7 Best Walking Shoes For Europe

Strolling around Europe is a magical experience in itself, but what elevates this further is an amazing pair of shoes that makes each step fantastic. After spending hours testing the On Cloud 5 in the lab and on our feet, we found the On Cloud 5 to be the ultimate partner for travels around Europe. What we found particularly enchanting was its long-hour-friendly cushioning, its lightweight build, and its flexible sole. 

We put the On Cloud 5 to work in lengthy walking sessions to simulate maximizing every minute spent while traveling. We found it to be an extremely comfy shoe even as the miles piled up. We couldn’t get enough of it! We then checked its midsole’s hardness in the lab to see what makes its cushioning great. It’s 4% firmer than the average walking shoe, placing it in a great spot. This translates to a very balanced walking experience, granting the comfort of soft shoes while not being too squishy.

Even with the amazing amount of utility derived from the On Cloud 5’s cushioning, it still felt unbelievably light, which is great to fight off fatigue. Its weight of 8.4 oz (238g) is a whole 0.9 oz (26g) lower than that of the average walking shoe.

Plus, going from each step to the next with the On Cloud 5 felt soooo satisfying. We looked into this further by testing its flexibility. We secured the shoe by its tip and bent it using our force gauge to measure the force it exerts when bent at a 90-degree angle. From this, we found that it’s 35% more flexible than the average shoe. This makes the On Cloud 5 one of the most flexible shoes we’ve tested across all categories!

While the On Cloud 5 proves to be a reliable partner in general, it doesn’t do so well against stones and debris. They simply get stuck in the On Cloud 5’s grooves. We don’t recommend this shoe if you don’t want to deal with that.

The number one Europe walking shoe for all-day wear is Hoka Transport and here’s why: it's an absolute feet haven! We loved how Transport kept us comfy, supported, and protected from all kinds of pains, from blisters to fatigue, even for round-the-clock travels. 

Rubbing and chafing never became an issue on our trips with Hoka Transport. When we dissected the shoe in our lab, we realized that we owe its comfort to the generously padded interior. We even measured the tongue’s thickness as 7 mm, which is 3 mm more padded than the average.

Underfoot, Hoka Transport is so divine. In our lab, we pressed our durometer to its midsole and we were amazed at its 21.9 HA softness which is also 25.5% softer than average. While it has a superb level of softness, it didn’t overwhelm our feet with squishiness, rather it provided us with a hint of firmness, perfect for more than 12 hours of Europe tour!

Also, the midsole didn’t harden up so badly when we stuck the Transport into our freezer for 20 minutes. While its softness changed by 43.2%, at a recorded hardness of 31.4 HA, it was still 20.9% softer than the average. This also makes Transport perfect for Europe snowfalls. Inversely, though, it isn’t so ideal for hot weather. We confirmed this in our smoke test, in which a minimal amount of smoke escaped, scoring only 2/5 for breathability. 

We ventured through Europe, traversing diverse pavements and cobblestone streets, all in the embrace of unparalleled comfort provided by Nike's Motiva. We took the shoe to the lab and confirmed its leg-saving and heavenly ride through its unlimited cushioning, smooth forward transitions, and reliable outsole.

To make the most out of traveling to such beautiful destinations, we wore the Motiva to be able to last all day without any pain or discomfort. Its generous 34.9/25.6 mm cushioning makes long miles roll by with its pillowy goodness. Our durometer unveils a measurement that’s 40.0% lighter and softer than average. It also features unique waves underfoot to help even out the pressure.

Motiva has a prominent rocker that encourages forward movements with less effort. To maintain seamless transitions, the midsole needs a level of stiffness for the rocking effect. And true enough, our flex test reveals Motiva is 43.1% more rigid than the average walking shoe.

The outsole holds the perfect formula of toughness and traction, preventing any slips even on wet roads. With our durometer, we measured the rubber to be a highly dense 92.0 HC, 21.4% above average, promising it would last hundreds of miles.

Unfortunately, Motiva will only feel comfortable in cooler seasons as its thick and dense upper is unsuitable for hot weather.

The best lightweight walking shoe for Europe should be able to provide cozy comfort day in and day out. From testing the Allbirds Tree Runners in the lab and on the streets, we found that having it on our feet provides gratuitous amounts of comfort that makes them feel like home. What made this stand out is its padded insole and its flexible sole, combined in a featherlight package.

As we walked in the Allbirds Tree Runners through our battery of tests, we felt like we were above the clouds. For us, what made this happen was its padded insole. In the lab, we measured its thickness to be 7.2 mm which is a whole 30.9% thicker than that of the average walking shoe. Plus, its merino wool lining feels oh-so pleasant on foot!

