Top 6 City Walking Shoes & Insoles Buying Guide 2026

Table of contents

What You Need To Know? Do You Need Insoles For Walking Shoes? The Best Insoles For Walking All Day Walking Shoes Buying Tips The 6 Best Shoes for City Walking Explore More Insole Options

Choosing a walking shoe can be overwhelming, and these days, shoes are very expensive. So, making the wrong choice can be very frustrating. I'm here today to talk you through my favorite six walking shoes, who they're for, what foot type they're for, who potentially shouldn't wear certain shoes, and if you have foot pain, which shoe would suit certain conditions. You'll know exactly which shoe suits your feet for a long day of walking—whether just for day-to-day use or taking a trip overseas where you tend to walk way more steps than you usually would. And I will be sharing with you my top five tips to pick the right shoe for you.

But a great shoe is only half the battle; sometimes, the secret to perfect comfort lies inside the shoe. That's why I'll also be diving into the world of orthotic insoles, explaining how the right inserts can completely transform your walking experience by providing that extra arch support or customized cushioning. So, if you have foot pain, we’ll look at which shoe and insole combination would suit certain conditions.

What You Need To Know?

Walking is a great low-impact activity that comes with many health benefits, but if you don't have the right footwear, you're at risk for injuries like plantar fasciitis, runner's knee, and Achilles tendinitis.

Walking shoes tend to have thinner soles and less cushioning than sport-specific shoes, so you'll need to add a comfort insole with the right amount of arch support if you want to rack up the miles.

When you're shopping for new walking shoes, make sure they bend at the ball of the shoe, have the right curvature to conform to your walking movements, and that the width of the heel is low to the ground and not super wide.

PCSsole Universal Arch Support Insoles are perfect for comfortable walking support that keeps your feet energized mile after mile. For firmer support with less flex, go with Running Flexible Performance insoles.

Do You Need Insoles For Walking Shoes?

Walking shoes tend to have thinner soles and less cushioning than other sports-specific shoes. While this may seem like an appropriate trait for lower-impact shoes, your feet still need the same level of arch support, cushion, and shock absorption when walking as when engaging in other activities. In fact, walking can cause many of the same injuries as running, including plantar fasciitis, runner's knee, and Achilles tendinitis.

As with most other footwear, the factory insoles in walking shoes are generic. They're made to the lowest common denominator of arch contour so that they'll fit the majority of people who need that type of shoe.

While walking may be lower impact, the weight you put on your feet and legs means you still need good arch support insoles for shoes to prevent injuries. The best insoles for walking all day will have strong arch supports that control for excessive pronation. But before you pick out insoles for walking shoes, you'll want to get the best shoe for your foot.

The Best Insoles For Walking All Day

If you're going to be walking all day, the key to comfort and support is maintaining proper biomechanics. The best shoe insoles for walking will provide the necessary arch support, no matter your arch height.

From flat feet to high arches, your insoles need to provide structured support. Arch support ensures your feet are moving in optimal ways, preventing injury. When looking for the best shoe inserts for walking all day, you'll want ones that have:

An arch height that mimics the contours of your foot. Don't settle for a generic, one-size-fits-all insole that leaves your arches wanting more. The key to comfort is giving your arch the right amount of support.
Firm support. While gel or cushy insoles might seem like the ticket for getting the relief you want, they'll actually leave you disappointed in the long term. The key to comfort is firm arch support.
A deep heel cup that concentrates your heel's natural cushioning qualities.

Whether you're on your feet exploring or walking all day for work, the key to staying happy and healthy is comfort. The right shoes and the best shoe inserts for walking will make all the difference in your steps.

Walking Shoes Buying Tips

When I recommend a walking shoe, it's often actually a running shoe. And that is because running shoes have such good technology in them, which takes the strain away from the foot and ankle for walking long distances, too.

Particularly the geometry of the shoe, the cushioning, the rocker on the forefoot, even the way it's fitted to the foot. It can really help to take the strain away from the foot and ankle so that you can walk long distances without any pain or discomfort in your foot, ankle, and calves.

Typically, I'd use these types of shoes for anything over 5,000 steps. For under that, I might use a lifestyle shoe or a sandal.

