What Are The Best Long Distance Walking Shoes?
This is the ultimate guide to the best long distance walking shoes in 200.
From comfortable sneakers for travel to sporty shoes that you can walk in for an extended period, our list of recommendation includes the right pair for you.
And get this:
It doesn’t matter if you walk for exercise, recreation, or to reach a far destination from your point of origin. Good walking shoes are a must-have.
Keep in mind that even if walking has far much less impact than running, logging more miles than you often do requires comfortable, durable, and supportive shoes.
That’s why if you’re going to spend most of your time walking for longer, the following footwear options will give you the kind of performance and comfort that you want from shoes.
What are the Best Shoes for Long Distance Walking?
1. New Balance MW577 Hook and Loop Walking Shoes
New Balance 577v1 is a well-fitting, comfortable pair of hook and loop walking shoes with an athletic touch. No matter where your busy takes you, from fitness walking to being on hard floors for long hours, these walking shoes can stand up to daily use and abuse and not give up anytime soon.
The shoes’ Strike Path Outsole enhances feet stability with each step you take, allowing you to improve your gait as you walk. The pair’s ABZOR cushioning technology adds a shock absorption power to the shoes, so your feet get less impact from the ground beneath.
New Balance 577v1 features a comfortable footbed, a cushioned tongue, and a padded collar, which is why they’re ideal for long distance walks.
From what we know so far, New Balance walking shoes feature different lacing styles.
The 577v1 walking shoes have a hook and loop lacing system, which favors folks that would like to go completely laceless on shoes. The system makes for a quick and easy on-and-off, not to mention that it makes it easy for you to get a custom, secure fit fast.
New Balance has invested in premium technology to give these hook and loop walking shoes a durable design.
They’ve used a strong leather for the uppers, a solid rubber for the outsoles, and cushioned polyurethane midsoles for additional comfort and support.
So these will probably last for 12 months before they wear and tear.
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2. Brooks Women’s Addiction Walker V-Strap Walking Shoes
Are you wondering if there are comfortable shoes you can wear if you have foot pain? Or maybe you’re flatfooted and you need a pair of walking shoes that can provide enough support as you walk?
Go with Brooks Women’s Addiction Walker V-Strap.
Made of 100% full-grain leather upper, and featuring a high-profile rubber outsole, these sneakers are sporty and durable, able to log miles of trekking without giving up sooner.
Full length in construction, the MoGo midsoles is a sure comfort enhancer that provides excellent cushioning while maintaining the stability of the shoes.
Brooks adds a progressive diagonal rollbar dual-density post to the design. And this makes the pair perfect for women who overpronate. So if your feet tend to roll inwards as you walk, Brooks V-Strap is a good pair of long distance walking shoes to buy.
Built based on a silicone system, and placed in the forefoot and the heels of these shoes, the Hydro Flow can absorb impact from any type of surface. It's the technology that makes Brooks Addiction V-Strap shoes suitable for overweight men and women.
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3. Saucony Women's ProGrid Integrity ST2 Walking Shoe
The ProGrid Integrity ST2 is built based on Saucony’s years of footwear design experience.
In our eyes, this looks like a pair that competes quite well with walking shoes from top brands like Brooks and New Balance. Not to mention we love that the pair so comfortable and long lasting.
Going for under $130 in retail price, the ProGrid ST2 are no doubt affordable footwear in their respective category.
If you examine them closely, you’ll notice they feature a higher level of cushioning, which makes them comfortable enough for long distance walking.
Thanks to their higher level of stability, even women with flat feet or neutral arch can get a better walking experience from the Pro Integrity ST2. The additional padding to the footbed promotes easy shock absorption while adding more comfort to your feet.
Turn them upside down, look at the outsole, and it doesn’t take you to realize that the pair can survive the longest distance treks before wear and tear.
Made of pure rubber, the outsole is thick enough to stand up to a couple hundred miles. The serrated treads provide a solid grip and traction on different surfaces. Only they aren’t non-slip walking shoes, so you shouldn’t use them on slippery floor. But if you must, then you should learn how to make shoes non-slip first.
