If you’re in a hurry and just want to know what the best walking shoe for men is, then we recommend Skechers Men's Afterburn Memory-Foam Lace-Up Sneaker as the best choice.
A lot of men do way more walking than they realize. And although walking is great, we all have a responsibility to ensure that we optimize our health and comfort levels while we get around.
Shoes for walking and running are often designed quite differently. A shoe that may be perfect for running will be uncomfortable and may even give you blisters and sores if you walk extensively.
One crucial thing to do, if you walk a lot, is to get an excellent pair of walking shoes.
But to select a pair of men's walking shoes that is the best fit for you, there are some things that you need to know about choosing the best walking shoes for men.
Our Picks for the Best Walking Shoes for Men
Don't have time to read the entire review? Then check out our picks for each of the five major categories.
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Best Overall: Skechers Men's Afterburn Memory-Foam Lace-Up Sneaker | CLICK HERE FOR PRICE |
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Best Walking Shoe for Traveling: Men's Wool Runners | CLICK HERE FOR PRICE |
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Best Value for the Money: Skechers Men’s Go Max-Athletic Air Mesh Slip on Walking Shoe | CLICK HERE FOR PRICE |
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Best High-End Shoe: Brooks Addiction Walker | CLICK HERE FOR PRICE |
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Best for Wide Feet: New Balance Men's MW840v2 Walking Shoe | CLICK HERE FOR PRICE |
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Most Comfortable: Skechers Performance Men's Go Walk 5 | CLICK HERE FOR PRICE |
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Best Lightweight Shoe: Asics Men's GEL-Tech Walker Neo 4 Walking Shoe | CLICK HERE FOR PRICE |
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Best for Hiking and Rough Terrain: Merrell All Out Blaze Aero Sport | CLICK HERE FOR PRICE |
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Most Stylish: Steve Madden – Konrad Casual Walking Shoes | CLICK HERE FOR PRICE |
How to Choose the Best Men's Walking Shoes
The design of your walking shoes should be more than a fashion statement. When you are purchasing a pair of walking shoes, there are some characteristics in which you should pay close attention.
Here are some of the things you should look for:
Good walking shoes should be relatively lightweight!
Walking in heavy shoes can put unnecessary stress and strain on your feet. If you are doing a whole lot of walking, heavy shoes will tire your feet quickly.
The last thing you want is a pair of walking shoes that are way too heavy for you. Before you purchase those walking shoes, make sure you are comfortable with their weight.
Excellent shock absorption is a critical quality for walking shoes.
Some shoes will absorb more shock than others. If you are in a store, you may want to jump up and down in those new shoes to see how it feels when you land on the floor. The more shock the shoes absorb, the better it will be for walking.
Always think about the shape of your feet when selecting a pair of walking shoes.
Even though you may wear a size 9, your feet may have an entirely different shape from another who wears the same size. If your shoes are too narrow, too wide, too long or too short, it will be uncomfortable to walk in.
Don’t forget about the shape of your sole. Select walking shoes that are suited to your arch type whether it is flat, neutral-arched or high arched.
Consider the flexibility and support of the shoes.
Your walking shoe should bend quite easily to mimic the flexibility of your feet while you walk and you should be able to feel some resistance as you twist the shoe.
You also want to make sure that the shoes are cushioned where it matters the most. Rather than having a lot of cushioning at the heel, look for it under the ball of the foot.
Other tips you may need regarding men's walking shoes:
In addition to those characteristics, there are other things you need to know.
9 Best Walking Shoes for Men
Below we have the top nine men's shoes, along with what makes each shoe special. I pick a “best” choice in the end, but that choice is really arbitrary.
Each one of these shoes are high quality and good for its own reasons. Discover what you want from your shoes and pick the shoe that is right for you!
1. Best Overall: Skechers Men's Afterburn Memory-Foam Lace-Up Sneaker
Having been around for almost three decades, Skechers have made a name for themselves in the casual-comfort sneakers category. Known primarily for an uncompromising position on comfort over all else, the Skechers Men's Afterburn Memory-Foam Lace-Up Sneaker are the ideal pair of shoes for men who spend a lot of time on their feet.
The upper is a combination of nubuck leather and robust synthetic overlays. This combination provides secure attachment points for the laces that won’t break down and stretch out.
The sides and back are lined with a breathable mesh fabric. Rather than enclosing the sneakers entirely, this mesh allows air to flow freely through the shoe and helps your feet stay cool.
The design is modern but not overly fashionable. To some, they may seem a little drab, but this is in line with the Skechers dogma of comfort over form. If you need a great pair of shoes for work, this is the type of shoe you probably want.
When it comes to comfort, there are few alternatives that match these sneakers. They’re lined with a soft fabric lining and have full-length memory foam insoles. The soles are flexible and provide excellent traction. Even the standard size is remarkably wide and won’t squeeze your feet.
