Top 3 Best Walking Shoes In 2025

Choosing the greatest walking shoes should be your top priority if you enjoy walking for all of its advantages! Having the appropriate walking shoes can make power walking even more enjoyable, regardless of your level of experience.

However, selecting the ideal pair for your needs might be difficult due to the abundance of variations available. While there isn’t a single walking shoe that is ideal for everyone, there are a few considerations to make while choosing the correct pair.

A list of our top three picks is provided below, along with advice on what to consider when selecting the ideal pair. As running coaches, we also spend a lot of time working out and going for walks with friends.

Table of Contents

• No 1 Asics Novablast 4
• No 2 Brooks Ghost 16
• No 3 New Balance Women’s 877 V1

Top 3 Best Walking Shoes In 2025

No 1 Asics Novablast 4

If we had to describe the Novablast 4 in one word, it would be “comfy.” Normally, that’s code for slow. Not so with the Novablast. The thick FF Blast + Eco foam insulates your legs from the pavement and is firm enough to get rolling at faster paces easily. Add in the fun geometry, and you have a shoe that can handle workouts or even races for some runners. The ride is also surprisingly stable, with a wider platform and slight sidewalls.

The upper is soft to the touch. Even with the fairly generous toe-box, dialing in a perfect fit is easy. It runs a bit warm, as most knit uppers do, but we aren’t complaining about that during the winter. Our biggest issue with the shoe is the lack of traction. The shoe handles dry pavement and light gravel easily but run in a bit of rain, snow, or ice, and you’ll notice the lack of lugs. To be fair, it’s more barefoot on damp tile than bowling shoes on ice, but it’s not ideal. However, this is still the shoe we grab on most days (when we aren’t testing other shoes).

We think heel-strikers will appreciate the generous amounts of foam towards the rear of the shoe, but mid/forefoot strikers shouldn’t worry. The combination of geometry and generous forefoot stack makes for a smooth ride if you land farther forward.

One of our few complaints about the shoe is about the bulbous heel. The design is visually striking, but it feels a bit clunky when moving fast. We wouldn’t mind seeing it slimmed down a bit. Sure, some shoes are more plushly cushioned. But the Novablast strikes a middle ground that makes it great for most runs.

No 2 Brooks Ghost 16

The Brooks Ghost 16 marks a subtle yet positive evolution in the series—particularly beneficial for heel strikers seeking a reliable everyday shoe. We were impressed by the enhancements in cushioning and stability, and we really liked the spacious toebox and durable outsole, proving its value during our lab tests.

Although there’s still room for improvement on our list, we’ve determined that the Ghost continues to be one of the best value daily trainers on the market for yet another year. We’ve tested the Ghost 16 extensively in our lab and found that its substantial heel-to-toe drop may not suit everyone—especially forefoot strikers who might find it limiting during their runs. Its 35.1 mm stack height provides ample cushioning for almost everyone, except perhaps those with a heavier build.

The Ghost 16 exemplifies this shift, measuring 96.1 mm at the widest part of the toebox based on our custom gel mold. While this measurement is close to average, it offers slightly more room than previous generations and many other daily trainers.

No 3 New Balance Women’s 877 V1

The New Balance 877 cuts a wide footprint for long-term stability on smooth surfaces. New Balance makes the shoe in three different widths I tested the narrowest one, which still felt ample in every dimension.

New Balance adds shallow flex grooves and outsole knobs to give the platform even more flat-surface traction. The midsole features New Balance’s proprietary ABZORB technology, which New Balance describes somewhat vaguely as “a blend of foam cushioning and compression set, featuring rubber.” With an 11-mm drop, the sole narrows noticeably toward the toe.

The shoe has no real toe cap. The 877’s distinctive upper features grey suede (the only available color) with mesh inserts to cut weight and add breathability. It has a moderately padded collar and tongue, and its low-profile, semi-rigid insole is removable. New Balance lists the 877’s weight at 12.15 ounces (not size-specific).

Walking shoes, on the other hand, are designed to provide more support in the midsole to help with shock absorption, as well as a more flexible sole to accommodate the rolling motion of the foot during walking.

They also typically have a higher heel-to-toe drop to accommodate the heel-first striking pattern of walking.

You also don’t want to wear out your running shoe faster than necessary or develop a foot pattern that could cause your foot to pronate.

How Long Do Walking Shoes Last?

Usually, you can walk 350 to 500 miles in a pair of shoes before the support, cushioning, and shock absorption wear out. This makes you more likely to get injured.

If you wear them every day, they should last you roughly six to eight months. Even though the shoes might look fine, they will need to be replaced by then.

Whew that’s a ton of information around the best walking shoes. And honestly, I could probably add more to the list. But let’s keep it simple to start.

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