What further adds to the Allbirds Tree Runners’ level of coziness is its amazing flexibility. On foot, it felt like we were going around barefoot! We tested this in our lab by securing the shoe by its tip in our lab and bending it at a 90-degree angle using our force gauge to measure the force it exerts back. Its flexibility of 12.2N makes it 36.5% more flexible than the average walking shoe.

Lastly, while we walked with the Allbirds Tree Runners, its amazingly lightweight build made us forget that we had it on in the first place. Its weight of 245g (8.6 oz), makes it 23.1% lighter than the average walking shoe.

Our tests with the Allbirds Tree Runners were conducted across a number of different surfaces. While it did well on dry surfaces, it didn’t do amazingly on wet ones. As such, we don’t recommend it for those who plan to travel to humid European destinations.

We walked along the cobble-stoned streets of Europe and discovered Arch Fit 2.0 offers the best arch support. Our lab results show it’s a highly supportive and stable platform without sacrificing comfort. Even those of us with flat feet and overpronation found it great for all-day wear.

Our caliper shows the tallest heel we’ve ever recorded — 39.2 mm. Even the forefoot is higher than average, leading to a 15.2 mm drop. We have tons of cushion for impact protection and the high drop protects us from ankle and Achilles strain.

While most maximalists are unstable, we felt steady thanks to the wide and firm platform. Its 114.5/90.0 mm width provides extra ground contact for surefootedness. We have no awkward foot movements since the cushion doesn’t collapse easily. Our durometer confirms its 30.4 HA foam is firm enough for support yet soft enough for comfort.

Another main pillar of support is the rigid midsole. Our bend test shows it's 18.6% more resilient than average — just the right amount of stiffness for those who need heavy support. Fortunately, it doesn't feel overly stiff thanks to its flex grooves.

We found the upper suitable for cooler conditions (until 70°F/20°C) because we ended up with damp feet in the heat. We don’t recommend using this pair in the summer.

Our optimal choice for a sock-like fit during Europe trips is the Skechers GO WALK 6. This walking shoe elevated our excursions with its comfortable one-to-one fit. Just like socks, it doesn’t bear weight, embraces our toes, and moves smoothly along with our feet, making it our standout pick out there.

Walking in Skechers GO WALK 6 is much like walking with nothing on our feet. We verified this weightlessness using our scale, which registered 8.78 oz (249g), 7.5% lighter than most walking shoes we’ve tried. 

The flexible construction of the Skechers GO WALK 6 is also what made us enjoy being in the shoe for a whole day of walking, as it enabled a fluid heel-to-toe transition. Indeed, when we tested for its flexibility with our digital force gauge, the shoe readily bent at 12.9N of force. This puts the Skechers GO WALK 6 ahead of the average by 35.5% in terms of pliability. 

While we measured the widest part of the toebox to be super close to the average at 98 mm, it didn’t cause any restriction to our feet. Thanks to the stretchy and sock-like upper of the shoe, it made our feet feel like hugged. However, we expected incredible air circulation given that the Skechers GO WALK 6 boasts a knit upper. As it turned out, it didn’t allow much air to enter as much as it didn’t allow much smoke that we pumped inside to escape. Due to this, we don’t suggest getting this pair if breathability is non-negotiable.

After our actual trip to Europe and a visit to our lab, we discovered that the best on-foot company with the greatest style is On Cloudnova. Merely looking at it tells why this one has the best design out there. Every detail is tied together, from its bootie construction and midsole flex grooves to its reflective elements and other minimal details. And wearability-wise, this shoe got us prancing in joy without feeling any smidgen of tiredness from traveling from morning to night!

While roaming around in Europe, we could stay out for as long as we wanted because the footbed is incredibly comfortable. In our lab, we found that the midsole hardness is 29.0 HA which is 1.4% softer than average.

Also, our feet bent with ease while wandering in the continent. Although our digital force gauge recorded a resistance of 29.9N, meaning Cloudnova is 58% stiffer than average, we rated Cloudnova 2/5 (5 as the stiffest) in our longitudinal and torsional flexibility assessment, as it bent significantly when we used our own hand strength. Plus, we found that the not-overly-pliable construction of Cloudnova, along with a wide base, helped in making the shoe stable. 

However, Cloudnova didn’t help us much during our strolls under the scorching sun. We subjected it to our smoke test, and it only scored 3/5 because its upper didn’t let much smoke get out. Because of this, we do not advise sporting Cloudnova for long hours during summer.