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Rachael Schultz, Gabrielle Chase/Business Insider
The importance of a comfortable pair of walking shoes can't be overstated. For any travel plans lined up this summer, you'll want to be prepared with sneakers that are designed to support your specific foot structure, protect your foot tendons from damage, and absorb impact to prevent achy joints.
According to podiatrist Elizabeth Daughtry, DPM, FACFAS, women are more prone to developing stress fractures. So by wearing proper footwear, you're actively preventing a future injury.
For this guide, I tested over 20 pairs of walking shoes, totaling over 50 miles in the Colorado Rockies. These long-distance walks let me gauge which pairs felt the most comfortable and durable.
Each pick I've highlighted proved to be stylish, supportive and worth the price. My top overall choice is the Adidas Ultraboost Light, which you can read about in detail below. The best value you can get on women's walking shoes is Rykä's Devotion X — it's a really plush sneaker that costs under $100.
Top 5 Walking Shoes for Women:
How we evaluated the best women's walking shoes
To test for this guide, I consulted a board-certified podiatrist, Elizabeth Daughtry, DPM, FACFAS from the Foot & Ankle Specialists of the Mid-Atlantic.
The criteria for choosing the best walking shoes for women differs across members of our team. I myself have semi-wide feet and high arches. I tested 20 sneakers and five sandals total by wearing each pair on three or more walks. Cumulatively, our team has tested a total 30 pairs of walking shoes made for narrow, wide, flat, and petite foot shapes.
Initial comfort and arch support. We chose walking shoes that were comfortable right out of the box. It's immediately apparent when a shoe has proper arch support because its insoles will have a raised layer of cushioning along the inner wall of the shoe, and the heel cups will be firm enough to stabilize your ankles.
Shape. Most of our team members have medium to wide width feet, with medium to high arches. We all chose shoes with wide bases and roomy toe boxes to let our toes spread naturally. This shoe shape will help distribute your body weight more evenly and avoid any muscle strains in your foot.
Weight. We tested shoes that weigh between 8 and 12 ounces so they would feel light on long walks and slow fatigue. One of the lightest pairs we recommend are the Allbirds' SuperLight Tree Runners.
Durability. Some insoles can flatten after consistent pounding on pavement, which weakens the shoes' shock absorption. We took out the insoles and held them at eye level to see whether they looked deflated in any areas.
Traction. We walked in each pair for at least 2 miles, both outdoors on pavement and indoors. I used a treadmill or my walking desk. I felt for whether their tread felt slippery on smooth surfaces, versus how well it grips onto rough terrain.
Breathability. We chose walking shoes with wide toe boxes and mesh uppers that allowed for more airflow. If the shoes were damp with sweat or overheated, we nixed them from this list. Leather shoes like loafers and dress sneakers were the only exceptions.
Rachael Schultz/Business Insider
Of the 20 walking shoes I tested, the Adidas Ultraboost Light were the pair I kept reaching for when headed out the door to run errands time and time again. These shoes weigh just 9.2 ounces and have a soft, textile upper, which Daughtry says is crucial in a great walking shoe as it offers more space and breathability for your foot.
The midsole is well-cushioned, which Daughtry also highlights to help with shock absorption and minimize added stress. After walking all day in these shoes, my feet felt pain-free and well-supported. The BOOST technology in the midsole offers a little bounce with every step. Though they are technically a neutral shoe, my high arches also felt well-supported on long miles, so they seem to be a good fit for all pronation types.
While I enjoyed walking in these shoes the most of everything I tested, it's a bonus that they're good-looking. They're also made from at least 20% recycled materials, sometimes more depending on which color you buy.
I know some people with wide feet who've found the plastic lace closures in this shoe dig into the top of their foot since that upper isn't rigid, but my feet are on the regular-to-wide side of the spectrum and I didn't find any issue with this. Otherwise, the major downside is these shoes are pricey (unless you catch them on sale).
Read more in my full Adidas Ultraboost Light review.
Rachael Schultz, Gabrielle Chase/Business Insider
These Rykä sneakers are proof that you don't have to spend big to find supportive shoes for your feet. For just $90, the Devotion X have all of Daughtry's must-haves: a roomy knit upper for breathability on long, hot miles; responsive cushioning for shock absorption; an EVA proprietary foam that provides soft cushioning, including built-up cushioning in the midfoot for stability and arch support; and a padded heel. They even boast the Seal of Acceptance by the American Podiatric Medical Association.
