4 Best Cheap Walking Shoes

They say you can’t put a price on happiness. It turns out, that with Skechers GO WALK 6, you can, and for only $85! Even though this is 4% cheaper than the average walking shoe, GO WALK 6 doesn’t feel second-rate, especially by the way it pampers our feet with overwhelming comfort. 

For an affordable walking shoe, GO WALK 6 surprisingly didn’t cut back on cushioning. As a matter of fact, we measured it to be 35.3 mm in the heel and 22 mm in the forefoot, which both exceeded the averages by 12.8% and 4.8%. This kept the comfort going on beneath our feet even for whole-day trips.

Moreover, strolling using GO WALK 6 is as flawless and as unhindered as it could be. We realized that the root of this is its flexible construction. Our attempt to bend it using our digital force gauge is effortless, as it only resisted with a low force of 12.9N, which is much lower than the average. This made the shoe 28.3% more flexible than most.

When it comes to airflow, this shoe could be better. This manifested in our lab when we discharged smoke inside the shoe and only a small volume came out, deserving a 2/5 breathability score. If excellent ventilation is a must for you, we recommend picking up shoes with permeable uppers.

After our extensive on-foot travel and in-lab trials, we concluded that the Skechers Summits was the best lightweight pick for the budget-conscious out there. While the $65 price tag (much lower than the $87 average) is truly enticing, its lightness and comfort truly make it even more exceptional.

We could carry the Summits on our feet for sustained periods without breaking a sweat thanks to its feathery light construction. It registered an amazing 6.95 oz (197g) weight on our digital scale, making it 23% lighter than most.

Summits also felt so wonderful even when we walked for miles in it. Using our HA durometer, we measured the firmness of the midsole, and it displayed a 21.1. This number made the Skechers Summits 16.3% softer than the standard. This level of softness helped in keeping pain at bay.

During our thorough evaluations, we learned that Summits was not the most resistant to serious wear; its outsole quickly showed signs of being beaten up. We verified this through our durability test, in which we used our Dremel tool to introduce abrasion to the outsole. It left a 2.5 mm pit, which is 56.3% deeper than average.

After conducting lab and wear tests, Arch Fit 2.0 is our top cheap walking shoe with the best arch support. The average walking shoe in our database is $117, while this pair only costs $90. For such an affordable price, it offers high value through its stable and comfortable platform. It’s even ideal for those with overpronation and lower-leg issues.

Rising to a 39.2/24.0 mm stack, there's tons of cushioning for repetitive landing and arch support. AF2 delivers premium comfort and impact protection, with a 15.2 mm drop that saves our ankles and Achilles from strain.

Despite its monstrous foam, the ride feels extremely stable due to the firm and vast platform. Our caliper shows a wide 114.5/90.0 mm space to securely find our footing. Upon landing, we don’t experience any ankle rolls because the foam doesn’t compress easily — perfect for those who need heavy support. Our durometer confirms it’s a balanced 30.4 HA, 21.1% harder than average. 

Establishing its stability further is the rigid platform, which our bend test shows is 18.6% more resilient than average. To balance this, AF2 makes use of flex grooves so that it bends in the right places.

While this pair aced our stability tests, it failed our Dremel tests and scored lower than average. We recommend exploring other pairs if durability is a priority.

The overall structure of the Skechers GO WALK Flex allowed us to wear it very close to the skin. Its sock-like fit was just fantastic because of its daily flexible upper material. The pliability of the upper was carried over to the base, and this Skechers walking shoe had high linear flexibility. Make no mistake, the pliability of the upper was never at the expense of its durability. We couldn’t believe that we got all such goodness for only $75 (ave $87). Because of all these benefits, we hail the Skechers GO WALK Flex as the best cheap sock-like walking shoe.

The typical walking shoe would need 20.4N of force to bend at 90 degrees. We applied just half of that (10.8N) and the Skechers GO WALK Flex already yielded. Because of this flexibility, it was easy for the shoe to follow the natural flexions of our feet. It truly lived up to its name!

The upper was fairly easy to maneuver. But this surely did not mean that its durability was compromised. Quite on the contrary, the pliable upper material was perfectly wear-resistant. Our Dremel drilling was no match for it. As a result, it got a perfect 5 for toebox durability from us.

As is the case with many durable shoes, breathability was an issue with this one. We performed the usual breathability assessments, and we could only give the GO WALK Flex a 2 out of 5 for its disappointing performance in this aspect.