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4. PUMA Men’s Drift Cat 5 Ultra Walking Shoes
Those extended treks can wear and tear shoes really fast.
But when you have a well built and the longest lasting pair of walking shoes such as the PUMA Drift Cat 5 Ultra, it should take a while before you begin to ache for a new pair.
The comfort level of these shoes will exceed your expectations. And at a price as low as under $100, Drift Cat 5 walking shoes are the most affordable sneakers you’ll ever get in the market, even if you’re not on a tight budget.
As far as performance goes, you might as well extend the use of PUMA Drift Cat 5 sneakers beyond walking.
They make the best shoes for jumping rope because of a good midsole cushioning.
You can use them for indoor cycling because they feel the pedals better.
And if you’re a power trainer who needs some weightlifting shoes, these will do the work for you.
The tread pattern has what we like to refer to as a nice touch that provides better traction on different surfaces. Plus, they feel quite stable in different environments.
The only biggest problem with these shoes is that the actual size runs small. You need to make sure you pick one size up than what you normally wear.
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5. New Balance Men’s 411 V2 Lace-up Walking Shoes
New Balance Men’s 441 V2 are classic in design, stylish in appearance, and comfortable enough to provide an all-around support for casual stroll and long distance walks.
Their design isn’t any different from many shoes in the brand’s collection. The upper features a leather build with a perforation, and a nicely padded tongue and collar.
The cushioning on the footbed provides enough comfort for long distance walk. And the breathable liner ensures consistent airflow to keep your feet cool and dry.
The lightweight design of the New Balance 411 V2 lace-up walking shoes is something hard not to love. That’s because the sole unit is made of light rubber, making the pair only around 24oz in weight.
Moreover, these shoes have a shock absorption system that manages the impact between your feet and the ground, making every step you take on a long distance walk feel a lot more natural.
Lacing these long distance walking shoes is easy and straightforward. There are even two extra eyelets that you can use to lace up the shoes even tighter.
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How to Choose the Best Long Distance Walking Shoes
Here’s the deal:
Walking doesn’t put as much pressure on your feet as running does. But when it comes to going long distance, you had better wear comfortable, durable, and supportive shoes.
In other words, you can’t take chances with a pair of shoes that you intend to use for long distance walking. The pair must be up to the standard, if not perfect.
With that said, below are some things that you should consider before buying your next pair of walking shoes for walking for an extended period.
Waterproofing
There’s a reason why waterproof walking shoes are so popular nowadays.
In the days when it’s wet and raining, they can be the difference between walking comfortably and getting to your destination drenched. It’s fine if you’re walking back home, worse if you’re headed for an important meeting.
Ideally, the shoes considered waterproof feature Gore-Tex lining, which is responsible for keeping water and moisture as far away as possible.
The best thing about water resistant footwear is that you can wear them to any environment, no matter the nature of the weather outdoors.
Breathability
Breathable shoes are a big deal.
Here’s why:
Breathability ensures there’s a consistent airflow in and out of a pair of walking shoes, and this helps to keep your feet cool and dry in hot and humid weather.
So if you plan to go for a long distance walk, you should consider walking shoes that have a breathable mesh construction.
Shock Absorbency
You’re going to walk on some of the hardest surfaces on earth, from tiles to asphalt to concrete floors.
And it can get pretty bad really fast for your feet if you don’t wear the right pair of long distance walking shoes.
To be on the safe side, the pair of walking shoes you choose should have enough cushioning to handle maximum impact with every step you take.
Make sure the pair you choose has a thick rubber sole, cushioned EVA midsole, and arch support inserts. If possible, go for shoes with technologies like air bubbles, which help to absorb shock from every step you take.
With pressure impact fully managed, it becomes easy to walk for long distance without worrying about fatigue.
Traction
Because you have no idea where your day’s schedule will take you to, chances are you’ll find yourself walking just about anywhere.
And if your pair of shoes doesn’t have the best tread profile, you are more than likely going to slip and fall on some surfaces, no doubt.
So examine the outsole of the shoes and make sure they have the kind of grooves that can hold up on different surfaces. Or you can just check if the shoes are slip resistant and, if they’re, you’re good to go.