7 Best Shoes For Walking And Standing All Day in 2024

It’s hard to find a walking shoe that can match Nike Motiva for all-day wear. As our ultimate pick in this category, it delivers unparalleled comfort, effortless strides, and surprising longevity. Whether indoors or outdoors, at work or at leisure, these shoes provide an exceptional and pain-free experience that makes us forget about time altogether.

Taking our strolls to new heights is Motiva’s generous 34.9/25.6 mm stack made of ultra-plush foam. We felt like we were on cloud nine, and our durometer confirmed this sensation with a 15.0 HA reading. Its leg-saving nature made the miles roll by while its unique wave design underfoot helps with weight distribution.

Each stride forward feels silky smooth thanks to its standout rocker design. While its geometry is evident, it truly comes alive in motion. To maintain this movement, Motiva incorporates a rigid midsole, which registers a stiffness level 43.1% beyond the average in our flex test.

The outsole features Nike’s signature waffle pattern, offering traction from dry to wet pavements. It barely showed signs of wear after extensive testing, and our durometer confirms its durability with a high 92.0 HC reading and a thick 3.0 mm rubber.

Due to its soft midsole, we advise overpronators to opt for a more supportive shoe, as Motiva may lack the additional stability required for their gait.

The On Cloud 5 outclasses all the other slip-on walking shoes for all-day wear because its no-tie mechanism hits the ‘convenience’ spot we like in a walking shoe. What’s unbelievable is that we felt a fantastic lockdown without the need to adjust the shoe’s fit. Hours after hours of wear is also something we didn’t mind with this shoe, as we found it very lightweight and flexible. We also realised that On Cloud 5 is gentle on our feet, whether or not we wore socks – we never got blisters or hot. 

Wearing this shoe felt like nothing was on our feet, and this was supported by the small number we got when we turned the scale on. The On Cloud 5 only weighed 7.5 oz (212g), which is 24% lighter than the average. Furthermore, superb air circulation is also something to look forward to with this shoe based on our test. The amount of smoke we filled the insides of On Cloud 5 with was also the amount of smoke that cleared out insanely quickly, scoring 5/5 on our breathability test. 

As much as we admire the non-heel-slip fit of Cloud 5, we did not like its tightness, especially around the toe box. This snugness manifested in our calliper measurements of the upper, reading 89.5 mm as the widest part of the forefoot (7% narrower than the average), which incidentally is also the tightest among other walking shoes we have measured and evaluated. Due to this, we suggest checking out wide selections if you do not belong on the slim footers' side. 

Hoka Transport edged out every other walking shoe in terms of cushioning and overlong wear. We found that overall, its footbed is unequal – lushness, softness, and support included. During our round-the-clock travels, exhaustion and discomfort are out of the shoe’s vocabulary! 

In our lab, we dove in deeper and sliced the shoe in half, revealing a liberally cushioned Transport. Furthermore, our calliper clocked in heel and forefoot stack heights of 34.1 mm and 26.1 mm, which are thicker than the averages by 3.2 mm and 4.7 mm, respectively. 

We were even more pleased when we pressed our durometer to the midsole, as it showed a superb level of softness of 21.9 HA – 25.5% more plush than average. This translated to a phenomenal feel during our extended city strolls. 

Even though it is incredibly soft underfoot, this didn’t lead to any wobbliness. Upon investigating, we discovered that Transport’s stiffness led to a stable platform, along with a wide base.

In our lab, we measured the resistance to the bending of 30.4N, which is 59.2% stiffer than average. However, for people who prioritise flexibility over everything else, we advise seeking other pairs that allow for more natural bending of feet while walking.

The KEEN WK400 undeniably stands out as the best-rockered shoe for all-day walking. In our actual wear tests and meticulous lab assessments, it truly solidifies its status. With a design that encourages movement, we could mindlessly be on foot for hours thanks to its matched comfort, stability, and resilient outsole.

A defining element is its KEEN CURVE midsole. A sturdy full-length plate beneath the midsole preserves its rocker design, enhancing our surefootedness with every stride. Our bend test indicates it's 60.8% stiffer than the average walking shoe.

