16 Stylish Walking Shoes for Conquering the Trails and the Streets Alike

Turn your nightly stroll into a can’t-miss fashion moment.
A collage of Missy Elliot Timothee Chalamet and Pharell out walking with various walking sneakers behind them
Photographs courtesy of Getty images / Photo Illustration by Gabe Conte

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Walking is good for you—like, really good for you—but the best walking shoes for men haven’t exactly always screamed “sex appeal.” Until now. Given the explosion of interest in running’s less strenuous cousin over the past year, walking shoes have, ahem, stepped up their game. They’re still packed with all the cushion-heavy outsoles, breathable uppers, and vital arch support you need for a long day on your feet, but now they’ve got the style to match. Some borrow design details from sleek modern runners, some take their cues from retro silhouettes, but all of the ones here will help you get that daily step count in while looking primo with just about anything you’ve got on. Whether you’re heading out for an hours-long stroll or just making a quick trip to the bodega, these are the 16 best walking shoes for men to lace up now.


The Best All-Purpose Walking Shoe

Hoka One One Bondi 7 sneakers

Hoka’s singature sneaker is beloved by serious walkers and serious aesthetes alike. The most cushioned shoe in the brand’s thick-soled repertoire, the Bondi 7 offers a consistently smooth, luxurious walking experience—no matter the distance involved. Yes, the shoe is engineered with the brand’s standout EVA midsole, breathable mesh uppers, and an ultra-soft memory foam collar specially designed to cradle your heel. But it’s also—dare we say it?—downright sexy, a rarity in a market largely dominated by sneakers that place function high above form.

The Best Dad-Approved Walking Shoe

New Balance M991NV sneakers

Long before they were fashionable, New Balance had the comfort shoe market cornered. The Boston-based brand has been churning out some of the chunkiest, daddest (in a good way!) sneakers around for over a century, and every shoe in its 990 series has rightfully achieved icon status. Almost any pair of NBs will treat your feet with the dignity they deserve, but this one—handcrafted in England from pigskin suede and designed to maximize shock absorption—is particularly suited for long days on the move.

The Best Trail-Ready Walking Shoe

Salomon limited edition XT-6 ADV sneakers

A surprise fashion-crowd favorite (and GQ’s 2019 sneaker of the year), the Salomon XT-6 is the rare mountaineering shoe packed with plenty of city-ready appeal. It’s packed with uber-functional tech—bungee-style lace-up closures, a heavily-padded collar, treaded rubber outsoles—to help you dominate the trails, but will look just as at home anchoring a pair of wide-legged chinos.

The Best Old-School Walking Shoe

Nike Challenger OG sneakers

Before Nike became a global sportswear behemoth, it was a tiny Oregon upstart selling sneakers with soles [literally made on a waffle iron[(https://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/gadgets/a21841/nike-waffle-iron/). The Challenger hearkens back to the best of that era, with an eye-grabbing design, distinctly retro silhouette, and surprisingly comfortable construction. They might not stand up to inspection going full-speed on the track anymore, but they’ll perform like a charm on a long stroll through the park.

12 More Shoes We Love

Adidas TRX vintage OG sneakers

Inspired by ’70s-era Adidas marathon kicks, ideal for the brisk speed-walkers of today.

Reebok premier road modern ultra sneakers

Hard to miss out in the wild, even harder to take off once you feel ’em on your feet.

Asics Gel-Kayano 14 sneakers

The latest iteration of Asics’ most iconic silhouette nods to the late aughts, but its construction couldn’t be more 2021.

ROA “Daiquiri” drawstring honeycomb-weave trainers

Anything you plop on top of a gradient Vibram sole automatically looks way cooler.
$265

Matchesfashion

Rick Owens x Veja lace-up logo detail sneakers

Turns out, the dark lord of fashion is also an unabashed gym rat. (No, really.)

Nike ACG Moc 3.0 sneakers

ACG’s smash-hit slip-on: good for the short walk from the couch to the kitchen, great for long walks anywhere else.

Reebok classic leather Legacy Gore-Tex sneakers

Spring weather never really stood a chance.

New Balance 2002R sneakers

The shoe to buy if you’re trying to stand out in a sea of 990s.
$140

New Balance

Adidas x Hyke AH-002 FL sneakers

A sleeper hit from the Three Stripes’ recent team-up with Hideaki Yoshihara and Yukiko Ode, the husband-and-wife duo behind Hyke.

11 By Boris Bidjan Saberi Salomon edition Bamba 6 sneakers

Freaky and functional (freakily functional?) in every way they should be.

Li-Ning Running low-top sneakers

Nike Juniper trail running shoes

A nice, leisurely stroll is no match for a shoe designed with off-road running in mind.
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