Best Walking Shoes For Overweight Women in 2023

1. Brooks Dyad 11

Brooks shoes come highly recommended for their impressive cushioning, and the Dyad 11 is ideal for neutral-footed walkers.

Walkers who have a neutral gait, usually people with medium to high arches, will find the shoe to be a supportive option right out of the box. Overpronators – often people with low to flat arches – should consider a stability shoe.

The Dyad would be an excellent option for those who use orthotics to correct their pronation. The upper has extra room to make fitting an orthotic easier than in other shoes.

The breathable mesh upper with moisture-wicking properties keeps the feet cool and dry. For the best fit, a traditional lacing system can be adjusted to suit your needs. A padded collar and tongue increase comfort and help to keep the foot locked in.

For excellent underfoot cushioning, BioMoGo DNA technology blends two different foams for a midsole that contours to your foot and provides adaptive cushioning that works with the user’s weight, stride, and pace.

There’s also a heel segmented crash pad to guide the foot into a flexible and effective heel-to-toe transition. The foam insole adds an extra cushion layer, but it’s removable to make space for orthotics.

A blown rubber outsole is light and grippy, as well as being highly durable. Flex grooves in the sole also promote flexibility and stability.

For added support, dual Arch Pods underneath the shoe provide arch support. Some walkers may find the sole to be too firm and slightly heavy.

2. Hoka Rincon 3

The Hoka One One Rincon 3 is an unusually lightweight shoe but with lots of cushioning.

The upper is a light, single-layer engineered mesh, comfortable on the foot and breathable. A thin tongue is designed to reduce the weight even more, leaving the women’s shoe at a weight of just 6.5 ounces. Getting these shoes onto your foot is easy, thanks to the easy-grab heel tab.

Hoka’s traditional full-length EVA midsole features in this shoe as well, providing effective protection against vibrations and reducing stress on the joint with every step. A meta-rocker in the midsole makes these shoes quite fast, allowing one to transition quickly from heel to toe.

The midsole foam extends all the way to the ground, with a few strategically placed sections of high-abrasion rubber. This outsole design minimizes the weight of the shoe, but it does reduce the durability of the shoe.

3. Saucony Echelon 9

Ladies who already use orthotics can rest assured that these shoes will both protect your feet and accommodate your existing orthotics.

It’s a neutral shoe, so whatever orthotic you have should provide adequate support without being influenced by the shoe. An orthotic-friendly sockliner can be used with your insert if possible, or removed to make space.

The Foundation Platform on this shoe is wide and provides stability on all surfaces. Saucony shoes have a wide toe box to allow the toes to splay naturally and comfortably.

In the heel, a 3D support frame keeps the foot in place so that even with the toe splay, the foot remains in place and helps to promote good form.

PWRRUN cushion is firm but shock-absorbing, delivering efficient energy return to help improve your walking. The TRI-FLEX crystal rubber outsole is flexible and durable, and helps to spread impact over a wider surface area, protecting your joints.

4. New Balance Fresh Foam More v3

If you have wide feet, you may struggle to find shoes that can support you adequately and fit you properly as well.

A New Balance shoe is the best choice for wide feet, and the Fresh Foam More v3 is an excellent model for women’s walking shoes.

The shoe has a naturally wide platform, and it’s available in wide and extra wide. It’s a comfortable shoe from top to toe, starting with a soft and snug upper that supports the midfoot and offers good ventilation as well.

A 4mm heel-to-toe drop reduces pressure on the forefoot, helping to disperse pressure evenly across the foot. The Fresh Foam midsole cushion is laser-engraved to reduce weight, and it falls into the “max cushion” category according to New Balance. This absorbs vibration with every step, reducing the amount of strain on the joints so you can walk safely.

The previous version had a 3D Ultra Heel, but the v3 has gone back to the traditional padded heel for even more comfort and a better foot lockdown.

5. ASICS GEL-NIMBUS 25

The ASICS Gel-Nimbus 25 is a highly effective shoe for cushioning but it’s also extremely breathable.

The engineered mesh upper is made from 20% recycled materials. It has multiple small perforations to allow air to flow through the upper easily and keep your feet cool. There’s also a wide toe box, so your toes can splay comfortably which helps with airflow as well.

