Best Walking Shoes in Australia: How to Choose

The short answer: the best walking shoe is the one that fits your foot and suits where you walk. Get the fit right first — length, width and a heel that doesn’t slip — then choose the type: a cushioned walking sneaker for footpaths, a waterproof hiker for trails, or a smarter leather sneaker for a day of sightseeing.

Victoria’s Better Health Channel suggests a walking shoe should be lightweight, with extra shock absorption in the heel and under the ball of the foot. It adds that some walkers prefer a rounded or “rocker” sole, which makes it easier to shift weight from heel to toe.

Beyond that, check the sole: it should grip, and be sturdy enough to protect you from sharp objects underfoot.

This advice comes from the Australian Podiatry Association and the Better Health Channel:

• Leave about 1.5 cm at the toe — measured from your longest toe, which isn’t always the big toe.
• Shop at the end of the day or after exercise, when your feet are at their largest, and try shoes on with the socks you’ll walk in.
• Check the heel. Walk on carpet and a hard floor — your heel shouldn’t slip on either.
• Match the widest part of the shoe to the ball of your foot. If it feels squashed, ask for a wider fit — a half-size longer shoe that isn’t wider may not help.
• Get measured each time. Feet can change size and shape as you age, and one foot is often slightly bigger.
• Comfortable from day one. Don’t rely on “breaking in” a shoe that hurts in the store.

Buying online? Use our shoe size conversion chart — many brands on Amazon are sized in US numbers, and men’s and women’s US sizes differ.

Skechers’ GO WALK range is built for walking. On Skechers’ own page for the GO WALK 8, the shoe pairs an Air-Cooled Goga Mat insole with ULTRA GO midsole cushioning, which Skechers describes as lightweight and high-rebound. Some styles are Slip-ins, made to step into hands-free. Skechers also blends GO WALK with its Arch Fit insole — see our Arch Fit explainer for what Skechers says about it.

Beyond Skechers, look at a dedicated walking shoe such as Saucony’s Echelon Walker 3, a leather sneaker like ECCO’s Soft 7, ECCO’s BIOM Fjuel, or a hiking shoe like Merrell’s Moab 3 if your walks leave the footpath. Skechers’ Arch Fit 2.0 Easy Chic is listed in a wide fit.

The same families come in men’s versions: Saucony’s Echelon Walker 3 (listed here in extra-wide), ECCO’s Soft 7 and BIOM Fjuel, and Merrell’s Moab 3.

If you walk on tracks, a hiking shoe gives you more grip than a sneaker. Merrell says the Moab 3 has an air cushion in the heel to absorb shock and a Vibram TC5+ outsole, and its GORE-TEX versions use a waterproof, breathable membrane. Salomon’s X Ultra 360 Leather GORE-TEX and KEEN’s Targhee III Waterproof are other waterproof options.

Sightseeing means long days on your feet, often on cobblestones and hard city paving, and a shoe that has to go from a museum to dinner. What works:

• Buy well before you fly. Wear the shoes on a few long walks at home so any rubbing shows up there, not on day one of the trip.
• Pick a sole with grip. Smooth stones get slippery in the rain.
• Consider waterproof. A GORE-TEX sneaker such as ECCO’s Soft 7 GORE-TEX or Multi-Vent GTX copes with a wet day.
• Look smart enough. A plain leather sneaker — ECCO, Camper’s Peu Touring, KEEN’s Jasper — passes for most city plans.
• Wear the bulkiest pair on the plane to save suitcase space, and pack a second pair so each can dry out.

Packing light? Check our carry-on limits guide before you choose a bag.

Width matters as much as length. Merrell sells the Moab 3 family in wide widths, and a few of the shoes above are listed in wide or extra-wide fits — the fit is in each product’s name. If a shoe pinches across the ball of your foot, go wider rather than longer.

About 1–1.5 cm between your longest toe and the end of the shoe, according to the Better Health Channel and the Australian Podiatry Association.

Not automatically. Try them on at the end of the day with your walking socks and check the toe room. If they feel tight across the ball of the foot, a wider fit usually helps more than a longer size.

A good fit should be comfortable from the first wear — the Better Health Channel advises against relying on breaking shoes in. Still, walk a new pair at home before a big trip.

They work, especially on rough or wet ground, but they’re usually heavier than a walking sneaker. For footpaths, a lighter cushioned shoe is the simpler choice.