The Best Walking Shoes? Here’s How to Find Them

The best walking shoes are the ones that fit your feet and offer comfort and support. In addition, they should provide the proper flexibility and cushioning to fit the unique needs of your feet.

You’ll also find the experts' top picks for the best rated walking shoes as well as the best women's walking shoes and the best men's walking shoes.

You can also find some helpful advice if you're looking for wide walking shoes or narrow walking shoes.

Don’t miss these valuable tips on how to find the most comfortable walking shoes. And don't forget a good pair of walking socks to prevent painful skin injuries to your feet.

And if you need personalized advice on finding the best pair for your feet, visit the Walking Shoes Central page for helpful advice and tips just for you!

But before you review those lists, it is important to find out which kind of shoe you need.

And to do that, you’ll need to know what kind of feet you have. Two pieces of information are necessary to find the perfect pair for you.

You’ll need to know what kind of arch your feet have (normal, flat or high) and what level of pronation you have (normal, under or over). With this information, you can select a shoe that will provide maximum comfort and minimize or eliminate injury.

Here are some easy tests to help determine the best walking shoes for your feet:

Best Walking Shoes for Each Foot Type

All you’ll need is a piece of colored paper, a brown paper bag or cardboard. Get one foot wet and stand on the paper. Take a look at the imprint your foot leaves.

Here is a handy guide with pictures of the different foot types.

Determine which category your foot falls into:

Normal – Your imprint will show most of your foot and you’ll notice a large band on the outside of your foot imprint, connecting the ball of your foot to your heel.

You have a normal size arch and the most common foot type. Also known as a normal pronator, which means your foot collapses inward slightly to help absorb shock.

You can wear almost any shoe, but one with some stability is recommended to give you some arch support.

Shoe recommendation: Stability shoe, moderate flexibility.

Flat – If you can see nearly the entire imprint of your foot, it means you a low arch, or flat feet. This is common for those weighing over 165 pounds. Also known as an overpronator, your feet roll excessively inward when they land, which can cause pain in your knees and shins.

You’ll need a shoe that offers stability and support.

Shoe recommendation: Stability or Motion Control shoes, depending on the severity of overpronation.

High Arched Feet – If your imprint shows a thin band on the outside of your foot connecting your ball to your heel, you have high arches, the least common foot type.

Most likely, you’re an underpronator or supinator, meaning your feet tend to roll outward as they land and you can develop problems with your knees if you don't wear the right shoes to help with this issue.

Shoe recommendation: Neutral-cushioned shoe, maximum flexibility

Take a look at the shoes you’ve been walking in. Turn them over and examine the wear pattern.

It’s normal for the outside border of the heel to have some wear.

If the inside area of the heel is more worn that the outside of the heel, you are an overpronator (your feet tend to roll inward too much as you walk).

Shoe recommendation: Stability or Motion Control shoes, depending on the severity of overpronation.

If the outside of the heel is more worn relative to the inside, you are an underpronator or supinator (your feel roll outward as you walk.)

Shoe recommendation: Neutral-cushioned shoe, maximum flexibility.

If the wear on the heel is about the same, you probably are a normal pronator.

Shoe recommendation: Stability shoe, moderate flexibility.

If you live in San Diego, I've compiled a list of best walking shoes stores in San Diego. These quick and easy tips will help you select the best walking shoes for your feet.

The best advice is to go to an athletic store that has the equipment to analyze your feet (for free) and determine your arch type and degree of pronation.

If you'd like to explore the options available to you in each brand of shoe, I've done the research to help you determine which is the best walking shoe for you. For more information, visit:

Nike Walking Shoes

Now let’s look at the features of the best shoes for walking so that you can choose a pair with the right qualities for comfort and durability.

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