7 Best Slip-on Walking Shoes

For us, the On Cloud 5 is the gold standard when it comes to slip-on walking shoes. Through testing it in the lab and on the field, we were amazed at how easily accessible foot heaven is with the On Cloud 5. We give it mad props by designating it as our best overall slip-on walking shoe because of its flexibility, breathability, and secure fit.

From our tests on the field, we found it moving with the On Cloud 5 to be an amazingly pleasant experience. We loved how smooth our transitions were from one step to the next. Plus, we could walk for hours on end, without complaining one bit! To see what’s behind this, we tested its flexibility in the lab. We did this by attaching the On Cloud 5 to our clamp by its tip and bending the shoe to a 90-degree angle using our digital force gauge. The force returned by the shoe is 19.8N, which is much lower than the average of 30.7N. This tells us that the shoe is 35% more flexible than the average.

Walking long hours tends to come with sweat, but that isn’t a concern with the On Cloud 5. In our lab, we pumped smoke into its interior to see how it escaped. What was apparent was the fact that the smoke escaped from a large part of the shoe’s forefoot. This makes for a supremely breathable shoe. 

Lastly, while the On Cloud 5 easily slips on feet, it doesn’t let go so easily. Even with how huge its opening is, we never experienced any issues with heel slips or the like. Something that may explain this is its pretty narrow toebox, given that its forefoot width (upper) is measured at 89.5 mm, 8.9% more narrow than the average of 98.2 mm. Another is that it has a fully gusseted tongue that helps keep feet securely in.

While its mesh upper makes it a very breathable shoe, it also comes with the downside of being too fragile. Worrying about wear and tear isn’t something that’s ideal for a shoe that you want for just slipping on and going. Thus, we cannot recommend it to those who want a walking shoe to beat up.

We realised that the search was over for the premier slip-on walking shoes with superior airflow when we encountered the On Cloud 5 Push. Despite going on long walks in the heat, our feet remained as fresh as a daisy. Also, every time we sport this shoe, we gravitate towards convenience and utter in-shoe pleasure!

The combination of the fully-gusseted tongue and speed-lacing mechanism in Cloud 5 Push was a defining moment for this slip-on as it made our ons and offs much easier and quicker. It also sealed our toes inside, leaving no chance for heel slippage.

Moisture retention was something we were never anxious about in Cloud 5 Push. For us to properly illustrate the permeability of this shoe, we cascaded smoke on its interior and watched the smoke that exited. Upon witnessing a large quantity of smoke emerge, we gave the shoe a 5/5 breathability rating. 

One thing that the wide footers among us couldn’t help but notice was the shoe’s tight fit. By means of our calliper, we acquired the width of the broadest area of the toebox to be 96.6 mm. This provided us with 1.3 mm less space than the average, so if you have wide feet, we recommend seeking other options.

Skechers GO WALK 6 seems like a second layer of our skin as it perfectly embraces our feet. Also, getting it on has never been this trouble-free, which is why no other pair can compete with this shoe as the best slip-on walking shoe with a sock-like fit.

The upper seamlessly adhered to our feet and ankles even when we went out for vigorous strolls. One major thing that is behind this is the tongue gusset design that also aids the shoe’s straightforward on-and-off functionality. Furthermore, we discovered that while the heel counter only got a 2/5 score in our manual stiffness test, which by the way is the same as the average walking shoes, it still grasped to our ankles well.

Our foot motions in GO WALK 6 are as smooth as ever because of its pliability. The 12.9N detected by our digital force gauge is proof of this as it suggests that the shoe is 28.3% more flexible than the average. When we tested it in a cold environment, aka our freezer, the shoe did stiffen up to 18.2N, a 41.5% increase from the initial state. However, this is still 36.6% more flexible than the average in chilly conditions, so no worries about heel-to-toe transitions in whichever season.

The issue we encountered is the heel padding’s subpar durability, which became apparent when we exposed it to our Dremel tool and it immediately showed significant wear, thus receiving a 1/5 score for robustness. Due to this, we recommend looking into other hardwearing pairs.

After several hours of testing the On Cloud 5 Waterproof in our lab and on the streets, we found that it’s a definite stand-out among walking shoes. We picked it as our best waterproof walking shoe for the city because it doesn’t just survive wet conditions, it absolutely thrives in them. What led us to this conclusion is its potent waterproofing system, its daylong comfort, and its resistance to the cold.

When it comes to waterproofing systems, the On Cloud 5 Waterproof’s is on another level. From testing it on rain and snow, we witnessed its complete protection. On rainy days, we discovered that it doesn’t let raindrops enter, keeping the inside dry. This is also the case for snowy days, where putting slush over it isn’t enough to make its interior damp.