These are one of the few shoes on our list designed specifically for walking, which means they don't have a meta-rocker or any unnecessary design features that come with some running shoes. After a 3-mile walk, I found these shoes to be incredibly comfortable. The knit upper is very soft and formed to my foot shape, so these shoes felt like a light hug but not at all tight. They were also extremely breathable and kept my feet from building up heat after multiple miles.
Style editors from our Insider Reviews team are in agreement. "By far my favorite feature of these is the layers of foamy padding on the outsole," writes Samantha Crozier. "It actually feels like walking on pillows — and each step is so bouncy these are downright buoyant."
"My size 8 foot is narrow and I like to lace my sneakers loosely to keep my blood circulating, but they still slip on and stay on without much adjusting," adds Gabrielle Chase.
The design isn't revolutionary so these shoes won't earn you a ton of compliments, but they're not noticeably unattractive.
The main downsides are that if you underpronate (supinate), the stability design for these shoes might throw off your biomechanics. Also, while the construction matches the price point here, these shoes aren't the most durable with minimal reinforcements in the knit upper, so if you wear through your shoes quickly, a budget option might not equal value for you.
Read more in our full Rykä shoes review.
Rachael Schultz/Business Insider
In order to find the best shoes for plantar fasciitis, I spoke to Suzanne C. Fuchs, DPM, a podiatric foot and ankle surgeon and founder of LuxePodiatry in Jupiter, Florida.
Asics is one of the most highly-recommended brands to help relieve plantar fasciitis pain, including from Dr. Fuchs. Like Brooks, it does an excellent job of providing cushioned support, but the structured sole and heel counters work well to reduce strain on the tendon. Asics also uniquely have a firm midsole, which helps to limit movement — key in relieving pain, Dr. Fuchs says.
Asics also has adaptive stability technology to provide the amount of support your foot needs without overcorrecting, which gives you plenty of room to add your own orthotic for more arch support.
As someone with high arches who walks over 10,000 steps a day and prefers a higher-cushion walking shoe, I found Asics GEL-Nimbus 27 to be incredibly comfortable and supportive underfoot, even on long days out.
Rachael Schultz/Business Insider
Women with higher arches usually need additional support in their shoes or more stability in the midfoot area to prevent excessive flattening of the foot and arch, Daughtry says. I myself have high arches, and often find that running shoes leave my arches aching after 2 miles of walking. Among the 20 shoes I tested, the Hoka Gaviota 5 were the most supportive.
The Gaviota 5s have a similar amount of cushioning and weight to Hoka's best-selling Bondi shoe, but is infused with additional stability and a slightly higher heel drop to better support high arches. Because of the proprietary stabilizing frame in the shoe, the designers were able to also use a softer foam which I found incredibly plush under-foot.
The Gaviota 5 also has a mesh upper and wider forefoot base and toe box, which kept my feet cool and roomy (in a comfortable way, not a swimming-around-the-shoe kind of way). This shoe also has a plush tongue and collar that feels soft on foot. It boasts the American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA) Seal of Acceptance.
Note that this shoe does have a rocker design, which Daughtry says some people won't find as comfortable in a walking shoe. Also, the wider toe box design may mean this shoe is too wide for those with a narrow foot. Lastly, like most Hokas, the Gaviota 5 are one of the pricier shoes on our list. In my opinion, the design, quality, and craftsmanship makes them worth it if it's in the budget.
You can read about the best Hokas I've tested over the last decade for more of my favorite styles from the brand.
Rebecca Strong/Business Insider
In our guide to the best walking sandals for women, freelance style reporter Rebecca Strong tested out different styles of travel-ready sandals by walking 2,000 steps in each pair. The Kiara Sport Sandals ranked first because besides their superior comfort, their low-key beige design disappears into your outfit (in the best way).
"My first few steps in the Vivaia Sport Sandals felt like walking on a cloud. That's likely due to the cushioned insole, and dual arch support.
I feel secure wearing these. Thanks to the durable, anti-slip outsole, these sandals feel ultra-stable on my feet regardless of what kind of ground I'm walking in.
They're super adjustable. What I really appreciate about these sandals most is that the criss-cross straps across the foot are extra stretchy. That means whether you have narrow or wide feet, these will git like a glove. Not only that, but the ankle strap has an adjustable buckle.
Plus, the style I have — the Kiara — comes in 10 different colors, from classic neutrals like grey and black to fun, playful hues like salmon pink and lime green."
