The heavier you are, the more pressure your joints have to bear. In this respect, walking is an excellent way to get your weight under control.
It puts much less strain on your joints and bones than more intense activities like jogging or running and it helps you get the numbers on the scale down. Overall, it’s a perfect introduction to weight loss cardio.
Although walking doesn’t put as much strain on your joints as running, it’s still more strenuous than lying down or sitting.
We’ve rounded up 9 best walking shoes for overweight walkers because a comfortable, quality pair can go a long way to helping you develop healthy habits.
Best Walking Shoes for Overweight Walkers Reviews
For people who aren’t used to taking intense walks, and who don’t have those extra pounds on their bodies, finding a pair of shoes for walking can sound a bit trivial. However, you can crack jokes all you want, but walking is a serious business.
Various factors go into finding a perfect pair of walking shoes. But if you check out the 9 best walking shoes for overweight walkers featured here, you won’t have to waste time searching the internet. We’ve also outlined them according to relevant categories.
1. Best Overall Option for Women: Coral Stretchable Turquoise
Although comfy shoes are vital to both women and men, women take much better care of their feet than men – everybody knows this.
This means that the female foot is much more sensitive than men’s feet. Many other factors contribute to differences in foot anatomy in men and women.
So, specifically shaped, comfortable footwear can go a long way if you’re an overweight woman looking for a great pair of walking shoes.
Thanks to the Easy Gait Ortho-Cushion System, a natural gait cycle is ensured. This means springy and lightweight steps, plus fantastic footfall shock absorption.
Anatomical arch support is critical when it comes to women and walking, and Coral Stretchable Turquoise shoes excel here. From the heels, over your knees, and all the way to your hips and lower back, these shoes help with pain relief.
If you have bunions/hammertoes, this pair of shoes is ideal for you. If you don’t have these issues, you’ll want to make sure that you keep them at bay. Thankfully, this is another thing the Stretchables excel at.
The upper of these shoes is stretchable, breathable, and lightweight – you won’t even feel like you’re wearing anything on your feet.
Now, overweight people, and this is common particularly in women, might experience joint pain due to forceful footfall. To counteract this, the Corals offer a lightweight sole with cushioning.
Thanks to its Ergonomic-Stride design, natural foot movement is encouraged, which is why this pair is a brilliant walking shoe for women.
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2. Runner-Up Option for Women: Hoka One Bondi 6
Yes, yes, I know, you’ve found these are running shoes after one Google search. So what? It doesn’t mean that you can’t walk in running shoes. In fact, running shoes work great for walking, particularly where overweight people are concerned.
The Bondi 6 might not cater to everyone’s taste. They aren’t the most fashionable piece of footwear. But let’s face it, you aren’t, and you shouldn’t be looking at the aesthetics here – we’re talking about losing pounds by making steps.
Plus, the reason behind its somewhat extreme, borderline clumsy design is the mass-padded sole. Yep, that’s the one that will absorb as much footfall intensity as possible.
The midsole is EVA MARSHMALLOW, which stretches over the entire length of your foot. This means even more shock absorption, ideal for women with sensitive feet, which, let’s face it, is a common issue.
Mesh material and air holes are what you can expect from the Bondi 6’s upper, which ensures breathability and sweat wicking.
Thanks to the rubber reinforcement around the mesh, this shoe will last you for quite a while – it’s built for running, so it knows how to take a punch.
This is an excellent shoe for those familiar with knee soreness after walks. They’re built to help runners avoid the same problem, so they’ll counteract it with overweight walkers.
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3. Best Overall Option for Men: Edgewater Stretch – Knit Athletic
There are many unattractive shoes out there that are sold as “walking shoes.” Having a shoe that isn’t a looker, but does provide you with maximum amounts of comfort on walks that help bring that weight down, is the name of the game here.
Although the Stretches from Edgewater didn’t make this list because of their appearance, there’s no denying that they’re probably the most stylish pair on this list.
Swagger and the aesthetics aside, Edgewater Stretch – Knit Athletic shoes offer immense amounts of comfort for your walking endeavors.
First of all, owing to the contoured orthotic insole, you get a ton of comfort. Thanks to the gel-padded heal seat, as well as anatomical arch support, even the tiniest discomfort sensations are removed while walking, let alone any pain.
It’s rare for a walking shoe to have advanced traction features – it’s considered more of a runners’ thing. Still, if you’re doing a lot of walking in nature, you’re going to need traction.
And walking in nature is an essential two-birds-one-stone-type of deal when it comes to losing weight and taking care of your mental health.