We also tested this in our lab by pumping smoke into its interior and observing its behaviour. Based on this test, the smoke had a very difficult time escaping. This shows us that although the On Cloud 5 Waterproof isn’t breathable, it repels water extremely well. A similar finding was observed when we tested its waterproofness by shining a light above its fabric. The result: no amount of light was able to shine through the upper, which furthers the point.

The way it keeps dry isn’t just what the On Cloud 5 Waterproof has to it, though. When we wore it out for full days, it felt great underfoot - giving us a soft-yet-springy sensation. We tested this in the lab by pressing our durometer to its sole, which yielded a reading of 30.4, telling us that it is 10% firmer than the average walking shoe. This measurement is a good balance between soft and firm, confirming what we felt.

Beyond its upper’s ability to repel moisture, the On Cloud 5 Waterproof’s sole is great at resisting the cold. We tested its sole flexibility by measuring the force it exerts when bent at a 90-degree angle using our force gauge both at room temperature and after putting it in the freezer for 20 minutes. The result: the sole only got 15% stiffer, which is amazing since the average walking shoe gets 70% stiffer!

While the On Cloud 5 Waterproof doesn’t let moisture in, it also has a difficult time letting moisture out. Drying the shoe out extensively is effective in removing the odour, but we cannot recommend the On Cloud 5 Waterproof for those who don’t want to deal with this.

We unleashed the geeks and scientists in us just to identify the best budget slip-on walking shoe. After meticulous testing, one thing became apparent: Skechers Summits upstaged all the other shoes! For a £70 price, not only did we win a deal for its delivered on-foot pleasure and convenience, but it also got a quality upper and sock liner! And have we mentioned that it’s 27% and 9.7% cheaper than the average prices of walking shoes and Skechers walking pairs?

It felt magic how our feet were vacuum-sealed inside during walks but when we wanted to get them out of the shoes, the tongue easily expanded. Apart from the gusseted tongue, we found that the nicely snug yet non-constrictive fit was also behind our locked-in experience. Our calliper read a 98.8 mm measurement across the widest part of the toebox, making it only 1 mm wider than the average.

At a very cheap price, we were amazed by how the upper held up to our daily strolls. We probed more in our lab and got our Dremel to work. We pressed it to the upper and sock liner but it wasn’t enough to poke a hole on these areas. 

However, when we applied the Dremel to the outsole, a 2.5 mm dent was produced. This is 66.7% deeper than the average damage made on other shoes. Therefore, if you wish for a walking shoe that can be with you in the long haul, we suggest searching for other pairs.

No nonsense whatsoever – this is what’s it like to put on the Skechers Gowalk Joy! It’s already feathery as it is but the sense of lightness is highlighted even more by the efficient stride transitions in this shoe. These, along with the inch-perfect fit, are the primary reasons why we hailed it as the best lightweight slip-on walking shoe.

At a weight of 6.17 oz (175g), it was easy to forget that we were wearing Gowalk Joy, especially when it is 31.7% lighter compared to the average. In terms of fit, we measured the maximum width of the toebox to be as broad as the average of 97.9 mm, accommodating our feet comfortably.

We immensely appreciated our walks in Gowalk Joy, mainly because of our smooth stride progressions in this slip-on. We discovered that the shoe effortlessly submits to force applied to it, much like when we used our digital force gauge to bend it. It withstood the bending action with a force of 7.5N, indicating that it’s 58.3% more pliable than most.

This shoe might be airy in weight but not in ventilation. We realised that the smoke pumped inside the shoe couldn’t easily be driven out of its upper, so we gave the shoe a 2/5 score in breathability. If your feet are prone to sweating, we suggest going for shoes with lots of airflow.

Of all the slip-on walking shoes we wore and cracked open in our lab, the one that we verified to have a can’t-miss in-shoe feel is the Skechers GOwalk Joy - Ecstatic. Slipping into and out of is the very definition of hassle-free and inside, it greets us with a level of comfort that sends us to heaven.

We could last forever and a day in this shoe without facing discomfort, thanks to the tremendous amount of cushioning. Our calliper showed this to be true as it acquired 32.7 mm and 24.4 mm heel and forefoot stack heights, which are 1.4 mm and 3.4 mm taller than their respective averages.

The midsole is also a joy to step on because of its pillowy characteristics. Checking this back in our lab, we learned that it is 22.1 HA soft, which is 12.3% softer than most. The clincher is that even though the shoe is packed with cushioning, it still felt lightweight and we didn’t feel any fatigue. This is affirmed when we set the shoe on our scale and it reflected 8.47 oz (240g) which is 6.2% lighter than the standard. 

However, we don’t recommend this to individuals who seek stability. We gauged the rigidness of its construction by twisting the shoe and it exhibited no resistance at all. If you have foot conditions, we suggest staying away from this shoe.