Learn more about our favorite styles from the brand in our full Vivaia review.
Rachael Schultz/Business Insider
Cushioned walking shoes are great for anyone with special needs in their feet, be it extra high arches, flat feet, overpronation, or achy knees. Puma's Magnify Nitro 2 have the thickest piece of foam among all the shoes in Puma's line-up. Yet they're still very lightweight at just 8.07 ounces overall.
During testing, I found these shoes to be far less stiff and more comfortable across the entire foot on long-distance walks, compared to the high-cushion competitors I tested (like Hoka's Bondi 8).
Instead, the Puma's knit upper is breathable, forms to the foot, and feels very durable, as it's reinforced with its proprietary seamless tape. The molded heel collars were especially comfortable on long, hot walks. In my opinion, Puma has inserted highly-engineered features in all the right places while keeping the shoe streamlined overall to keep that weight down.
It's worth noting these shoes run a full size small, so I wore an 8.5 instead of my regular 7.5. And while I found the toe box to be very comfortable with my standard-to-wide feet, they might feel slightly too snug on wide feet.
Samantha Crozier/Business Insider
Allbirds' SuperLight collection is one of our favorites we've tested from the brand. A key component of good walking shoes is being lightweight, and these weigh only about 5 ounces. We were already fans of their original Tree Runners, so this upgraded version makes perfect sense for anyone who likes their travel shoes to leave a light carbon footprint. We especially like wearing these in sweaty summer weather, thanks to their perforated eucalyptus fiber knit upper and airy sugarcane-based foam soles.
Style editor Samantha Crozier tested a pair and was impressed with their barely-there feel. "If you're going on a trip and want to take a pair of sneakers that will barely take up any weight or room in your suitcase, these are it. But even though they weigh almost nothing, they don't feel cheap or like they'll fall apart. Plus, I love the extra bit of padding on the heel right where most sneakers will give you blisters."
Read more in our full Allbirds SuperLight review.
Gabrielle Chase/Business Insider
During testing, I appreciated not only how fatigue-fighting Oofos' shoes are — the support feels incredibly rejuvenating on tired feet — but also that all of their styles, from slides to sneakers, are really easy to slip on and off.
"Oofos are unlike any other sneaker I've tried. The shock-absorbent foam outsole makes for the bounciest, squishiest bottom of all. They feel like what I imagine Moon Shoes, the springy early 2000s product that was constantly featured on commercials, might feel like to wear.
The bowed shape of the footbed also puts a pleasurable pressure on the arch of your foot, which is the source of many of the shoe's exercise-recovery benefits. But even as someone who isn't running long distances each day, I love slipping these on to help my feet recover from wearing heels.
The only drawback with Oofos is that they aren't the most fashion-forward footwear. The slip on sneaker passes the function test with flying colors, but I'd love to see the same footbed on a trendier silhouette in the future." — Samantha Crozier, style editor, Insider Reviews
"I agree with Sam: these laceless shoes are pretty swagless, but they're so comfy to wear on long walks that it's forgivable. They fit true to size with an extra wide toe box. Thanks to their seamless upper, I can pull them on and they fit as snugly as a sock. The foam footbeds have a meta-rocker design that propels you as you walk, but I don't feel wobbly when I'm at a standstill because it flexes with my foot.
If you have a really high arch and weak ankles, these are probably not the walking shoes for you. They engage your heels more than anywhere else. Still, I find them really bouncy and light, and noticed my feet don't get fatigued as easily, even after miles of stepping on concrete." — Gabrielle Chase, senior associate style editor, Insider Reviews
Gabrielle Chase/Business Insider
"When you imagine a classic low-top, cap-toed sneaker, you probably think of Chuck Taylors. But most Converse sneakers are simply not comfortable to walk in. They have zero arch or heel support, their soles are rock hard, and their toe boxes too narrow for most people. Instead, here's a similar style that's actually made for prolonged wear.
The Nat III's gussets are elastic, so they allow you to forgo laces if you rather wear them as slip-ons, as I do. You can also choose from a set of podiatrist-approved insoles in the included "Sole Saver Pack," which each have different levels of padding in the forefoot and heels.
I have high arches, so I was thankful for their supportive, spongy padding when I broke them in on a long neighborhood walk. Their shock absorption is leagues ahead of most flat-soled sneakers. And if you have weak ankles, these have high heel counters and collars to help stabilize you.
