6 Best Trail Walking Shoes, 20+ Shoes Tested in 2023

Be ready and let the next adventure on the trails begin with these high-performance trail walking shoes. If you like taking a stroll in the woods like many of us here at RunRepeat, we have exactly the perfect list for you of walking sneakers for the trails.
From a wide array of known and trusted brands like Adidas’ Terrex Voyager, Vibram’s Furoshiki, or Reebok’s Ridgerider series, just to name a few, these are walking shoes that are designed for the rugged trails and urban pavements, providing superb traction and water-repellent technology.
For all your trail walking footwear needs, we’ve rounded up and tested the best of trail-ready shoes available today in the market. Check out our top recommendations in various categories.
How we test walking shoes
From walking shoes intended for flat feet and plantar fasciitis to waterproof models, we’ve vetted and rated all the shoes for this selection. To identify the best pieces, we took the shoes to the local trails and some rugged paths to check their real-life performance.
The selection process involves:
- Buying all pairs of walking shoes for the trails using our own funds. This keeps us 100% brutally honest when publishing our in-depth reviews and top rankings of all the sneakers in the database.
- Evaluating each model’s actual fit, cushioning, water-resistance technology, supportive features, stability, motion control features, surface traction, and durability. We cover at least 10,000 steps for each shoe. We then come up with our final assessments.
- Scrutinizing all footwear through mechanical tests to assess their overall value and performance.
- Gathering more useful info and data from feedback given by other shoe experts and reviewing health-conscious community who have tried the shoes.
To conclude our guide, we assign all the trail walking shoes their respective ratings. Go straight to the highlighted CoreScore to find all the best-rated sneakers (from 0 to 100) on the list.
Best trail walking shoes overall
CoreScore
- Top 27% in trail walking shoes
- Top 14% most popular walking shoes
Pros
- Good for light trails
- Reliable for long walks
- Shocking comfort
- True-to-size
- Breathable
- Has great grip
- Unbelievably light
- Stylish and fun colorways
- Easy to slide on and off
- Eco-friendly
Cons
- Mesh is fragile
- Long laces need tucking in
- Takes up luggage space
Verdict
Best trail walking shoes for for standing all day
CoreScore
- Top 16% most popular walking shoes
Pros
- Perfect waterproofing
- Keeps the foot warm
- Secure lockdown
- Quick lacing
- Quality-made
- Protective
- Good-looking
Cons
- Tight and stiff
- Lacks traction
Verdict
Best heavy person trail walking shoes
CoreScore
Pros
- Comfortable fit
- Highly durable
- Great quality-price ratio
- Suitable on various surfaces
- Nice brawny-looking design
- Easy to clean
- Excellent gift idea
Cons
- Heavy
- Lacks arch support
Verdict
Best New Balance trail walking shoes
CoreScore
Pros
- Comfortable everyday wear
- Appealing design
- Easy to put on and take off
- Good quality-price ratio
- Ample cushioning
Cons
- Requires familiarization with lace loops
- Inadequate undefoot support
Verdict
Best value
CoreScore
- Top 6% in Reebok walking shoes
- Top 15% most popular walking shoes
Pros
- Road-to-trail design
- Cozy in-shoe feel
- Affordable
- Great value for money
- Excellent grip
- Lightweight
- Good-looking
Cons
- Not for slippery surfaces
- Non-removable insole
Verdict
Most popular trail walking shoes
CoreScore
- Top 7% most popular walking shoes
Pros
- Versatile design
- Can handle all-day wear
- Exclusive look
- Surprisingly lightweight
- Sock-like fit
- Quick-to-adjust lacing
- Feels supportive
- Quite durable
- Good traction
- Uses recycled materials (20%)
- Reflective details
Cons
- Firm cushioning
- Lacks breathability