During long walks, and especially in overweight men, various hygiene factors need to be taken into account. Unfortunately, microbial and fungal infections become a reality, the more steps you take.
And if you’re planning on shedding weight by walking, expect longer excursions. The Edgewater Stretch shoes feature anti-fungal and anti-microbial insole properties, which makes them even better for walking.
Add a nonbinding mesh upper, gel-padded heel cups, and anatomical arch support, and you’ve got an ideal pair of men’s walking shoes for the overweight.
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4. Runner-Up Option for Men: Skechers Equalizer Persistent
Sketchers Equalizer Persistent shoes aren’t really a piece of footwear that was built for performance.
Although one could, you wouldn’t really want to run in these. Yes, they’ll stay on your feet, but slipping out of them isn’t out of the question, especially on long-lasting, tiring jogs.
Fortunately, we aren’t talking about running here. We’re talking about walking. Whether you’re going for a casual stroll or are on a quest to make a bunch of steps daily in order to lose weight, the Equalizers are a fantastic option.
First of all, they offer a slip-on design that won’t leave things too tight around your ankles but will stay on your foot in a rather sporty-comfort type of way.
The upper is made out of smooth faux leather, while the mesh fabric allows for breathability, which, of course, is essential during long walks.
But what makes these shoes ideal for walks-to-shed-weight, is that they come in two fit modes: medium and wide fit.
This is essential, as many people who are looking to shed weight through walking aren’t able to fit inside a regular shoe. It isn’t a rule of thumb, but it’s a common occurrence.
Then, there’s the memory foam, a padded collar, FlexSole shock absorption, and so on.
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5. Best All-Terrain Walking Shoe: ASICS Gel-Venture 6
Trail running isn’t easy. It may look a bit funny, but the activity is hard-core. Think about it. Trail running involves running, hiking, and climbing on unpaved surfaces. This brings a huge injury potential, plus long-lasting back, knee, and foot (plantar fasciitis) issues.
What does this have to do with overweight walkers? Well, if you’re planning on earning those steps to help you shed poundage, you might want to abandon the concrete and boring straight-line walks.
We’re talking about nature excursions. Now, you probably won’t be running, but thanks to the extra weight that you’re trying to shed, you are at greater risk of injury.
The ASICS Gel-Venture 6 were built for trailing. First of all, the treads are deep, and the pods are oriented in the reverse direction of your normal movement.
This means more traction and better trailing options. If you’re looking for a pair of shoes that will protect you from slip-based injuries in nature, the Gel-Venture 6 model is ideal for you.
Then, there’s the cushioning. Typically, a trailing shoe won’t have a lot of cushioning. This is because they aren’t made for hard surfaces (concrete).
However, the Gel-Venture 6 model does feature a degree of cushioning that won’t give you too much trouble in nature, while it’ll still block extensive footfall on concrete. Expect exceptional arch support with this model.
The upper here isn’t too breathable, but this shouldn’t be viewed as a real problem. After all, most walking shoes are breathable to a point where you won’t be able to take them out in to nature.
Not unless you want to go on your walks with wet shoes. The Gel-Venture 6 model will repel excess water during your nature walks, which is the important thing.
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6. Best Stability Walking Shoe: Propét Stability Walker
Some overweight people find long walks more of a struggle due to stability issues. It’s all about physics – the larger your torso is, the harder job your feet will have. Stability is pretty much a must-have for walking shoes, but this stability doesn’t go past that of running shoes.
This is exactly why no one talks about stability in walking shoes – people consider that if they’re for running, they’re stable.
While stability is definitely important for running, a truly stable walking shoe (even more so than your typical running model) will go a long way in helping you worry about one thing less on your walks.
Propét Stability Walker shoes boast extra stability and support. Looking at them from the front, you’ll realize that the sole covers a solid area with each step. The shoe features a flat heel, which is the essence behind extra stability and full-body support.
The EVA midsole also ensures extra stability, as well as arch support. The heel counter is somewhat rigid, which helps avoid foot pain and fatigue, especially in overweight people.
Long-lasting wear is definitely one of the biggest pluses with the Stability Walker, and traction doesn’t lag far behind. This is a pair of best walking shoes for overweight walkers who are looking for advanced walking stability options.
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7. Best Walking Shoe for Underpronation: ASICS Gel-Kayano 24
Underpronation is a relatively common issue among people who’ve been overweight for extensive time periods. The sheer weight of the body can cause the arches to bend outward over the years. Alternatively, underpronation can be a genetic thing. In either case, it can cause discomfort and pain.