Flytefoam Propel Technology in the midsole provides soft cushion but also energy return, while being one of the lightest foams ASICS offers. Exceptional cushioning is provided by ASICS’ Gel Technology, which is a soft layer under the heel to alleviate the pressure of the heel strike and protect joints.

An internal heel counter provides subtle support and prevents excess movement, keeping the joints in alignment and helping one to keep walking with proper form.

6. Nike ZoomX Invincible Run Flyknit

The Nike ZoomX Invincible Run Flyknit is designed for comfort and to reduce fatigue over long distances.

The stack height is similar to Hoka on this shoe, providing not only softer and more shock-absorbent cushion, but also a bouncy return that helps propel you forward effectively.

Although there is a lot of cushion underfoot, it’s lightweight and doesn’t begin to weigh you down after a long distance. Nike ZoomX foam in the midfoot has a rocker-like shape to add physical propulsion to the springiness of the foam.

The Flyknit upper is breathable and hugs the foot, providing stability and airflow. A light panel is integrated into the Flyknit in the heel for extra support. The wider forefoot shape also provides a stable base.

The combination of softness, springiness, and support helps to reduce muscle fatigue, helping you to walk further and longer before you begin to feel the effects.

7. Altra Torin 7

Altra is known for making shoes with wide toe boxes. Having a toe box that’s too small can cause your toes to compress, causing pain, discomfort, and blisters. If you want space for your toes to spread out comfortably, this is a good shoe to consider.

The Footshape toe box is specifically designed for your toes to have space and feel natural and not cramped.

The Torin 7 is created for neutral feet and equipped with Altra EGO Max midsole foam for maximum plush cushioning. You’ll find Inner Flex Grooves for flexibility and reduced weight.

The Natural Ride System (NRS) includes an anatomical last and a zero-drop platform. This means the toe and heel are at the same height. This offers a “barefoot” feel, but it may take some walkers time to get used to the feeling and not everybody will like it.

On the durable outsole, Footpod technology follows the tendons in the foot to allow for natural flexion and a more natural movement of the sole with your foot.

8. ASICS NOVABLAST 2

Ladies who like brightly colored shoes but still want something supportive and comfortable should consider the ASICS Novablast 2. They come in a wide range of color combinations that can be seen from a mile away!

Those colorful uppers are made of a double layer of jacquard mesh and are flexible and breathable. The well-perforated mesh offers effective airflow to keep your feet cool while you’re walking.

They don’t just look interesting, but they are responsive with lightweight cushioning. Flytefoam Blast technology offers good rebound on every step so you can move forward with less effort.

The outsole has been designed with a trampoline effect in mind and helps with the impressive energy return of this shoe. It’s bouncy and yet absorbs impact to protect your joints. It also features AHAR Plus technology which places high-abrasion rubber on high-impact parts of the sole for improved durability.

A heel stabilizer offers a better lockdown to keep the feet in alignment, maintaining a solid chain from joint to joint as one walks. The gusseted tongue also provides better stability in the midfoot.

These shoes can run narrow so you may want to order half a size larger.

9. Hoka One One Gaviota 4

The Hoka One One Gaviota is a maximum cushion shoe that is plush and comfortable, making one feel as though they’re walking on clouds. An extra 2 mm of foam has been added from the previous version.

It’s a stability shoe that is ideal for walkers with low or flat arches who overpronate. The shoes use a J-Frame in the midsole, which is a strategically-placed rubbery foam section that provides firm support to prevent the foot from rolling inwards.

A midfoot H-Frame also offers support and a lock-down fit. Extra stability is provided by the flat-waisted geometry, which is a flat last that creates a stable platform. There is a late-stage meta-rocker in the midsole which promotes a smoother heel-to-toe transition.

10. MBT Z 3000

If you’re looking for comfort, the MBT Z 3000 offers a premium cushioned shoe with a tri-density midsole for optimal shock-absorption and comfort.

Three layers of foam offer three times the cushion, as the shoe has received the seal of approval from the American Podiatric Medical Association for promoting foot health.

There is also a removable insole, so one can add custom orthotics if necessary. As well as being comfortable underfoot and providing a feeling like walking on air, the Pivot Strike area helps to return the absorbed energy to propel the wearer forward as well as providing a wide and stable platform.

The high-abrasion rubber sole is non-marking and has an injection-molded heel counter for more structure and a locked-in feeling. Your feet will also stay comfortable thanks to the breathable upper which also incorporates Drylex 360 Moisture Management technology.