5 Best City Walking Shoes, 100+ Shoes Tested in 2023
Enjoy long walks in the city with these high-quality walking shoes from across different brands. Whether you need a new pair or two of go-to street shoes for active rest days or all-day wear, our team of shoe fanatics recommends a comprehensive selection of footwear that suits your needs.
In this guide, you’ll find top-rated pieces from trusted labels such as Skechers, On Cloud, K-Swiss, Merrell, and New Balance, as well as proven brands like OluKai, Propet, and Ryka. The extensive list includes well-cushioned and supportive pieces that deliver protection and comfort in your daily routine.
We’ve reviewed 130+ of the best city walking shoes available today in the market. Each shoe is thoroughly tested for our top recommendations, which we highlighted below for faster browsing.
How we test walking shoes
To make the top list, all the footwear in this category is subjected to lab and field tests. We gather all data from our testers, and also take into account the reviewing community in general. We then come up with our own final assessments and top rankings.
We follow these steps for this selection:
- We procure all pairs of city walking footwear from our own pockets. This is our approach to keep our reviews 100% objective and unbiased.
- After walking around 10000 steps in each shoe, we rate its out-of-the-box fit, comfort, ankle support, cushioning, breathability, and durability, among others. We compare notes and insights with other testers to get a consensus.
- We put the shoes to the wear and tear of walking in the city. We double-check every essential parameter of each model. We further evaluate the pairs on a variety of surfaces to determine their strengths and weaknesses.
In the end, we assign each pair of city walking shoes an overall rating from 0 to 100. See the CoreScore to discover which models get higher ratings.
Best city walking shoes overall
Pros
- Perfect for all-day wear
- Great travel shoe
- Attractive design
- Comfortable in-shoe feel
- Fits well straight from the box
- High quality
- Weighs below average
- 10% recycled materials
Cons
- Pricey
- Sole catches debris
- Mid-cut is not for everyone
What makes it the best overall?
Best city walking shoes for flat feet
Corescore
Pros
- Podiatrist-approved arch support
- All-day comfort
- Memory Foam padding
- Easy on-and-off
- Sock-like fit
- Comfortable from the box
- Breathable
- Machine washable
- Removable insole
- Affordable
Cons
- Heel sliding
- Heavier than expected
What makes it the best for flat feet?
Best city walking shoes for plantar fasciitis
Corescore
Pros
- Comfortable for extended use
- No break-in period needed
- Helps a variety of foot conditions (plantar fasciitis and heel pain)
- Does not tip the scale
- Excellent ventilation
- Budget-friendly
- Stylish
- Compliment-magnet
Cons
- Limited colorways
- Not durable
- Lacks grip on wet surfaces
What makes it the best for plantar fasciitis?
Best value
Corescore
Pros
- Perfect for all-day wear
- Unbelievably lightweight
- Can do low-impact workouts
- Amazing in-shoe feel
- Very breathable
- Super easy on-off
- Great flexibility
- Regular laces are added
- Sustainable materials (44%)
Cons
- Lacks durability
- Outsole catches pebbles
What makes it the best value?
Most popular city walking shoes
Corescore
Pros
- Cozy in-shoe feel
- Relieves foot pain
- Comfortable for all-day wear
- Lighter than average
- Breathable mesh
- Easy on-and-off
- Machine-washable
Cons
- Laces can't be tied
- No arch support
What makes it the most popular?
