7 Best Women's Walking Shoes in 2024

How we test walking shoes

First of all, we acquire all walking shoes with our own money, to avoid bias towards specific brands or models.

Before a shoe makes it to our top picks, it goes through a long and meticulous testing process which includes the following:

• Hours of wear testing: We wear each shoe as we work in our lab, go on brisk walks, and simply perform everyday activities and errands.

• Meticulous lab testing: Each walking shoe is subjected to a series of measurements and lab tests which give us an objective idea of its cushioning, fit, stability, breathability, and other characteristics. And of course, we cut each shoe in half to examine it to the fullest.

How women’s walking shoes are different from men’s

This may sound harsh but most major athletic shoe brands use the following approach to gender-based footwear: women’s shoes are simply scaled-down men’s shoes. But is it necessarily a bad thing?

Considering how different individual foot shapes are, even within the same gender, making a shoe that would feel tailor-made for everyone is a challenge. Nuances like foot arch type, instep height, forefoot width, toe length, deformities like bunions, and many other parameters affect footwear choice way more than gender.

That’s why we are a bit skeptical when some brands claim their shoes to be designed “specifically for a woman’s unique foot shape.” We are not saying that this is a false statement but a few scientific studies proving that statement would make us more convinced.

So what are the actual differences between men’s and women’s walking shoes?

1. Size
2. Width
3. Colorways

Size

Say you are a lady who measured her foot length and found that a shoe length of 250 mm (25 cm) fits her best. If you check most brand size charts, you will find that 250 mm equals a women’s US size 8 and a men’s US size 6.5 (or US 7 in some brands).

You can also see this difference in unisex walking shoes where the brands use the following size number format:

M stands for men’s size and W is for women’s

Width

A standard medium width for women is marked with the letter B, whereas for men, it is marked as D.

The rest of the shoe widths go as follows:

Does this mean that a women’s D-width shoe will be just as wide as a men’s D-width? It depends on the brand but most likely, they will be different.

As we can see from the size and width charts provided by New Balance and Hoka, the approach to gender-based width varies a lot:

*men's D width is still 7 mm wider than the women's D width

*only a 3 mm difference in men’s and women’s D width

Colorways

This one is pretty self-explanatory. Yes, nearly every walking shoe for women will have a pink colorway but we are also happy to see a wider range of both vivid and soft, subdued color options.

Choosing the best walking shoes for women

Let’s get some shoes!

Ladies, admit it, we are all drawn to the most visually appealing shoe at first. And the unfortunate truth is that 60% of women in the US are willing to continue wearing uncomfortable shoes for fashion.

But if you want to change things up in your next pair of walking shoes, please do consider the following important factors in addition to the shoe’s visual aspect:

1. Use: Think of the context where you will be wearing shoes most of the time. Is it for daily chores, closing exercise rings on your fitness tracker, exploring new places, or working?
2. Health conditions: Did you receive any footwear recommendations from your doctor? Or perhaps you need a more supportive shoe to manage flat feet and overpronation?
3. Surface: Do you need a more wear-resistant shoe for concrete and cobblestone? Or a slip-resistant outsole to stay surefooted on wet tiles?
4. Season: How warm or breathable should it be?

Women’s shoes for walking and standing all day

Whether running errands, grocery shopping, or chasing your kids, you need a well-cushioned pair of walking shoes to get you through the day. Why? Because having enough midsole foam provides the necessary impact protection for your feet and legs and lowers the toll on the body overall.

A shoe’s stack height tells you how much material (insole, midsole, and outsole combined) there is between the ground and your foot. It can go from as little as 10 mm in minimalist shoes up to 45 mm in those monstrously cushioned walking shoes.

We recommend choosing shoes with at least 30 mm of heel stack for guaranteed underfoot comfort.

Many people think that a cushioned shoe must always be plush but that’s not true. You can feel sufficiently cushioned with a firmer midsole too. In fact, the latter is often recommended to alleviate some foot conditions (we’ll cover that in detail below).

We use a Shore A durometer to measure the midsole softness of each shoe. The lower the HA reading, the softer the foam.

Cushioning softness is a matter of personal preference and you may opt for any softness level you like:

• plush (20 HA or less)
• balanced (20 - 30 HA)
• firm (30 HA or more)

Example of a plush midsole (15.0 HA)

Example of a firm midsole (30.4 HA)

Women’s walking shoes for staying fit

In its guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behavior, the World Health Organization recommends that adults do at least 150-300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity per week.

Well, walking at a brisk pace (at least 2.5 mph) is one of the most accessible activities to reach that goal. You might as well mix some jogging into the equation for additional cardio health benefits. And the only equipment you need for this fitness exercise is a pair of good athletic shoes.

