What’s the difference between walking shoes and hiking boots? Essentially, walking shoes are designed with the same features as hiking boots, including waterproofing, rugged, bouncy soles and breathable fabrics, but usually feature lower ankle cuffs and tend to weigh less than boots, making them ideal if you find heftier hiking boots restrictive in the summer or if you’re travelling in warmer climates.
Walking shoes are versatile, too, and easy to wear everywhere from peak to pub to morning dog walk. They’re often as comfy as trainers to wear, and don’t need breaking in, but their breathable, man-made fabrics do make them less warm than thick boots. They’re also cheaper than hiking boots – we’d recommend spending around £50 if you want a comfy, robust, waterproof pair such as the high-performing shoes we’ve tested below.
How to buy the best walking shoes for you
How do I get the right fit?
When trying on walking shoes, check that they don’t feel tight anywhere around your heels, and that you have plenty of room to wiggle your toes. Don’t pick anything that feels like it fits on the snug side, as your feet will tend to expand on long hot walks. Try lacing the shoes up tight and checking they feel like they’ll stay in place without any tightness or rubbing around your ankles. Take along the kind of socks you usually wear to walk in, and try on as many pairs as possible to see what styles fit you best – if you have wide feet or suffer from bunions, look out for shoes designed specifically for you.
What key features should I look out for?
- A good walking shoe is waterproof and breathable on top, with tough rubber soles with great grip below. It makes sense to pick a good-looking pair of shoes, so that you can get more wear out of them. If you want to wear your shoes in the summer, a lighter mesh fabric is a good pick – if you want a style to use in all weathers, leather and suede shoes are heavier but warmer.
- Make sure the shoes you buy are labelled waterproof, rather than water resistant, if you want to wear them in bad weather. Gore-Tex is a reliable waterproofing system to watch out for.
- Tough, bouncy soles are worth investing in if you’re planning on hillwalking, and some shoes use branded technology such as Vibram soles that are great quality. Check they offer good grip – some shops even have mock terrain you can test your shoes out on.
- If you’re keen for aquatic adventures, rockpooling and walking in hot climates, walking sandals with closed rubber soles will keep your feet cool in and out of the water whilst protecting your feet.
The best walking shoes to buy
1. Mountain Warehouse Path walking shoes: The best walking shoes for men and women under £30
Price:£25
A very pocket-friendly price for a surprisingly high-performing shoe. The Paths, from Mountain Warehouse, are very comfy, trainer-like walking shoes perfect for the summer. Their cheaper price is reflected in the fact that only the soles are fully waterproof – the uppers are just water resistant, and will withstand light rain but will probably let in water if you jump in puddles. That doesn’t stop the Paths being a smart choice for fairweather walkers, though – we like their tough rubber soles, which offer great grip even on slippery rock, and the breathable fabric, ideal if your feet tend to overheat on walks.
Buy the Women's Path walking shoes from Mountain Warehouse
Buy the Men's Path walking shoes from Mountain Warehouse
Key specs – Sizes available: Women 4-8, Men 7-12; Material: Textile; Waterproofing: Waterproof soles, water resistant upper; Weight: N/A
2. Jack Wolfskin Vojo Hike Texapore shoes: The best all-round walking shoes for men and women
Price:£65
As comfy as slippers? Check. Waterproof? Check. Tough? A palatable price? Check. In short, the Vojo is a fantastic women’s walking shoe that ticks all our boxes in a simple suede design. The Texapore waterproofing is reliable and the soles are slim yet grippy. We especially like the tough rubber toe and heel bumpers, ideal for taking on rocky terrain, and the stay-put laces. The only downside? The light colour of the Vojos (there’s a grey and a light brown version available) shows up dirt and mud easily – so if you care about your kicks looking pristine, pick a darker shoe.
Key specs – Sizes available: Women 3-9, Men 6-12; Material: Suede; Waterproofing: Yes (Texapore); Weight: 370g
3. Adidas Terrex Swift R GTX: The best men and womens shoes for trail running and walking
Price:£95
Designed for trail runners, these shoes are swift both by name and by nature. They look rather rigid at first glance but actually feel extremely comfy and flexible when on. The Swifts are fully waterproof, treated with reliable Gore-Tex technology, and also offer the hardiest, grippiest soles of all the shoes we tried out. Both tough and lightweight in one well-designed package, they’re ideal for both walking and running in the back of beyond, especially in bad weather, when they show their mettle and give fantastic grip even on muddy paths. Worth shelling out for if you regularly hit the trails.
adidas Women’s Terrex Swift R Gtx W Nordic Walking Shoes, Black (Core Black/Tactile Pink), 7 UK
Key specs – Sizes available: Women 3.5-10.5, Men 6-14.5; Material: Mesh; Waterproofing: Yes (Gore-Tex); Weight: 350g
4. Columbia Redmond Leather Omni-Tech shoes: The best for everyday wear
Price:£85
If Goldilocks did walking shoes. Columbia’s Redmond is very well-priced for such a high-performing shoe. It’s good-looking enough to wear in the city as well as the country, but it offers style as well as substance, packing a hefty punch when it comes to design features. The shoe is fully waterproof, lightweight and cushiony to wear, with tough rubber soles. It’s also surprisingly warm even in colder weather. If you want one shoe for all seasons, this is an easy choice, and if you take regular care of the leather uppers the Redmonds should last you for years of happy hiking. Sadly, Columbia don't do a women's version of the leather-clad Redmond, but there is a lighter mesh-panelled version available which also has the company's effective Omni-Tech waterproofing if the design floats your proverbial.
Key specs – Sizes available: Women 3-10, Men 6-16; Material: Leather; Waterproofing: Yes (Omni-Tech); Weight: 436g
5. Keen Newport leather sandals: The best women’s and men’s walking sandals for summer
Price:£72
Are they sandals? Are they shoes? We’d argue that they’re the best of both worlds. Keen’s Newports are a fantastic choice for balmy summer walks. They aren’t waterproof, obviously, but by choosing walking sandals you gain a lot of lightness and breathability – no sweaty feet here. Meanwhile, the tough rubber toe cap makes them hiking-ready. These smart leather versions of Keen’s Newport are seriously comfy and give great grip on long walks, or if you want to actually get in the water, try the fabric version of the shoe, which is quick drying and works as an aquatic sandal.
Buy the Men's Keen Newport from Millets
Key specs – Sizes available: Women 2.5-8.5, Men 6-16; Material: Leather; Waterproofing: None; Weight: 430g