The five most important things when choosing a great walking shoe to consider before you buy:

Terrain: Today is all about city walking shoes—so walking shoes suitable for concrete, pavements, and cobbled streets. But if you're looking for something to wear off-road or a trail shoe, let me know in the email.
Correct fit: You've got to know your size and your width. For your size, you want a thumb's width in front of your longest toe. And to know if your current shoe is wide enough for you, you would take out the insole, put it on the ground, put your foot on the insole, and when you put your foot on the insole, you'll be able to see if there's any splay over the sides of the insole. If there's splay on the sides of the insoles, then it's actually too narrow.
Weight and support: Light shoes aren't always good shoes. Light shoes tend to be very flexible, easy to twist and flex by hand. What that means is they tend to lack support. They tend to lack cushioning. And actually, at the end of the day, that's when your feet are going to feel much worse. A lot of people when they travel decide to go lighter on the shoes. Instead of a lighter shampoo or conditioner for the hair, they should definitely commit to using a heavier one. The heavier shoes tend to be more supportive. They've got more cushioning. They're going to look after your feet on those long days when you need them.
Versatility: You don't need five pairs of this type of shoe like you need five pairs of lifestyle trainers. You only need one. If you get the right one, you can do your shopping in it. You can wear it for long walks with your family. And you can even conquer all the walks overseas. Often, people say they look too bulky to wear for different occasions, but I can promise you that if you know you're going to walk long distances wearing this type of shoe, it's going to take the strain away from your foot, ankle, and calf.
Many people walk 20,000 steps a day for 10 days when they're only used to walking three to 5,000. They do that in a really bad shoe. They come back, and they spend the next 3 to 6 months seeing a podiatrist or a physio because they are in so much pain.
Durability and value: A typical walking shoe will typically last 700 to 1,000+ km, which could last a couple of years. So even though it's on the expensive end, they will last a long time and they are good value for money. So choose a good shoe for when you know you're going to be doing a lot of walking.

The 6 Best Shoes for City Walking

1. Hoka Bondi 9

This shoe is a max cushioning shoe. It is suited to somebody with a very high, rigid arch. If you have a high rigid arch, you have pressure points on your heel and forefoot. And this has lots of nice soft cushioning, so that takes the force. It absorbs the shock every step you take, reducing those high-pressure areas.

Hoka, in general, they look quite bulky and wide, but they fit quite narrow. So their standard fit is a bit on the narrow side. If you do have a wider foot, I would suggest going for the wide fit. They also offer an extra wide. In ladies, that's a 2E fit. In men's, that's a 4E fit. And if you're a lady with a bunion and an extremely wide foot, you could get the men's version, as they do come in quite neutral colors, and get that 4E fit for the bunion.

This shoe I would recommend for people who have forefoot pain like metatarsalgia, a plantar plate tear, or maybe a bit of big toe stiffness. Hoka naturally has this meta rocker here. And what that does is as you transition onto toe-off, it makes it a lot easier. As you push through, you'll feel like you're getting pushed forward. By pushing you forward, you're going to spend less time on that painful area of your forefoot, allowing it to heal faster. So it's going to be great for forefoot conditions.

Just consider this: If you do have a flat foot or a pronated foot, then a max cushioning shoe may not be good for you. When you have a flat pronated foot, your foot excessively rolls in, and you're at risk of medial ankle pain, arch pain, and even plantar fasciitis. Having this soft cushion shoe when your foot rolls in, it will compress, and your foot may roll in further, putting excessive strain on the inside of the ankle. So again, that's something else to consider.

2. Brooks Ghost Max 2

This shoe makes me quite excited because I use it a lot in clinic, especially for those people who are suffering with big toe pain—whether caused by regular gout, hallux limitus (where the big toe is a bit stiff), hallux rigidus (where the big toe doesn't move at all), or you've had bunion surgery and they've pinned your toe and it now doesn't move. Then this shoe is going to be really nice for it.

Again, like the Hoka Bondi, it's got this rocker. Not only does it have the rocker, but it also has a stiff forefoot and then a thicker heel-to-forefoot drop, and quite a big one at that. So your foot is sort of in this position—it's pushing you forwards. The stiffness means that actually, you transfer your weight to the toes very easily and quickly. The shoe doesn't bottom out. And then as you push onto the forefoot, it will propel you on much quicker with much less energy, taking that strain away from your big toe joint and allowing it to not become overloaded. So if you do feel big toe pain at the end of the day, usually in other shoes, this is going to be a great option for you.

