushioned walking shoe

New Balance Women’s 928 V3

Price: $$$

Colors: black, gray, and white with blue

Size range: 6–13, with narrow, wide, extra-wide, and XX-wide sizes available

If you’re looking for a shoe that has lots of cushioning and comes in a range of sizes, the New Balance Women’s 928 V3 is a top option.

This shoe comes in sizes 6–13 and makes it easy to find your best fit, as it offers several width options:

The shoe features a ROLLBAR stability post system, which works to control rearfoot movement for enhanced support. It’s also designed with Walking Strike Path outsole technology to guide your foot through its walking gait cycle with motion control and stability.

According to Cornell, this shoe is an ideal option for optimal motion control and features a rigid heel counter to provide stability and support to your foot’s arch while you run and walk.

Plus, the shoe’s cushioned midsole absorbs impact and offers compression resistance, and the removable polyurethane foam footbed is designed for extra durability and comfort.

While this isn’t the most stylish shoe, your feet might thank you for prioritizing a good fit.

Pros

  • well cushioned
  • available in narrow to XX-wide widths

Cons

  • not super stylish
  • minimal color options

Related Posts