Best walking shoes for women: Comfortable trainers for hikes or long strolls

The weather is hotting up so swap your heavy hiking boots for comfortable and lightweight walking shoes.

Lower-cut, summer-friendly trail shoes tend to be more breathable than high-cut boots, and while they don’t offer ankle support they still pack a technical punch for outdoor adventures, usually featuring rugged, bouncy soles for good grip and often including a waterproof membrane so that you can tackle bad weather.

Walking shoes are versatile, too, and are easy to wear everywhere from peak to pub to morning dog walk.

How to 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. Try lacing the shoes up tight and checking they stay snugly in place without any tightness or rubbing around your ankles. If you have especially wide or narrow feet or suffer from bunions, look out for shoes designed specifically to fit your needs.

What features to look for

A quality walking shoe differs from a casual trainer in two key areas – good grip and good comfort over long distances. Look for a pair of shoes with chunky rubber soles with deep ‘lugs’ (these are the indentations in the bottom of your shoe that grip the ground).

Your new trainers should also have supportive, solid heel and toe boxes, offer decent arch support and feature cushioned insoles to keep you comfortable as you hike. If you want to wear your new walking shoes in hot summer weather, a lighter, breathable mesh fabric is a good pick – if you want a style to use in all weathers, leather and suede shoes are heavier and less breathable but warmer, sturdier and naturally water-resistant.

Walking shoes traditionally weren’t the most exciting footwear to look at, but recently hiking footwear has been getting a bit of a street-ready makeover, and many of our top picks below have sporty, trainer-like looks that you can wear pretty much anywhere from city to countryside.

Do walking shoes need to be waterproof?

Most hiking boots are designed to be worn in the colder, rainier months, and are usually fully waterproof. When shopping for walking shoes, however, you can be more flexible.

If you want new shoes for summer walks, traveling in hot climates or for aquatic adventures such as rock pooling, you’re better off picking something lightweight, quick-drying and breathable.

If you plan to wear your new hiking shoes on hill walks and trail runs come rain or shine, pick a fully waterproof pair that use technology such as a Gore-Tex membrane to repel water.

Shop the best below

Hanwag Banks Low Lady GTX Shoe

We’ve reviewed Hanwag’s popular Banks hiking boot in the past and been favourably impressed, so it was no surprise that this low-cut shoe version also cuts the mustard.

If you want the look, feel and performance of a leather hiking boot but with a lower-cut ankle and a bit less weight, this is the model to pick – it features tough, grippy rubber soles and a solid, supportive construction that suits going further into hills and mountains, plus reliable Gore-Tex waterproofing.

These leather hikers are warmer than most walking shoes, but less breathable, so they’re best used in spring and autumn rather than the dog days of summer. A bunion version is also available for £180.

Buy now £169.99, Ellis Brigham

Merrell Moab Speed GTX X Sweaty Betty Trainer

Active shoe makers at Merrell and the fitness apparel gurus at Sweaty Betty have teamed up to create a rather stylish new walking trainer in this Moab Speed GTX collab.

The Moab Speeds are described as ‘made for the trail’, and after testing them out we’d agree that they offer good grip and comfort even over longer distances.

The sporty looks make the shoes easy to wear everywhere from city streets to country lanes, so you get more bang for your buck, and these shoes are also fully vegan (many trainers use animal-derived materials such as glue, so they aren’t vegan-friendly), and are partly constructed from recycled materials.

Buy now £125.00, Start Fitness

Vionic Walker Classic Trainer

The Walker Classic does what it says on the tin – this rather chunky trainer is designed with durable rubber soles that offer good traction, plus a supportive heel and cushiony inner soles.

The leather upper looks great, is naturally water-resistant and moulds nicely to your foot with use. We found the Walker offered good arch support on test, but this is not a design to pick if you have narrow feet as Vionic’s design is currently only available in ‘Wide’ sizes that will suit anyone who needs more width than most walking trainers offer.

Buy now £84.60, Amazon

AKU Tengu Low Gore-Tex Shoe

Just because you’re choosing a shoe rather than a boot doesn’t mean you’ll end up with something flimsy – just ask AKU’s Tengu Low. This sturdy shoe stands out for its solid rubber sole and tough toe box, and on test we found these shoes protected feet even on rocky scrambles.

If you want a casual walking shoe for summer weather, you can pick something less substantial, but for proper hiking, scrambling and approach hikes (approach shoes are used on more technical climbing terrain), these are brilliant, and a Gore-Tex liner will keep feet dry if the heavens open, too.

Buy now £17995.00, Alpine Trek

Hoka Speedgoat 5 Shoe

As the name suggests, this is the fifth iteration of the Hoka Speedgoat – and the brand reckon it’s better than ever with added Vibram soles that we found offered good grip on all types of terrain.

These vegan shoes are designed for running as well as for hiking, and we think they’re a good choice for use in hot, dry weather as the mesh uppers keep things breathable even as you work up a sweat.

Not everyone will like the thicker-than-average rubber soles of the Speedgoat 5, so try them around the house before you hit the trail to see if they’re your thing.

Buy now £130.00, Hoka

New Balance Fresh Foam X Hierro V7 Shoe

One trainer to rule them all? If you want a casual city sneaker that is secretly a tough and grippy walking shoe once you get it outdoors, you’ll get on with New Balance’s Fresh Foam X Hierro V7.

