Best Walking Shoes for Women 2025 | Tested and Reviewed
I've been testing women’s walking and hiking shoes on UK trails and these are my top picks, suitable for all types of adventures from long-distance trekking and backpacking, right through to daily walking.
A good pair of walking shoes are essential. With help from our women’s gear testers, I’ve been out testing a whole range of them on UK trails and mountains to find out the best options for hiking, walking, and scrambling. I even headed out on some Irish trails this time round, in the beautiful counties of Sligo and Fermanagh.
The Best Walking and Hiking Shoes for Women 2025
Including options from The North Face, Arc’teryx, Scarpa and more; there’s a lot of variety here. We’ll be continuing our testing as the months go by so keep an eye out for any changes and new additions to our list.
From long-distance hiking and daily dog walks, to grade three scrambles and multi-day backpacking – walking shoes are a versatile option for the outdoor adventurer. In particular, they’re great for lightweight hiking when you want to feel a little more nimble out on the trail. While hiking boots have their unique advantages in this arena, walking shoes are a great alternative if you’re focusing on agility and breathability – particularly in those hotter months – or if you simply fancy a change of scene.
But what makes a good pair of walking shoes? During our testing process, the top three things we look for are durability, foot support and overall reliability on the trail. We want a shoe that can withstand a variety of terrains for a long period of time without sacrificing too much in the way of comfort. We also like a pair of shoes that protects you from the rocks and rubble beneath your feet without blocking out all the ‘feel’ of the trail.
Here at Outdoors Magic, we’ve been testing walking shoes for many years now. Each shoe has been tested and reviewed by our women’s gear testing team, and has been hand selected for this article. You’ll find a bunch of different styles here, including options for long-distance hiking, rocky terrains, everyday walking, fast hiking and more. Here’s a run-down of the shoes that have been the standout performers for us.
Rating System
In our cushioning ratings, 1 represents a hard shoe while 10 represents a very soft one. With the stiffness levels, 1 represents a very flexible shoe and 10 represents a very stiff one.
Salewa Alp Trainer 2 GTX
Best Overall Walking Shoe for Women
Price: £185 Weight: 370g Best for: hiking, long-distance trekking, scrambling What we liked: durable construction, quality materials, comfortable build What we didn’t like: the toe is quite narrow
Light but protective and supportive, grippy over a variety of terrain, and comfortable over long distances too, whether it’s a morning of scrambling or a whole day on a trail, I found that the Alp Trainer 2 is right at home in whatever situation.
Salewa’s Alp Trainer 2 comes armed with all the ingredients you’d want from a walking shoe, such as a grippy and robust Vibram outsole and waterproofing courtesy of a Gore-tex liner. At 370g, they’re lighter than much of the competition, making them a solid choice for adventurous peak baggers, scramblers, hut-to-hut hikers and long-distance trekkers.
Impressively, the women’s version is made with a women’s specific last designed to properly cater for female feet. There’s also a mid cut variation for those who prefer a higher ankle.
Price: £155 Weight: 333g Best for: hiking and mountain walks, fast-hiking What we liked: grippy outsole, lightweight build, breathable What we didn’t like: less effective for edging on scrambly ascents
With its aggressive sole, light build and breathable upper, the Salomon X Ultra 360 Edge might be a walking shoe but this thing encourages you to move quickly. The Contagrip outsole is very grippy on a range of surfaces – though, like most shoes, it has its limits on wet rock – and the whole sole unit is protective and shock absorbing. There’s plenty of flex to it too, which makes this great for those long distance days.
If you don’t want anything too solid, durable and heavy and appreciate an agile boot then you’ll like the overall lightweight construction here. The breathability is good for a waterproof shoe too, so these are excellent for those warmer weather hikes over landscapes where a sandal or trail shoe won’t cut it.
One of our women’s gear testers Hannah said: “these are some of the most comfortable shoes I’ve ever worn. I just love pulling them on. I think what I love most about them is that they provide so much confidence on usually slippery ground and they let me take in my surroundings instead of having to keep my eyes fixed on the trail.”
Price: £162.95 Weight: 800g per pair Best for: rocky and rugged terrains What we liked: sturdy materials, breathable mesh, grippy sole What we didn’t like: stiffness make it more suited to rocky trails than soft ones.
The Moraine GTX from Italian mountain footwear experts Scarpa is a great choice for rocky and rugged terrains. I recently tested the low version in a ‘mineral’ colour-way featuring a nubuck and mesh upper, a Gore-Tex membrane, and a Presa outsole.
While designed as a ‘fast hiking shoe’, I’d say it’s suitable for more intermediate hikes too. I recently took the Moraines for a spin in the north of Ireland and along the South Downs Way in England and found the outsoles to be very grippy across a variety of terrains, including boggy forest paths, muddy thru-hiking trails, and rocky scrambles. The shoe particularly excelled on rocky trails and felt very stable thanks to Scarpa’s grippy soles, combined with the Moraine’s fairly stiff shank.
