Walking is good for you—like, really good for you—but the best walking shoes for men haven’t exactly always screamed “sex appeal.” Until now. Given the explosion of interest in running’s less strenuous cousin over the past couple years, walking shoes have, ahem, stepped up their game. They’re still packed with all the cushion-heavy outsoles, breathable uppers, and vital arch support you need for a long day on your feet, but now they’ve got the style to match. Some borrow design details from sleek modern runners, some take their cues from retro silhouettes, but all of the ones here will help you get that daily step count in while looking primo with just about anything you’ve got on. Whether you’re heading out for an hours-long stroll or just making a quick trip to the bodega, these are the 25 best walking shoes for men to lace up now.
The Best Walking Shoes Shopping Guide
- The Best Hardcore Walking Shoe: Hoka Bondi 8, $165
- The Best Dad-Approved Walking Shoe: New Balance 990v5, $185
- The Best Dressed-Up Walking Shoe: Common Projects Track 80 shoe, $580
- The Best Outdoors-Ready Walking Shoe: Salomon ACS Pro shoes, $230
- The Best Walking Shoe of the Moment: ASICS Gel-Kayano 14, $150
The Best Hardcore Walking Shoe
Hoka Bondi 8
Hoka’s signature sneaker is beloved by serious walkers and serious aesthetes alike. The most cushioned shoe in the brand’s thick-soled repertoire, the Bondi 7, offers a consistently smooth, luxurious walking experience—no matter the distance involved. Yes, the shoe is engineered with the brand’s standout EVA midsole, breathable mesh uppers, and an ultra-soft memory foam collar specially designed to cradle your heel. But it’s also—dare we say it?—downright sexy, a rarity in a market largely dominated by sneakers that place function high above form.
The Best Dad-Approved Walking Shoe
New Balance 990v5 sneaker
Long before they were fashionable, New Balance had the comfort shoe market cornered. The Boston-based brand has been churning out some of the chunkiest, daddest (in a good way!) sneakers around for over a century, and every shoe in its 990 series has rightfully achieved icon status. Almost any pair of NBs will treat your feet with the dignity they deserve, but this one— equipped with a specialized sole to maximize shock absorption—is particularly suited for long days on the move.
The Best Dressed-Up Walking Shoe
Common Projects Track 80 sneakers
Leave it to Common Projects to transform a traditionally bulky, geriatric-leaning silhouette into a minimalist’s dream. The brand’s Track 80 sneaker is inspired by retro runners of yesteryear—the kind of shoes athletes wore to rack up miles in the ‘80s—upgraded with premium leather uppers and hits of supple suede designed to sync up with your business casual best. Rest assured, their hulking soles deliver on what matters most—a comfortable ride you can commute in day in and day out—but if you’re interesting in walking shoes you can toss on with a suit (and not look like Adam Sandler pitching his latest feel-good flick to Netflix) ditch the big-box brands and scoop these.
The Best Outdoors-Ready Walking Shoe
Salomon ACS Pro shoes
A surprise fashion-crowd favorite, the Salomon ACS is the rare mountaineering shoe with plenty of city-ready appeal. It’s packed with uber-functional tech—bungee-style lace-up closures, a heavily-padded collar, treaded rubber outsoles—to help you dominate the trails, but will look just as at home anchoring a pair of wide-legged cords.
The Best Walking Shoe of the Moment
ASICS Gel-Kayano 14 shoes
We already told you that early-aughts running shoes were going to dominate the 2020s sneaker circuit, but now the trend has kicked into overdrive. The Gel-Kayano 14—the silhouette du jour for some of the most discerning fashion collaborators in the game—has all the paneling and mesh-y bits you’d expect to see on a style that debuted when The OC was the biggest show on TV. Asics’ signature running shoe has made major fashion strides in the last 20 years, which explains why a sneaker you’d otherwise wear to train for a marathon suddenly looks eerily well-suited to walking off a heavy brunch.
Plus 20 More Walking Shoes We Love
Novesta Marathon Trail sneakers
Novesta’s been around the block for decades and they still make their sneakers the old-school way in their Slovakia-based factory. These Marathon runners may not come with bleeding edge tech, but they do have that classic charm that’s so hard to find these days.
Merrell Nova 3 Lightning Reflective low shoes
The grown-up version of light up sneakers.
Arc’teryx Norvan LD 3 GTX shoe
Here’s proof that technical sneakers can be crazy colorful and not a total eyesore.
SAS Journey Mesh shoes
You’ll find these shoes in one of only two places: old folks homes and lowkey style circles.
La Sportiva Ultra Raptor II trail running shoes
The shoe for when you like take walks around the neighborhood in-between Fortnight sessions.
Adidas Ultraboost 22 shoes
Whether you’re dog-walking or walking-walking, Adidas’ Ultraboost series is ideal for a quick jaunt around the block or full-day fits when you’ll actually see people.
On X South2 West8 Cloudaway printed mesh trainers
The Nepenthes family of brands has an uncanny ability to collab with unexpected brands and pump out something dope. And this link-up with On Running is the same.
Satisfy X Norda 001 mesh trainers
Thanks to young brands like Satisfy and Norda, running style has made some significant strides and their collaborative shoe is proof positive.
Spalwart Marathon Trail Low sneakers
The kind of walking shoe that pairs elegantly with the wide, billowy silhouettes and minimalist aesthetics of brands like The Row, AMOMENTO, and Lemaire.
Nike Air Pegasus 83 premium sneaker
No, we actually haven’t said it enough: retro’d sneakers are always good.
Saucony Jazz 81 sneakers
Ya like jazz???
Moncler Trailgrip GTX sneakers
Red-hot trailblazers like these deserve equally big pants.
Nike ACG Lowcate shoes
Grippy outsoles that’ll prevent you from blowing an ACL on a rainy day, eye-grabbing design that’ll prevent your everyday fits from blending in with the crowd.
Reebok Classic nylon sneakers
Wear them just like they were intended to be worn in ’91—with mesh shorts on the elliptical, or with your best pair of stonewashed jeans everywhere else.
The North Face Vectiv “Taraval” sneakers
Because you and your feet should be having a big, earthy summer.
New Balance 2002r sneakers
The shoe to buy when 990s won’t cut it.
Saucony Grid Marauder 3 sneakers
Brooks Addiction Walker 2 sneakers
OG geriatric kicks you should steal from your grandpa’s closet.