With Brooks, their shoes are great because they're really deep, so there's lots of space. If you put a custom orthotic in, it will fit nicely. There's loads of space in there. It also comes in a wide toe box. So, like the Hoka Bondi, it comes in a 2E and a 4E for men. It comes in a 2E for women. But what's different between it and the Hoka is that it fits wide. So actually, their wide 4E feels a bit wider than the Hoka, and it's a bit more rectangular in the toe box. So if you do have that wider foot, then I think this is going to be a great option for you.

Again, because it's another sort of max cushioning shoe, if you have an excessively pronated foot and you do experience big toe pain, you've got to watch out because as your foot rolls in and you go towards toe-off, this could compress a bit, putting more strain on the inside portion of your joint, which could irritate it. So if you do have that excessively pronated foot, it might not be perfect for you. Maybe we can talk about one a bit later on in the ASICS Kayano, which might work a bit better for you as well.

3. Hoka Clifton 10

Now we're going to move on to our neutral shoe, another Hoka—the Clifton. This has always been a bit of a fan favorite for walking because it's a lot lighter than the Bondi. You know, it probably weighs sort of 20-30 grams per side less than that. So it's a nice one to take traveling. It again has the nice rocker to it. So it's got that smooth transition onto the forefoot. You get that nice propulsion feeling.

One thing to know about the Hokas is that they do have that rocker. If you're a bit older or a bit unstable on your feet and you're not used to being pushed forward, it could lead to that feeling of a bit more instability. So if that's you, maybe steer away from it. Something less rocky, more stable—maybe like the Brooks Addiction, which we'll talk a bit more about later.

So this shoe does feel quite nice and plush underfoot. I would say it's good for someone with a medium-sized arch. Maybe somebody who doesn't really pronate excessively, doesn't supinate excessively, and to be honest, doesn't really have much foot pain. It's not a shoe I recommend a lot in a therapeutic sense, but it is a great shoe to put loads of miles in, and the Hokas do last a long time. So you can get a thousand+ km in these walking easily without too much wear as well. So it's a pretty good option.

Similar to the Bondi, it fits narrow. So if you do have that wider foot, go for the wide fit. And it comes in a 2E and a 4E for men and women, too. It does have a really nice deep heel cup. If you do have a Haglund's deformity and sometimes shoes rub on it, plenty of space in there for it.

If you've suffered from Achilles tendinopathy, I would stay away from the Hokas. They only have a 5mm heel-to-toe drop. What that means is the heel is 5mm thicker than the forefoot. But we want the higher the better for Achilles tendinopathy. And so we see an 8mm heel-to-toe drop in the ASICS Kayano 32s. We see a 12mm in the Brooks Addiction. Uh, I think an 8mm in the Saucony. The Hokas aren't the best for Achilles tendinopathy, and because it's got a soft midsole, your heel will just drop into it, putting more strain on your Achilles. So, probably not the best for that condition. Maybe okay for a bit of light metatarsal head pain, but if it's really quite sore, then I would go for one of these two instead.

4. Saucony Tempus

Then we've got another shoe that excites me: the Saucony Tempus. This is Tempus 1, but there is now a Tempus 2. Both are quite similar shoes. This is a moderately stable shoe. A lot of people when they go for a moderate stability shoe, might go for the ASICS GT 2000, but personally, I think this is a bit better. I think this is better because it feels lighter. They use a slightly different foam from what they use in the ASICS range. It feels firmer when you're walking in it, and I actually quite like that. It gives a lot of stability for how light it is.

It doesn't have as wide a base as the ASICS Kayano. So the ASICS Kayano is slightly wider through the arch area, probably giving more stability and support underneath the arch, but it does go up quite high here. So I think if you had a narrow foot, you'd feel that support. But if you have that wider arched foot, you probably won't feel the support through the arch as much. You might compress through it.

Also, it does fit narrow. Particularly on this model, they've got this sort of knit upper around the little toe and the big toe. They've got this tape, which seems to be trying to stop it from wearing out. But actually, I found that rubbed on my little toe quite a lot. So it does fit quite narrow, and then they don't seem to offer a wide fit. Uh, it's a bit frustrating. But if you have that narrow foot and you're looking for a decent amount of stability, then you'll definitely get that with the Sauconys. Uh, it's a really nice-looking shoe. It's lightweight. Uh, it's very comfortable to wear as well.

5. ASICS Kayano 32 (and notes on 31)

So now moving on into the stability range. We've gone from some mild stability. Now we're moving on to the ASICS Kayano 32s. Um, we will also touch on the ASICS Kayano 31s, the previous models. This just came out about two or three weeks ago. And I love the Kayano 31s as a walking shoe. I genuinely use them all the time. Um, if I went on a trip and was doing a lot of walking, I'd wear them pretty much non-stop. I had a bad ankle sprain, and I wore them too. Uh, the 32s so far do seem decently comfortable. There are a few changes that I would want to talk about.