That’s where we recommend investing in a solid daily running shoe. Positioned as both walking and running footwear, this category is loaded with the best cushioning practices that the brands develop for their performance running shoes. They provide the best impact protection and energy return to make your longest walks and runs highly enjoyable. Not to mention that they make for super comfortable daily beaters too.

Travel walking shoes for women

Footwear should be the least of your worries when traveling and exploring new places. If you want to feel equally comfortable on a 9-hour plane ride and a 5-hour tour around a European castle, you should look for the following shoe features:

• lightness: not being weighed down by your shoes in a nice feeling, especially if you need to pack them into a suitcase
• cushioning: we recommend at least 25 mm of heel stack for sufficient underfoot support
• breathability: unless you’re traveling in rain and snow, it’s best to have a well-ventilated shoe on to avoid sweating and unpleasant odor
• easy on-and-off: not necessary but can come in handy at the airport

*weight is shown for a women’s US size 10.5

Specialized work shoes for women

Fields like healthcare, food industry, factory work, delivery, and other demanding professions, can require women to spend very long hours on their feet. In this case, proper footwear becomes essential for minimizing both short- and long-term effects of prolonged walking and standing on your body.

Here are the must-have features of a solid work shoe for women:

• cushioning:
  • at least 30 mm of heel stack
  • not too plush (20 HA or more)
• support:
  • very hard/impossible to twist the shoe
  • stiff heel counter that holds the foot in place
  • wide and stable platform
• special features: depending on your work environment, a slip-resistant outsole or a leather upper may be required
• formal style and monochromatic colors to match the uniform

Women’s walking shoes for various foot conditions

This guide has an informational purpose and is not meant as medical advice. Please consult a doctor about any foot health concerns before purchasing your next pair of walking shoes.

A good walking shoe should contribute to your well-being or, at least, not interfere with it. In this section, we look at the most common foot conditions and the shoe features that help to relieve them.

Stability women’s shoes for flat feet and overpronation

“Best walking shoes for flat feet” is one of the most common web searches among foot-related conditions.

Ladies with flat, or fallen, foot arches often complain about about the lack of arch support on the inner side of their shoes. This is usually accompanied by inwardly collapsed ankles as well (overpronation) which causes your shoes to wear out much faster on the inner side.

But can you determine your arch and pronation type correctly on your own? This study shows that only about 49% of runners were able to determine their type correctly. That’s why we strongly recommend that you have your feet assessed by a professional.

Once you have a confirmed case of flat feet and/or overpronation, your doctor will most likely recommend a stability type of walking shoe. This category has a more rigid and supportive construction that prevents the foot from rolling inwards.

Here are the key features that make these shoes different from neutral walking shoes:

• high torsional rigidity: these shoes are hard to twist providing solid side support
• secure heel hold: a stiff, structured, and padded heel counter keeps the heel and ankle in place
• wide platform: creates a stable landing platform and prevents the foot from rolling over the edge

What type of walking shoes relieve plantar fasciitis

There can be many reasons for heel pain and it is best if a doctor confirms that you have a case of plantar fasciitis. But there are a few surefire symptoms of this unpleasant condition:

• the heel pain is especially severe in the morning or after rest
• the pain gets worse with weight-bearing
• the pain might echo in the midfoot
• it hurts to palpate the plantar fascia
• discomfort occurs when you bend your big to by hand

Now let’s take a look at the type of walking shoes that can help ladies with plantar fasciitis feel better:

• high torsional rigidity: stiff and hard-to-twist shoes minimize foot wobbling
• stiff heel counter: prevents heel and ankle shifting inside the shoe
• sufficient cushioning: at least 30 mm of heel stack prevents aggravation
• moderately firm cushioning: prevents excessive foot motion
• higher heel-to-toe drop: at least 8 mm of heel elevation puts less strain on the foot
• wide platform: contributes to stability

That’s a lot of points to check! But luckily, every acclaimed footwear brand has at least some (or many) women’s walking shoes that meet all these criteria.

Women’s shoes that accommodate bunions

Whether you already developed a visible hallux valgus deformity or the bump formation is still in the beginning stage, you must consider a better-fitting walking shoe to (hopefully) prevent the condition from worsening.

Here is what you should look for above all else:

• accommodating toebox: there should be no pressure, tightness, or pinching anywhere in the forefoot or around the toes.

This doesn’t always mean that you should get an extra wide shoe option but it should provide enough room for your toes to splay, swell, and remain comfortable for hours of walking.

Based on our caliper measurements, these walking shoes for women have the widest toeboxes in the foot's metatarsal (bunion) area.

*toebox measurements are shown for a women’s US size 10.5

• stretchy upper fabric: choose knit or knit-mesh uppers that stretch and take the shape of your foot easily, without pressure.

In this research, shoes with stretchable upper fabric showed even better results than shoes with a rounded toebox shape. The former significantly reduced pressure on the toes and were reported as more comfortable for people with bunions (hallux abducto valgus).