And if all that wasn’t enough, they accomplish all this while weighing in at just over nine ounces. These are easily our choice for the best men’s walking shoes.
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2. Best Walking Shoe for Traveling: Men's Wool Runners
It’s an axiom of traveling that you need to wear comfortable shoes. Nothing makes a trip more miserable than steamy and constrictive shoes. That’s where the Men's Wool Runners from Allbirds shine. They have a soft and durable wool upper that hardly feels like wearing shoes at all.
The upper is made of Merino wool. Merino sheep have softer and thinner wool than most other breeds of domestic sheep. This makes their wool especially comfortable and pleasant on the skin. It also helps regulate temperature better than standard wool because the thinner fibers allow more airflow.
In addition to the ethically sourced Merino wool upper, the midsole is made out of sugarcane fibers. You read that right. SweetFoam is the world’s first carbon-negative EVA foam and it’s made using sugarcane sourced from Brazil.
The result is a sole that’s just as comfortable as a typical walking shoe but much more eco-friendly. The foam is emulsified with castor bean oil instead of petroleum, making it even more environmentally responsible.
Being environmentally friendly is all well and good. But how do the shoes perform?
Much better than most in their category. They’re light enough to be worn on long trips but durable enough to get years of use out of them.
While they’re outstanding as shoes for traveling, these were actually designed to be running shoes. Runners will really enjoy them as they’re machine washable and exceedingly versatile. The upper conforms to your foot perfectly and the soles are highly malleable.
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3. Best Value for the Money: Skechers Men’s Go Max-Athletic Air Mesh Slip on Walking Shoe
If you were to design a shoe with every characteristic optimized for walking, you’d end up with something very close to the Skechers Men’s Go Max-Athletic Air Mesh Slip on Walking Shoe. They’re designed to provide optimum comfort and cushioning while walking.
The mesh upper is lightweight and breathable. It’s a fully synthetic material that allows airflow while keeping your foot snug and secure.
They feature a slip-on design which makes them very easy to put on quickly. You’ll be ready for walks in seconds and the high-rebound sole provides springy comfort and some energy return while walking.
The soles are made of Skechers’ proprietary 5GEN injection-molded compound. It has some of the characteristics of memory foam while still absorbing impacts admirably. They’re lightweight, flexible, and comfortable.
While they’re not overly exciting in terms of design, these shoes do have a minimalist charm to them. Their lack of shoelaces and single-color style make them appropriate in casual to semi-casual settings.
Skechers Go Walks also have a super-wide toe box that lets your toes rest comfortably without squeezing them. Moreover, the heel has extra padding to reduce the impact of heel strikes that make it easier to transition into your gait.
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4. Best High-End Shoe: Brooks Addiction Walker 2
There’s no reason not to bring a sense of style and elegance on your walks – and the Brooks Addiction Walker 2 are a great way to do that.
These sneakers are the epitome of high-quality construction and design while still retaining all the characteristics that make a great walking shoe.
There’s not a whole lot of new ground being broken on these sneakers but what they lack in innovation they make up for in build quality. They have a full-leather upper that provides supple comfort, giving the shoes a sense of urbane finesse.
The Addiction Walker 2 features, a traditional sneaker design. However, the inside is lined with a breathable synthetic mesh lining. Although they don’t provide much airflow from the side panels, the mesh prevents your feet from getting swampy.
It comes with a comfortable, cushioned insole that gives cushioning and support. Plus, the insole is conveniently removable if you want to replace it for a custom orthopedic insert.
These shoes also feature Brooks’ Progressive Diagonal Rollbar. This tri-density midsole is designed to give a smooth transition from midstance to propulsion. All that fancy language means that you’ll feel the shoe push off a little as you’re walking, reducing fatigue significantly.
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5. Best for Wide Feet: New Balance Men's MW840v2 Walking Shoe
The New Balance Men's MW840v2 Walking Shoe is a remarkable walking shoe that is made of real leather and comfortable rubber outsole. It features a lace-up design and 3 different color palettes so you can select the colors that you prefer.
Of course, these shoes offer cushioning and support as you move in them due to their well thought out design and build. One fantastic feature that stands out with these shoes is their sturdiness.
The sturdiness is a vital quality in a walking shoe as you want shoes that are flexible but sturdy enough to offer great support while you walk. They also come with a comfortable, but removable insert for foot ease and comfort.
The biggest advantage of these shoes are for those of us with wide feet. The New Balance MW840v2 walking shoe comes in a variety of widths as well as lengths making it easy for those of us with wide feet to find our perfect shoe match.
Each shoe has a normal version, a wide version and and extra wide version. This can also make them the top choice as a running shoe for men wide feet.