So the 31s for me have a 2mm thicker heel to forefoot. So, in the new one, they've put in 2mm thicker through the forefoot area, which feels a bit more comfortable under the forefoot, but it's lost as much of its rock. And I really liked its rock because I didn't have the range of motion in my ankle. And if you don't, the 31s will be really good for you. If you have stiff calves, then this is going to be super nice for you, too. I found the 31s just so easy to wear for long periods of time. So having that 2mm thicker heel to forefoot gives it more rock. It also has more rock, which is really good for plantar fasciitis.

Uh, and I'm going to explain it in the simplest way I can. If you've got plantar fasciitis, your plantar fascia, as the medial band, runs from the inside of your heel to your big toe joint. And as your big toe elevates, it engages your plantar fascia. It stretches a bit like an elastic band. And so if you have a nice rock, then your big toe doesn't have to sort of pull as much, and I believe that doesn't pull as much on your plantar fascia, and it actually improves your symptoms. So having a nice rock can help with plantar fasciitis, and I think the ASICS Kayano 31 is really good for that.

So the ASICS Kayano 32s have a slightly different upper, which is a bit tighter, and it does feel slightly more narrow than the 31s to fit, but after a couple of weeks, it will stretch out. Just initial feel, it does feel a bit tighter. The stability aspect of the Kayano 30 or 31 is very similar. They've got this 4D guidance system, like through the arch. So, a firm piece of material through the arch here. What that does is when your foot rolls in and your arch tries to flatten because it's firmer, it will push back, stop it from happening as much. So, it can be really good for medial ankle pain, especially after long periods of walking in the day. You might feel some pain towards the bottom of your foot, the inside of your ankle, or your arch area. Uh, if that's the case, then the Kayano is going to really help to relieve that pain a lot.

Toe box-wise, the ASICS have more of a tapered toe box than the Brooks. If you have a wide foot, even if you go to the 2E or the 4E, they still have that tapered shape. Um, whereas if we look at the Brooks, it's sort of a bit more of a rectangular shape. I think you get a bit more width out of the Brooks. If you wanted the same stability that the Kayano offers, you could look at the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 24. Um, they'll offer a bit better width in the toe box.

6. Brooks Addiction GTS 15 (and similar to Ariel)

And now we're going to go to literally a very, very good walking shoe. They have a ladies' version. So this is the Brooks Addiction, but they also have the Brooks Ariel. And they're very similar shoes. They're very stable shoes, and they're a slightly heavier shoe, but very firm, and they're going to offer a lot of support in different places. So, I often recommend these to my patients. Maybe if my patients are 6'4" or much taller for their size and they're quite bulky, I tend to recommend this shoe when they need that bit more support.

So, I'll give you an example. I had a guy who basically tore his whole plantar fascia, and he needed a lot of support, and I put him into this shoe, and as soon as he went into that, he just had no pain because it's so firm and supportive. It's got these guide rail systems on the inside here. So when the foot tried to collapse, there's just no way it can—it will push back. This, combined with a custom insole, is literally unbelievable for those heavier people. We've also got a guide rail on this side, too. So, if you've had ankle issues, if you've struggled with ankle stability, you've had loads of ankle sprains over the years, then this is going to give you so much support when you're walking. It's literally going to feel like you're wearing a brace. And often that's what you need if you've had that type of injury.

This comes in a 2E and a 4E for men. The Ariel comes in a 2E as well. And people always say to me, Paul, when I wear these shoes, I feel like I'm swimming. And it's not just the width of the toe box; it's also the width across the arch that you get. So, if you do suffer from lymphedema or you've got a bit of swelling in your legs and your feet, and you're struggling to fit into any shoe, you're not going to have a problem with this shoe. This shoe is so deep, so much space in it. Even if you put an insole in, there's loads of space in it, and it's going to feel really comfortable, not compressive. It's not going to compress on top of your foot either. Um, so there are so many great things to say about this shoe, and I genuinely think it's great for walking. That's probably the worst part of it, that it's heavy, you know, but the thing is, you need it to be heavy to be that supportive.

The patients at the start are like, "Oh, they're a bit bulky. They don't feel that comfortable." But I can tell you that after using them, they appreciate the support.