Best walking shoes for women

You love to travel and want the best walking shoes for women who want to explore. Your shoes need to be stylish yet comfortable and perfect to take you places. Travelling to new destinations is about discovering all the wonderful spots and to do this you need to be on your feet, all day long.

Having comfortable and reliable shoes can really make your holiday a dream come true. Besides, by having a great pair of walking shoes, you don’t have to worry about blisters anymore.

Are you ready to discover the best ever walking shoes for women? Let’s go!

A quick look at the best walking shoes for women

Best overall walking shoes for women – Allbirds Tree Runners
Best walking shoes with arch support – Hoka Clifton 7
Best shoes for plantar fasciitis – Orthofeet
Best shoes for back paint – Kuru Footware
Best shoes for hiking – Columbia Newton Ridge
Best stylish walking – Vivaia
Best slip-on walking shoe – Allbirds Loungers
Best women’s sneakers for walking – New Balance FuelCore Nergize
Best walking sandals – Sanuk Yoga Slings
Best walking shoe for travel – Allbirds Wool Runners
Best shoe for walking and standing – Vionic shoes Beach Malibu
Best walking shoe for an older woman – Asics Gel-Nimbus 23

To help you find the right pair of walking shoes we considered the following criteria:

Expert recommendations. We read expert advice from podiatrists to understand what makes a good walking shoe that’s good for you.

Style and comfort. We searched for the most stylish and comfortable shoes for women. We know how important it is to look good and feel good while staying comfortable at all times. All our recommendations have great customer reviews.

Price and Quality. We recommend quality shoes that are value for money. We selected durable shoes that you’ll enjoy wearing over and over again.

Intended use. We included walking shoes to fit a woman’s everyday needs.

How to identify good women’s walking shoes?

A pair of good walking shoes have a sock-like fit and it’s great for walking long distances. Ideally, you’ll have extra arch support and the shoe won’t put too much pressure on your toes or heels. Your entire foot should feel comfortable at all times. The best women’s walking shoes are lightweight and don’t cause any foot pain. Travelling women should go for a wide toe box and padded heel for more cushioning. There should be good ankle support so long-distance walking doesn’t cause any knee pain.

All women’s feet are different but the aim here is to help you find a pair of walking shoes that are ideal for all-day wear. Great walking shoes are designed for shock absorption whether you walk on pavements or cobblestone in a city or you walk on grass exploring the great outdoors. If you have wide feet a great walking shoe will have a roomy toe box. Whether you have wide feet or narrow feet you will need amble cushioning with a breathable insole.

Test your walking shoes to ensure it’s the right pair for you. Remember, if a shoe is not fitting properly it doesn’t matter how good it looks.

Best walking shoes for women

There are so many incredible brands made for women who love to walk. You can pick from lightweight shoes made with rubber sole and engineered mesh upper or flexible shoes for all-day wear. A comfortable shoe for women will feel like wearing a sock. Many women use their running shoe for walking purposes too. That’s because running shoes have good shock absorption and lighter foam with a cushioned midsole.

Best overall walking shoes for women

You want a lightweight walking shoe that takes care of your feet but also looks stylish and work with just about any outfit. Allbirds shoes really are great for everyday wear. They are the ideal walking sneakers that come in so many colours, perfect for your wardrobe and style. Buy the AllBirds with a breathable mesh upper or go for merino wool if you prefer shoes that are warmer.

Allbirds take sustainability seriously. They use planet-friendly natural materials like eucalyptus. Their merino wool is sustainably sourced.

Best overall walking shoes for women – Allbirds Tree Runners

What are the best walking shoes with arch support?

The best walking shoe for high arches is Hoka. Hoka is a brand created for runners that need a comfortable shoe with maximum support and cushioning. Hoka is known for its great cushioned midsole so you know you are in for a smooth ride with these shoes. You can use the Hoka shoes for walking or running depending on your preference. While stylish, the Hoka shoes are primarily designed for sports outfits so they might not work with all your outfits. Hoka is an incredibly lightweight shoe perfect for running errands.

Another good shoe with arch support is the Asics as they are supportive and comfortable. When you seek a shoe with a foam midsole that is really easy to walk in and are perfect for high arches, then Asics is the way to go. Remember that people with high arches tend to supinate.

The good news is that your Asics can also be dubbed as a great running shoe. Asics are known to be great and help with shock absorption.

Best walking shoes with arch support – Hoka Clifton 7

Best shoes for plantar fasciitis

Foot inflammation can be caused by a number of factors, including the type of shoes, foot structure, overuse and types of walking surfaces. It can cause heel pain and discomfort around the arches. You’ll need a good pair of walking shoes that can really help relieve some of the pain and also stop it from recurring in the future. The right shoe will offer you more comfort in the heel area and some extra cushioning around the arch to relieve some of the common pain.

Check out Orthofeet, a brand designed specifically for people who need to wear orthotics to help with plantar fasciitis. There are many health benefits to finding and wearing the right pair of walking shoes.

Best shoes for plantar fasciitis – Orthofeet

Best shoes for back pain

These shoes are fantastic if you suffer with back pain. They can help with other foot pain and problems too so make sure to check them out to see which pair is best suited for you. Kuru Footware has this amazing patented sole that really looks to take care of your foot and help with the natural mechanism of your foot.