The unique midsole attracted our attention, leading us to dissect the shoe. Our calliper reveals a skyscraper 45.7 mm heel, delivering luxurious comfort. Paired with a 24.3 mm forefoot, the resulting drop of 21.4 mm facilitates smooth forward transitions and notably reduces pressure on our lower limbs. This kind of drop is one of the steepest we’ve ever measured. We also loved its velvet touch and springy nature, enhancing a forgiving ride.

Beneath our feet lies a very protective outsole—12.7% tougher and 2.4 mm thicker than the average walking shoe. Our lab results emphasise its resilience and longevity even on off-the-beaten paths.

On the flip side, it's also among the heaviest walking shoes we've tested. Tipping the scales at 13.4 oz (381g), it's 40.1% above average.

Enjoying all-day comfort with Skechers Arch Fit 2.0 makes the nine-to-five grind a delight as it offers the best arch support. The lab and the streets witnessed its remarkable stability and balanced cushion, ensuring our feet were well taken care of to prevent discomfort, uneven collapsing, and potential injuries.

Time quickly passes by as our feet melt into the skyscraper cushioning. Our heels and lower legs felt free from strain due to its chunky rear area, which our calliper shows is a mind-blowing 39.2 mm thick, 6.6 mm above average. To bolster our form, AF2 maintains a dense foam so that it doesn’t compress unevenly, which our durometer confirms is 21.6% firmer than average.

Its reinforcing presence even got stronger with its vast landing base and stiff midsole. Our lab reveals a wider-than-average 114.5/90.9 mm forefoot and heel and a midsole that’s more resistant to bending than average by 15.7%. These elements guide our foot alignment without much intrusion.

For whole-day trips, enduring materials are a must. However, the upper, heel, and outsole didn’t make the cut, wreaking havoc in our Dremel test. If a long shoe lifespan is a priority, we suggest exploring further.

When it comes to non-stop use during the day, the clear winner in having divine comfort and unbeatable traction is the Hoka Bondi SR. This shoe got us out of many slippery situations plus it carried us through hours of walking and standing without leaving us with any displeasure. 

No wonder Bondi SR provided us with a home-like environment for our feet, especially with its bulk of cushioning and padding inside. Working with our calliper, we identified exactly how substantial the cushioning is: 39.4 mm at the heel and 31.2 mm at the forefoot. This amount exceeds the typical stack heights of walking shoes by 25.9% and 48.6%, respectively. The tongue, on the other hand, punched in a thickness of 11.1 mm, which makes the 3.9 mm average nothing in comparison, or 184.6 thinner, to be specific! 

Moving on to the outsole, we established that it is 0.8 HC harder than the average at 73.1 HC. A softer outsole corresponds to stickier traction. However, its slight difference from the standard still afforded us safety whether we were walking on wet floors or smooth tiles. The only thing holding us back was the shoe’s weight, which we recorded to be 14.25 oz (404g). If you care about the 57.8% weight increase from the usual walking shoes, then we advise skipping the Bondi SR.

Does not empty the pocket? Check! The epitome of perpetual indulgence? Yes! These are the highlights of our experience while using and testing the Skechers Summit, which is why it is our number one best-budget walking shoes for all-day wear.

Summits set us back by only £70. Relative to the usual price of walking shoes, we found that this shoe has a 26.6% price advantage. But the cheap cost didn’t stop it from having a jampacked cushioning. In fact, we measured the stack heights in our lab to be 36.4 mm in the heel and 20.6 mm in the forefoot. This resulted in a 15.8 mm drop, which is 53.4% higher than average. It seemed like we were stepping on plump pillows, so we never mind being on our feet the whole day.

Another test that confirms its cushiony and pillowy characteristics is the midsole hardness test using our durometer. We discovered that Summits’ midsole is 16.3% softer than most at 21.1 HA, turning our day-outs into incredibly comfy trips.

One factor that affected the shoe’s wearability from day to night was its lack of proper ventilation. The upper released a little volume of smoke compared to the amount we injected inside, so we scored its breathability a 2/5. If your future all-day travels involve strolls at high temperatures, we suggest switching to other breathable walking shoes.