The Best Walking Shoes You'll Want to Wear All Day

Whether you’re walking long distances for exercise, travel, work, or running errands, you’ll need the right pair of shoes that let you be on your feet all day without pain. And while you want the shoe to be supportive, it also should be lightweight so it doesn't weigh you down. Not to mention, a comfy pair of shoes shouldn’t mean it's an eyesore.

We spoke with Dr. Jordan Metzl, M.D., a sports medicine physician at the Hospital For Special Surgery in New York, to get his tips for finding the best pair of walking shoes. The main thing that Dr. Metzl stresses is that comfort is key: Regardless of the product claims or what someone tells you in a store, you should trust your instincts. Your feet will know which is the right shoe for you.

There are two main differences between walking shoes and other footwear: The motion control in the sole (i.e. how well it prevents your foot from rolling) and energy-returning foam materials. The foam is especially important for people who are heavier and put more weight on the shoe because it’ll return some of the force back to your body.

Dr. Metzl suggests staying away from minimalist shoes (like the five-finger type) that give no support. Most people don’t have the foot strength to pull them off. On the flip side, there’s no need to get ones with super-thick soles (like the Hoka style) either. Overall, there’s no one-size-fits-all shoe. If you’re unsure which brand fits you best, you should try on a bunch of different styles to see what feels most comfortable. Each brand - and even each model - will have variances in sizing and fit, and these subtle differences can have a big impact on your foot.

We took Dr. Metzl’s tips and used the footwear expertise of the Good Housekeeping Textiles Lab to pick the best walking shoes for a variety of uses, problem areas, and style preferences. Read on to learn more about our top picks, but in summary the best walking shoes to buy in 2019 are:

Best Overall: Ryka Devotion Plus 2
Best Value: TIOSEBON Honeycomb
Best Comfort Walking Shoe: Asics Metrolyte II
Best All-Day Walking Shoe: New Balance FuelCore Nergize
Best Trail Walking Shoe: Merrel Siren Edge
Best Travel Walking Shoe: Allbirds Tree Runners
Best Walking Shoe for High Arches: Gravity Defyer G-Defy Mighty Walk
Best Walking Shoe for Flat Feet: Brooks Addiction Walker
Best Walking Shoe for Wide Feet: Saucony Integrity ST2
Best Walking Sandals: Vionic Tide II Toe Post
Best Slip-On Walking Shoes: Skechers Go Walk