You can stroll, walk, hike and trail run in the Fresh Foams with ease, although we think the grip is only good enough to stick to more groomed terrain in dry weather, rather than wet mountain conditions.

We love the two eye-catching bright colourways, which look great with jeans as well as with joggers. A shoe you might just end up wearing daily.

Buy now £130.00, New Balance

Adidas Skychaser Gore-Tex 2.0 Hiking Shoe

If you’re shopping for walking shoes and your priority is reliable waterproofing that can take on a storm, Gore-Tex technology is always a reliable choice. The Gore-Tex membrane built-in to the Adidas Skychaser will stop rainfall or puddles from ruining your hiking fun, but still allows these shoes to breathe in warmer weather.

And if you like your trainers to look sleek and simple, you’ll get on well with the plain black colourway of the Skychaser – it’s ideal if you need plain shoes for a job when you’re on your feet all day. Made with part-recycled content, for eco brownie points.

Buy now £160.00, Adidas

Gabor Zip Shoe

If you’re looking for something a little smarter than your average walking shoe or sporty trainer but need footwear that you can still happily hike in, try the Gabor Zip from country outfitters House of Bruar.

Soft suede leather uppers look and feel lovely to wear, and we like the side zip for popping on and off these shoes in a jiffy when you can’t be bothered with laces. The Gabor is a good choice for summer holidays and city sightseeing where you’re planning on clocking up the miles on foot but want to look a touch more luxe.

Buy now £119.95, House of Bruar

Keen NXIS EVO Waterproof Shoe

The latest addition to Keen’s stable of comfy walking shoes and sandals is the NXIS, a sporty-looking hiking trainer that’s waterproof enough to deal with even heavy rain. Grip is also good even if you venture off the beaten path thanks to lugs that’ll rival those of your favourite hiking boots.

Want to up the pace? These shoes are also lightweight and flexible enough to trail run in. The NXIS is comfortable straight out of the box but we did find it on the narrow side – if you have wider feet, go a size up or pick a more generously-designed shoe.

Buy now £129.99, Keen

Vivo Barefoot Primus Trail Knit FG Shoe

Ever heard of ‘barefoot’ shoes? They’re footwear designed to come as close as possible to how it feels to walk naturally with no shoes at all, while still offering protection from the elements. Vivo Barefoot’s Primus Trail Knit shoe has a tough but flexible sole that has been designed with trails in mind, coupled with a lightweight upper material that has a knit construction to allow your feet to breathe.

This fully vegan shoe is ideal for covering distances on tropical adventures, and at 250g per shoe this design will never weigh you down. Top marks for breathability and comfort in hot weather.

Buy now £140.00, Vivo Barefoot

On Running Cloudventure Shoe

On Running’s Cloudventure is designed primarily for trail running, sure – but we love it for slower-paced hiking adventures too. At just 250g per shoe, these trainers feel less heavy underfoot than many walking designs, so they feel light and freeing to hike long distances in.

Tough, grippy soles inspire confidence even on tricky terrain. The classic Cloudventure isn’t waterproof, but it is pleasingly breathable in hot weather. If you want to hike in all conditions, switch to the waterproof version (£150). A great choice if you want just one shoe you can run and trek in.

Buy now £135.00, On Running

Tropicfeel Monsoon Shoe

Water baby? These breathable aquatic trainers are designed to allow you to go from ocean to land in just one pair of shoes. Pop for a quick wild swim or an ocean dip and they’ll drain and dry quickly once you’re back on a coastal trail.

Designed with travellers and backpackers in mind, the Monsoons are flexible, lightweight and easy to pack in a rucksack - perfect for active summer holidays and for aquatic adventures, and smart enough to be a quiver-of-one shoe you could also wear out to dinner. Partially constructed from recycled plastic bottles.

Buy now £84.00, Tropicfeel

Ecco Biom 2.0 Shoe

Hey, good-looking. Most walking trainers are functional but, let’s be honest, don’t score highly in the fashion stakes. Not so Ecco’s Biom, which marries urban-inspired looks and an on-trend, oversized logo with trail-ready technology such as a Gore-Tex waterproof membrane.

They also stand out for comfort thanks to chunky soles, memory-foam cushioning and a stretchy, sock-like construction, but only have limited grip – so stick to groomed trails rather than rocky terrain. These shoes do fit on the small side, so consider ordering a half-size up.

Buy now £150.00, ECCO

HAIX Black Eagle Nature Gore-Tex Low Shoe

Grip is one of the main reasons to pick a shoe designed specifically for walking rather than just wearing your knackered trainers on a hike, and grip is what HAIX’s Black Eagle has in spades thanks well-made anti-slip rubber soles that feel sticky even on wet or slick surfaces such as coastal rock.

Elsewhere, the Black Eagle looks and feels like it means business, with a Gore-Tex waterproof membrane that works hard to repel water and a supple nubuck leather upper that should last you for years (and look good) with a bit of care.

Buy now £137.42, Haix

Verdict

Looking for a hardy leather hiker? Hanwag’s Banks offers great quality. For a more lightweight summer shoe, pick the waterproof Keen NXIS or the smart Gabor Zip. And for summer walking adventures abroad, we like Tropicfeel’s swimming-friendly Monsoon.