An alarm must be sounded! As warmer climes arrive, we’re all going to be outside on our feet even more, but today’s trending footwear styles are not particularly catered to surpassing 10,000 steps. Tiny dress shoes, Samba alternatives, all these styles look great—but they’re pavement slappers. And that just won’t do for hours traversing urban concrete. To put it simply: Everyone needs at least one walking shoe.
Which begs the question: What exactly is a walking shoe? Technically, any shoe you enjoy walking in can be one, but to figure out what makes the great ones great, we turned to the experts. (We’re many things, but podiatrists are not one of them.) We also asked editors across the GQ office for their trustiest stomping shoes, and then looked back through the GQ Fitness Awards to make sure we were truly surfacing the cream of the crop.
The result of this work is below: Thirteen standout styles, and below that, a treasure trove of expert advice on what to look for in terms of fit, firmness, and foot widths.
The Best Walking Shoes for Men, According to GQ
In This Shopping Guide
Best Overall Walking Shoe: Hoka Bondi 8
Hoka wins multiple GQ Fitness Awards year after year, but the brand is as loved by fashion heads as it is runners. The main reason? No-one is engineering cushioning like them. And while most Hoka shoes fall into the max-cushion category, the Bondi’s always been a real behemoth. The 8 has lighter foam and an extended heel that paradoxically makes the Bondi feel nimbler and stabler than it looks like it should be. The result? A smooth, luxurious walking experience—no matter the distance or terrain involved. And while yes, the shoe is engineered with the brand’s thick, cloudlike sole, it’s also—dare we say it?—downright good-looking, which is a rarity in a market largely dominated by sneakers that place function high above form.
Best Walking Shoes for Wide Feet: Asics Gel-Nimbus 27
The Asics Gel-Nimbus has been one of the most supportive, stable walking (and running) shoes for years. Now on its 31st iteration, it’s pretty clear that the shoe has a devout following. The chunky max-cushioned midsole is certainly plush, but not so mushy that it lacks support on long walks. The Gel Nimbus also has an 8-millimeter heel-to-toe drop—the upper-tier of the optimal range for walking shoes—which promotes a smooth, efficient stride. And it comes in wide and extra wide lengths, making it ideal for any size foot.
GQ contributor Will Porter “normally wouldn’t want to recommend a max-cushioned running shoe for walking,” but after spending some time with the Asics, says it’s a no-brainer. “It might sound nice to walk in shoes that feel like marshmallows, but after a few miles, you’ll appreciate the firm support and substantial heel-to-toe drop.” Steven Thomas, a podiatrist on London’s renowned Harley Street who you’ll hear more from below, also likes to wear Asics around town. “A good quality running shoe is good for walking, because they have good shock absorbency. They usually have a decent structure to them, they fit well, and then they’re really light as well, so you typically feel really comfortable.”
Best (Non-Running) Walking Shoe: New Balance 1906R
Truth be told, most New Balance shoes are great for walking—and we have a full guide to all of its top styles here. Really, the clue’s in the brand name: the tech is modern, but New Balance has never wavered in its dedication to stability and comfort. Long before they were fashionable, New Balance had the comfort shoe market cornered, but in the last decade, the Boston-based brand has been churning out not just some of the chunkiest, most daddy (in a good way!) sneakers around, but also plenty of head-turning contemporary styles that have seduced the sneakerheads. Every shoe in its 990 series has rightfully achieved icon status, and almost any pair of NBs will treat your feet with the dignity they deserve, but this one—with 360 mesh uppers and a specialized sole to maximize shock absorption—is particularly suited for long days on the move.
Best Dressy Walking Shoes: Mephisto Cap Vert
So you’ve got a swankier-than-usual event to attend and would rather walk than take the train (because it’s a beautiful day and/or you’d like to keep your blood pressure stable). Doesn’t mean you have to turn up looking any less the part! Mephisto’s slick Cap Vert loafers will keep you looking dapper, while the buttery smooth full-grain leather—set on top of a shock-absorbent sole—will make sure your arches feel just as good as they look.
GQ’s Associate Commerce Director Michael Nolledo recently wore his throughout a two-week long, walking-intensive Vietnam trip, and felt as good as he looked. While you may not think of loafers when you think of comfortable shoes, Nolledo says the Cap Vert’s “arch support is unmatched” and the “soft leather looks understated but also feels great around the foot right out of the box.” In short, long gone are the days when beauty equaled pain.
Best Stylish Walking Shoes: Salomon Alpinway
Yes, Salomon has in recent years been the fashion shoe du jour, but never forget that the brand began as a mountaineering label. And while everyone and their mother wears the XT-6s—one of many pairs we recently celebrated in our guide to the Salomon universe—the Alpinway, first introduced only last year, is the rare walking shoe with plenty of city-ready appeal. Because while it’s packed with uber-functional tech to dominate the trails—a bungee-style lace-up closure for a micro-adjustable fit, some stretchy ankle support, a built-for-speed midsole—it’s also sleek enough to slip into all but the most discerning of restaurants and opera houses. For anyone unwilling to sacrifice elegance for comfort, this is the walking sneaker that proves you really can have it all.
Best Hiking Shoes for Walking: Norda 001
Canadian-born Norda brings the performance cred, designing footwear and clothing for extreme athletes. The brand leans heavily on a sustainably-constructed Dyneema, a technical wonder fabric used on fast sailing yachts and in cutting-edge backcountry gear that’s ridiculously strong for being ridiculously lightweight, as well as breathable, too. With the help of a grabby Vibram outsole, Dyneema makes the 001 into an all-terrain shoe without the usual trail-runner heft—they’re almost 50 grams lighter per shoe than those New Balance above. That adds up to your legs moving an extra 990 pounds over a 10,000-step day. Former GQ editor Chris Cohen first got interested in them because of that Dyneema fabric, but what won him over in the end was their “versatile good looks—if you’re not planning a trail ultramarathon this year, they also look sensational with some cut-off 501s.”
Best Everyday Walking Shoe: SAS Journey
SAS makes slept-on footwear gems with an orthotic bent and a beautifully basic design sense, and you’ll see them in only two places: old folks homes and low-key style circles. While the brand’s Journey model looks like a kids drawing of a sneaker in the best way possible, it’s the top-tier craftsmanship that’ll hook you: A breathable mesh upper that’s been reinforced with leather so it molds to your feet without losing the shoe’s natural footshape. A D-ring lace-up system for quick lacing. A heel stabilizer to make sure you’re hitting your stride correctly. And widths from slim to triple-wide, so your feet feel right whether you’re strolling the sidewalk or sprinting to catch the train.