Thankfully, we’ve found a perfect pair for overweight walkers with underpronation. Yes, this might seem quite specific, but we did it.
This shoe owes its excellent underpronation control to the Dynamic Duomax cushioning, which also helps with shock absorption. Even people who suffer from overpronation will find this pair comfortable for longer walks.
Normally, you’ll find adaptive cushioning in walking shoes. But ASICS came up with something called FlyteFoam, which possesses the same properties as your regular adaptive cushioning.
However, FlyteFoam is significantly lighter, which is overwhelmingly important on long walks.
Still, the low weight doesn’t mean that the sole is soft – it will handle concrete and most environments that you throw at it perfectly well.
Many people complain about the Kayano 24’s lack of a spring-type effect. While the FlyteFoam wants to launch you like a springboard, it seems that every other part of the shoe wants to keep you grounded.
Although this will annoy most runners, it’s actually beneficial for walkers. As a walker, especially an overweight one, you don’t want the spring effect in your life. And many other shoes that have similar foam in the soles will launch your legs a bit too far.
When it comes to the upper, thanks to the Fluidfit material, the shoe fits like a glove. This makes it incredibly comfortable.
If you’re looking for more walking shoes for underpronation, you can find some cool picks here. Still, the Gel-Kayano 24 is probably the best choice for overweight walkers with underpronation.
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8. Best Maximum Support Walking Shoe for Women: New Balance 990 V4
Getting a shoe that offers a lot of ankle and arch support is vital to many overweight women walkers or those planning on getting into this activity. Where there’s a lot of weight involved, it’s the feet and legs that suffer the most.
The 990 V4 offer amazing amounts of overall support. Various users and experts have praised the rubber outsole stability of this model. In fact, they’ve compared it to much more expensive shoe models used for various activities that aren’t ideal for walking.
Durability and balance are also two very important factors to mention here, as the users tend to praise the 990 V4s for those qualities as well. This is a model that’s built to last, so you won’t have to replace them anytime soon.
Then, there’s the aspect of various width sizes. Overweight women tend to keep shoe width in mind – comfort goes without saying on long walking sessions. The New Balance 990 V4s come in various width options, making them an ideal support and durability model.
The upper construction is very durable. The medial underfoot support is ensured using the popular ENCAP midsole tech. Thanks to this technology, your walks will feel both cushioned and stable.
A cool extra thing about this model is that they boast 3M Reflectivity, which increases their visibility during nighttime.
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9. Best Shock Absorption Walking Shoe: ASICS Gel-Contend 4
Originally, this was another shoe intended for runners. To make things even more confusing, the Gel-Contend 4 wasn’t intended for log jogging sessions. On the contrary, they’re built for low-mileage, high-intensity runs, which means advanced shock absorption. But how does this fit the overweight walking category?
Well, although this model does tend to get a bit uncomfortable during long runs, we’re still talking about running. It’s an activity that’s more intense than walking – much more intense.
When it comes to walking, even on walks of thousands upon thousands of steps, the ASICS Gel-Contend 4 will still leave your feet feeling comfortable and cozy.
The highpoint of the model is the gel-based cushioning unit found in the heel. In the back of the shoe, you’ll find very soft cushioning, which is why joggers don’t find this model appealing.
However, walkers and sprinters tend to use their heels a lot – as the main primary point of contact, actually. This is why the ASICS Gel-Contend 4 is recommended as an excellent shock absorption model for overweight walkers.
However, it’s not like the heel is the only place where you’ll find cushioning. The rest of the sole uses the same EVA material that makes ASICS shoes so great for outdoor activities. Then, there are the grooves in the outsoles, which boast extra flexibility.
The upper consists of a breathable mesh, plus there are multiple overlays to ensure all the comfort that you’ll need.
All in all, if you’re looking for a pair of walking shoes that particularly focus on shock absorption, the Gel-Contend 4 is your stop.
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Final Thoughts on Best Walking Shoes for Overweight Walkers
The all-terrain ASICS Gel-Venture 6 model is most likely the best overall option on this list. When it comes to walking, it’s perfectly capable of adapting to any location – whether you’re casually strolling in the streets or going for a steeper climb.
The grip offered here is incredibly advanced and very important if you want to take your walking in to nature.
The Contend-Gel 4 may offer fantastic shock absorption, but what the Gel-Venture 6 does is much better in terms of stability and support.
Compared to the Gel-Kayano 24, the Gel-Venture 6 might not be that great for underpronation, but the former wouldn’t stand a chance in tall grass.
All in all, the ASICS Gel-Venture 6 is a pair of all-round best walking shoes for overweight walkers.