Pregnancy and walking shoes: recommendations 

Pregnancy is always accompanied by weight gain and foot swelling.

That’s why it is crucial for your comfort to choose walking shoes with the following features:

• support and stability:
  • shoes with solid torsional rigidity (hard to twist)
  • stiff heel counter that holds the heel and ankle in place
  • wide and stable platform
• balanced or firm cushioning: at least 20 HA to prevent wobbliness because extra soft shoes will make your feet work harder to stabilize the body.
• accommodating toebox: shoes with roomier fit and stretchy upper fabric or you might as well consider a wide or extra wide option.

Women’s walking shoes for diabetes (A5500)

You may wonder what high blood sugar has to do with footwear but, unfortunately, ladies who have been diagnosed with diabetes are at risk of developing neuropathy, calluses, or even foot ulcers due to poor blood circulation in the feet.

And because a recent study showed that only 36% of people with diabetes were wearing proper footwear for their ulceration risk class, it is important to stress the need for proper walking shoes. Not to sound dramatic, but the worst-case scenario can end with a leg amputation.

To make sure your feet remain safe and sound, look for walking shoes that are marked with the A5500 code. It means that they have been approved for diabetes and are subject to compensation by Medicare. Some of the acclaimed athletic brands that make diabetic-approved shoes are New Balance and Brooks.

TIP: When you try a shoe for the first time, make sure that it has enough space to accommodate your foot and your custom orthotic (if needed). There must be NO tightness, pressure, or irritation at all.

Concrete, cobblestone, tiles, or trails - women’s walking shoes for every surface

To be honest, in most cases, you can just wear the same pair of walking on all urban surfaces without trouble.

But if you are tired of seeing premature wear on your shoe outsoles or find yourself slipping dangerously on wet floors, it may be worth getting a walking shoe that’s better equipped for the type of surface you regularly tackle.

Women’s shoes for walking on concrete

If hard concrete starts taking its toll on your legs and shoes, we recommend that your next pair has the following features:

• more cushioning (at least 30 mm of heel stack)
• more durable outsole (avoid shoes with exposed foam)

But how do you know if the outsole is durable? In our lab, we measure two parameters to find that out: outsole thickness and its ability to resist high-speed drilling with sandpaper.

We recommend that a walking shoe for concrete has at least 3 mm of outsole thickness. But the more the merrier!

The table is sorted by Outsole durability - the smaller the number, the stronger the rubber.

Women’s shoes for cobblestone

Cobblestone streets look pretty in the pictures but can be rather tricky to walk on, especially when wet. Especially when going up or downhill. Here are some of the shoe features that can help you feel more surefooted on this old-fashioned surface:

• sufficient cushioning: at least 25 mm of heel stack to mute out hard stones
• moderately firm and stiff: very plush and pliable shoes feel extremely wobbly on this uneven surface
• durable rubber outsole: exposed foam wears out fast and feels dangerously slippery on wet stones
• laces over slip-ons: slip-on shoes lack proper lockdown and side support causing too much in-shoe play on uneven roads

Smooth and wet floors call for slip-resistant shoes

Isn’t it shocking that slips, trips, and falls in the workplace cause nearly 700 fatalities per year in the USA alone? And how many of those could have been prevented with proper shoes?

If you walk on tiles and linoleum every day and don’t want to tempt fate, it’s worth getting a walking shoe with a slip-resistant outsole.

Brands normally mark shoes with slip-resistant properties at the bottom of the outsole as well as in the product specs. You can also find certification marks from a third party (like SATRA) confirming their slip resistance.

Women’s walking shoes for trails

While these are NOT proper hiking shoes, they do have a slightly more aggressive treading than a typical walking shoe.

These shoes are great for ladies who regularly trade city streets and pavements for well-maintained trails. Not too rocky or muddy though.

Women’s walking shoes for summer, winter, and mid-season

There is no bad weather, right? As long as you have the right pair of shoes on.

Equipped with a smoke-pumping machine, an LED light, and a microscope, we are here to tell you which shoes have the best breathability for summertime and which ones are better to save for the cold and rainy season.

Shoes for summer and hot temperatures

You obviously need the most breathable walking shoes to keep your feet fresh and fragrant-free when the cruel summer hits. That’s why we thoroughly test each shoe’s ventilation capacity and only recommend options with the highest breathability score of 5 in our summer shoe catalog for ladies.

Women’s shoes for moderate weather

A lot of women’s walking shoes fall somewhere in the middle between breathable and warm. These shoes received breathability scores of 2,3, and 4 in our lab tests so it’s up to you to choose how much airflow you need in a walking shoe in mild weather.

Warm and waterproof shoes for low temps, rain, and snow

The warmest walking shoes earned the lowest breathability score of 1. They feature very densely woven upper fabric and are often enhanced with waterproof membranes like Gore-Tex (GTX).