These shoes are great for just about any terrain, except possibly extreme hiking over extremely rugged terrain where you will probably want a dedicated high topped hiking boot and not just a walking shoe.
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6. Most Comfortable: Skechers Performance Men's Go Walk 5
These slip-on walking shoes are all about comfort. They are light and flexible and easy to put on and take off. Many users describe these walking shoes as “walking on clouds”, “super cushy” and “like wearing bedroom slippers”.
These shoes are notably comfortable due to a memory foam cushioned heel and a goga mat insole.
Using materials like these ensures that the shoes remain lightweight and comfortable to walk in. In addition to these materials the shoes are made of extremely breathable fabric to easily aerate your feet while wearing them.
The Skechers Performance Men’s Go Walk 5 is available for purchase in several different colors. They are also available in a wide variety of sizes including wide width options. The traction on these shoes is superb because they have rubber soles and the heel measures just about 1.5 inches.
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7. Best Lightweight Shoe: Asics Men's GEL-Tech Walker Neo 4 Walking Shoe
The Asics gel is perfect shoe that bridges the gap between lightweight design and strong sturdiness.
The Asics Men's GEL-Tech Walker Neo 4 Walking Shoe is specially designed for men who do a lot of walking. These shoes are available in 2 different colors and a wide variety of sizes.
The walking shoes are made of synthetic material and have a rubber sole for good traction. With breathable mesh fabric at the top of the shoes, the design promotes airflow to your feet as you walk.
In addition to these great features, the padded tongue and collar inside the shoes assist in enhancing the comfort level as you walk around. Moreover, the shoes are extremely lightweight and are especially suited for cross training because it is very easy to move around in them.
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8. Best for Hiking and Rough Terrain: Merrell All Out Blaze Aero Sport
Merrell is one of the best-known hiking gear manufacturers in the United States and around the world. They’ve been making high-end hiking boots and shoes since 1981.
The Merrell All Out Blaze Aero Sport is one of their most popular low-profile hiking shoe models. It’s marketed as a “speed hiking” shoe, designed to provide fluid and unobtrusive motion on all terrains.
The upper is a highly permeable synthetic mesh that allows great ventilation and dries quickly if it gets wet. It’s also stretchy and flexible to contour to your feet.
The midsole features Merrell’s Unifly which makes it both flexible and highly supportive, and protective of your feet. The All Outs are part of Merrell’s M-connect series of shoes. M-connects have a minimalist approach to hiking shoes with a heel-to-toe drop of only six millimeters and feature lightweight materials.
They also have a protective toe and heel cap which are indispensable when hiking in rough terrain. And, they have reflective details to make you more visible in low-light conditions.
The shoe is roomy, almost to the extreme. It features a massive toe box that wide-footed users will truly enjoy. However, people with narrower-than-average feet will feel their toes rattling around a little in these shoes.
The rubber outsole is made by Vibram, which is one of the most renowned outsole manufacturers around.
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9. Most Stylish: Steve Madden – Konrad Casual Walking Shoes
This shoe is an interesting hybrid. It is a comfortable leather walking shoe, but it looks fancy enough (although it is very inexpensive) that it can easily work with more casual office attire.
The perfect thing to wear to work so that you can get some walking done on breaks and during lunch hours. The Steve Madden – Konrad Casual Walking Shoes looks like a fancy pair of dress shoes but wears like a breathable and comfortable pair of walking shoes.
The leather toe box can even be nicely polished to mirror shine. Each shoe features rubber soles for great traction, leather upper and large toe box, perforated details for breathability, lace up front, leather lining and great cushioning for a comfortable bed to rest your foot.
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Final Thoughts on the Best Men's Walking Shoes
Some guys may find it a bit difficult to find a pair of walking shoes that check every item on their list.
Maybe your list is not very realistic; perhaps you have not taken into account the most important features of walking shoes, so or maybe you are searching for your shoes in all the wrong places.
Remember that you need to look for comfortable walking shoes that are a perfect fit for your feet. Make sure that they are not too heavy for you to move around in, and they have a lot of cushion and support to minimize your chances of injury while you move around in them.
From the top walking shoes that I have mentioned, my favorite is the Skechers Men's Afterburn Memory-Foam Lace-Up Sneaker.
Why? This walking shoe offers a tremendous amount of comfort which I value very highly while striking a balance with being sturdy enough so you can wear them throughout the day.
Of course, take this recommendation with a grain of salt. If you're a guy who wants a walking shoe for traveling or something with a little style, then you can't go wrong with the Allbirds Men's Wool Runners.
If you have wide feet, your best option may be the New Balance Men's MW840v2 Leather/Mesh Walking Shoe, and if you want a lighter shoe, then you may want to check out the Asics Men's GEL-Tech Walker Neo 4 Walking Shoe.
Remember, at the end of the day, you need to make your selection based on your feet and your needs.
Keep walking!