I could actually wear these comfortably without socks because the leather interior is so padded and smooth. I also liked how the toe boxes, though slightly narrow, became more flexible the more I broke them in. I got them in a size 8 and they fit true to size. They were stark white, but this summer I've roughed them up on the city sidewalks." — Gabrielle Chase, senior associate style editor, Insider Reviews
Rachael Schultz/Business Insider
These waterproof sneakers are my choice for a lightweight alternative to rain boots. I wore them on multiple walks and hikes and found them to be very comfortable. The Transport GTX isn't as cushioned as other Hokas —more balanced than plush — but the EVA midsole felt comfortable for 1- to 3-mile walks.
Most of all, the waterproofing is a 10/10: I tromped through a pile of snow on one early spring testing walk and, where my husband's feet were soaked in normal sneakers, mine remained bone dry. That's because the upper is treated with GORE-TEX, which notably does cost you some breathability. But I loved that the upper was mesh for a roomy fit, while also being strategically reinforced to last against the elements.
I really liked the functionality of these shoes. The main laces are a pull-tab design so they're easy to secure or loosen, but unlike a lot of other similar designs, Hoka's quick-toggle lace neatly tucks away so the tail isn't flopping around. I also love that the shoes come with traditional laces, in case you don't like the quick-toggle design.
Note that these shoes have neutral stability, so they may not be supportive enough for people with high arches. And if you like a plush walking shoe, these might be too stiff on you.
Rachael Schultz/Business Insider
I lost count of the number of times friends complimented me on these shoes, only to follow with, "They're Under Armour!?" If you're looking for supportive walking shoes that will look just as good as they feel walking around cities and airports, the Under Armour Essential Runner Shoes are for you.
These retro-inspired walking shoes have a cushioned EVA midsole that feels perfectly supportive. They're not overly cushioned or stabilized as with the running-based shoes on this list, but they're also not stiff or cramped like with fashion sneakers of a similar design. The heel cup is cushy with a foam sockliner for extra comfort. The exterior is designed with a lightweight, breathable nylon upper and suede overlays strategically placed to not restrict the natural shape of your foot.
These shoes come in four colorways (some certainly more attractive than others). At 12 ounces, these sneakers aren't as light as some shoes on our list, but they're definitely not heavy, either. I've walked over two miles in them, and wore them for eight hours straight while traveling. The comfort and design of these shoes earned them top spot as my favorite city sneaker — especially considering they're very affordable.
Rachael Schultz/Business Insider
I could not be more thrilled with the performance of this dark horse shoe. Merrell has long been a leader in the hiking shoe space, but in 2022, the brand renewed its place in the trail shoe category. The Morphlite is an incredibly lightweight, comfortable shoe that felt so good on long walks, I only wanted to keep wearing them.
These shoes are technically a road-to-trail shoe, which means their centers have shorter lugs for road running, and their perimeters have slightly-deeper lugs (2mm) to grip slippery trails.
While wearing a true trail shoe on concrete can often feel like a cleat, I found the Morphlite to be incredibly balanced and comfortable on both pavement and trails. That's likely due to the proprietary foam midsoles, which had a nice, balanced plushness between lightly foamy and firm.
After an hour of walking in these shoes, I did feel a bit of strain in the back of my arch and front of my heel, so they probably aren't ideal if you have extremely high arches or plantar fasciitis. But for the average foot, they're very comfortable.
The Morphlite's Jacquard recycled knit upper encases the foot for a very close fit. I like that this knit is strategically reinforced for harder trail wear. But if you have a high-volume foot, they might be too snug.
Gabrielle Chase/Business Insider
One of our favorite loafers for women is especially ideal if your commute involves a lot of walking. Halfway between a sneaker and a loafer, this shoe is backed by Heeluxe's rigorous assessment that tests for fit, stability, cushioning, and flexibility. It comes in suede or leather in both medium and wide sizes.
"When I first put these on, I was impressed by the sturdiness around my ankles from the deep heel cups. These help weak ankles feel much more supported," says style editor Gabrielle Chase.
"The leather upper was very stiff to start with, but it softened after five or six wears. These are great if you have high arches, because the padding reaches all the way up the inner wall of the shoe," she adds. "
You can wear the Uptown Loafers just as you would walking sneakers — the lightweight, flexible soles can fold in half, and they have enough traction for stepping on uneven or slippery terrain.
The accordion design means I can flex my foot, and the shoe will flex with me. Still, they have enough structure to correct the position of my instep, meaning my arches are less sore at the end of a long day spent on foot."
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