Instead of clunky inserts or expensive custom orthotics, imagine a solution as simple as stepping into your favourite shoes. Kuru Footware does exactly that. Since we’re talking about shoes ideal for walking, we do recommend the gorgeous Quest shoes. A high cuff offers ankle support while you hit the nature path with your pup, while the special Kuru sole inside hugs your heels comfortably.

Best shoes for back pain – Quest shoes from Kuru Footware

Best shoes for hiking

Our favourite shoes for long walks are made by Columbia. They are ideal for hiking, walking outdoors and in the countryside. They are stylish and incredibly comfortable and they are fantastic for a wide foot.

We like them for power walking and if you decide to go for walking shoes that offer extra ankle support you will find them more stable on uneven terrain. They are the ideal hiking shoes that can be dubbed as walking shoes when travelling to near and far destinations.

Columbia are great for their ample cushioning and do absorb shock when walking in the great outdoors.

Best shoes for hiking – Columbia Newton Ridge

Stylish walking shoes for women

Sometimes you want to walk a lot in a city and wear smart casual clothes. In beautiful places like Italy, you’ll want to wear shoes that are fantastic for walking but also look incredible. This is a serious problem many women have. Vivaia created the perfect shoe to take care of this problem. Their walking shoes are made from recycled environmentally friendly materials. They recycle materials obtained from plastic bottles, they have a carbon-free rubber outsole and they are washable.

The best part? These really are a woman’s favourite walking shoes because they look incredible. They come in various styles to suit your wardrobe and need. A great shoe made for busy women who care about the planet.

Best stylish walking – Vivaia

Best slip-on walking shoe

Slip-on shoes are becoming more and more popular and for a good reason. They can be worn without a sock or even sock liner, allowing your feet to breathe at all times. This is fantastic for when you visit a warmer destination. Slip-on shoes are usually made for those with flat feet because they don’t offer much arch support.

Best slip-on walking shoe – Allbirds Loungers

Best women’s sneakers for walking?

New Balance shoes have always been the best walking sneaker out there. They were specifically created to tailor for all sizes so you know that each model was made with a real customer in mind. New Balance shoes look incredible and with so many styles to pick from, you can see why they maintained their popularity amongst women who love to walk a lot.

New Balance are also ideal as training shoes at the gym. Being an all-rounder, they are usually the favourite shoes for sporty women.

Best women’s sneakers for walking – New Balance FuelCore Nergize

Best walking sandals

You’re travelling when it’s summer and you need walking sandals. Lucky for you, Sanuk created the most incredible sandals, perfect for walking during those long sunny days. They are not just stylish but also fantastic for shock absorption thanks to their amazing foam sole. The idea behind Sanuk was to create a yoga mat like sole so you can literally feel as if you’re walking on clouds. If you love flip flops, then Sanuk has you covered as well.

Best walking sandals – Sanuk Yoga Slings

Best walking shoe for travel

When you travel you walk a lot irrespective of the destination you pick. Comfortable shoes are essential to make your travel life better because you want them to be good enough for all-day wear. Besides, they will ideally promote foot health so you’re never in pain. Good walking shoes for women according to Kenneth Cornell, DPM, a podiatrist at Austin Regional Clinic, shared that it’s important for women to have good quality shoes that offer support.

Remember that when picking your shoes for travel you need to take into account the destination. While Allbirds might fit a wide range of destinations, your Columbia shoes will be best for the great outdoors and the Sanuk shoes are for the cities or beaches.

Best walking shoe for travel – Allbirds Wool Runners

What are the most comfortable shoe for walking and standing?

Some podiatrists now prescribe Vionic shoes, a great shoe that provides stability and support to help support the natural alignment your body needs from the ground up. The great thing about this brand is that they are made for everyday wear. So if you love comfortable shoes for walking and standing that look just like your normal shoes or boots, Vionic shoes might be the answer for you.

Best shoe for walking and standing – Vionic shoes Beach Malibu

What is the best walking shoe for an older woman?

Older women might suffer from swollen legs and painful feet are an extremely common problem. But there are shoes created specifically to tackle this problem. After all, seniors travel just as much and wish to enjoy long walks.

Dr. Anders, a podiatrist at the Permanente Medical Group in Antioch, California, recommends trying on shoes at the end of the day. This is normally when feet are bigger or more swollen. Because of their extra cushion and support, Asics are great shoes for older women. They also have a stylish appearance making them excellent for travel and long walks. In rainier countries or muddy terrain, another option is to go for Columbia shoes or Allbirds mizzle.

Best walking shoe for an older woman – Asics Gel-Nimbus 23

Are cushioned shoes better for walking?

The answer is it depends. Some people love a foam midsole while others prefer the feel of tennis shoes. A good walking shoe should make your foot feel good at all time. You shouldn’t feel even the slightest discomfort when wearing them.

Some podiatrists recommend wearing “barefoot” shoes. Also known as minimalist shoes they are meant to reduce injuries such as tendinitis. Wearing non-cushioned shoes can help you develop a more natural walk that is more efficient for your body.

Are running shoes good for walking all day?

If you love your running shoes and you feel comfortable in them, then you can wear them for walking as well. They have similar qualities and they are ideal for staying active.

Be mindful though, as some running shoes might not offer the same level of cushion or support you might need to be able to walk comfortably for longer periods of time.

Something to pay close attention to: some footwear influences the way you step and might cause heel strike. Heel strikers make contact with the ground with their heel first. Some running shoes have extra cushion which can really alter the way the foot interacts with the ground.