Testing the Moraines along the South Downs Way.
I really liked how tough the shoe felt. The nubuck and mesh combination really made my feet feel protected. I can see how it might feel a little too stiff for some hikers, but that depends on your tastes really. The toughness extends to the sole too. I hiked along some rocky trails in Ireland this winter and felt very protected underfoot, particularly at the heel. The flip side is that you lose some of that ‘feel’ for the trail. Another handy feature is the RECCO system that helps emergency services trace you in the event of an emergency.
Available in men’s and women’s versions / Waterproofing?: Gore-tex/ Outsole: Presa HK-04 / Cushioning rating: 6/10 / Stiffness level: 7.5/10
Price: £145 Weight: 577g Best for: people who like a relaxed fit at the toes, three-season hiking and backpacking What we liked: roomy fit, comfortable padding, good value What we didn’t like: toe might be wide for some people, lacked grip on wet rock
The Targhee has been a real mainstay in the Keen collection and it’s one of their hugely popular offerings, probably owing to its good value and very comfortable fit. I found this new iteration had the same fit and feel as previous iterations, most notably with its roomy and relaxed toe box. The main update is in the way Keen attach the sole to the upper. With previous Targhees the two parts of the shoe were glued together but now they’re fused, and in a way that creates a much stronger bind that supposedly won’t ever delaminate. For me, it’s so far so good. No issues there.
Its outsole has reasonable bite and there’s a good bit of cushioning and ankle support. From my experience, it’s not a shoe for super technical terrain but it makes for a good versatile option that you can wear for country walks and that you can also call upon for more demanding trips too – things like hikes along national trails or weekend wild camping escapes in summer. If you like a narrow and precise toe, look elsewhere. If you like a bit of room at the toes, then you should like the way these fit. It’s main limitation? Wet rock. I found this struggled to grip onto any solid that was the slightest bit greasy.
Price: £159.95 Weight: 330g Best for: fast hiking, trail running What we liked: impressive traction, extremely grippy, breathable What we didn’t like: not for those with wider feet
La Sportiva’s Akyra II GTX is one impressive hiking shoe. The first thing I noted is the incredible grip this thing has. This is mostly down to the high-tech outsole. La Sportiva uses their own Frixion XT Red technologies here which consist of a dual compound mix designed to give good durability and bite. The shape of the lugs are also specially designed to grip in all directions, ensuring traction whatever the shape and form of the terrain.
Elsewhere you’ll find a KPU 3D grid construction in the upper which keeps your foot snugly in the shoe with virtually no foot slippage. On the down side, however, during my tests I found that the Akyra is not the best fit for wide-footed individuals. An alternative in that sense could be the Keen Targhee or the Meindl Ontario.
The PFC-free Gore-Tex membrane held up very well when trudging through puddles and the all-around comfort of the shoe was much appreciated on some long walks. That’ll be thanks to the moulded EVA midsole combined with an OrthoLite insole that cushions each step.
Available in men’s and women’s versions / Waterproofing?: PFC-free Gore-Tex Extended Comfort / Outsole: Dual Compound Frixion XT Red with Trail Rocker+ Impact Brake System Mountain Running / Cushioning rating: 7/10 / Stiffness level: 5/10
Price: £78 Weight: 323g Best for: trail hiking, general wear What we liked: rocker geometry at the sole creates forward propulsion What we didn’t like: it’d be good to see more recycled content used
We found that these waterproof walking trainers from The North Face tick all the right boxes for us and they passed our tests with flying colours.
The outsole had good grip on muddy surfaces and performance across slightly wet boulder fields too. The North Face’s proprietary membrane, called Futurelight, did what we wanted it to do in wet weather and the sole unit had a nice bit of flex while still being very good at blocking out sharp rocks and roots.
It also features The North Face’s clever Vectiv technology which involves a lightweight and flexible 3D printed plate that’s embedded within the midsole. Combined with a rocker geometry at the sole, this creates a touch of forward propulsion and a natural rolling feel. From our experience with this, we found it does create a smooth and quite natural feel, saving you from jarring heel shocks while also potentially creating energy savings too.
“The fit is comfortable and supportive, all thanks to the spongy foam cushioning, moulded spandex collar and the stable heel positioning,” said our tester Emma. “I also liked the fact it has a double-punched lacing system which means the fit can be fine-tuned to ensure maximum stability when moving over varied ground.”
Available in men’s and women’s versions / Waterproofing?: Futurelight / Outsole: Surface Control / Cushioning rating: 7/10 / Stiffness level: 6/10
Price: £82.50 Weight: 325g Best for: long-distance hiking, an all-rounder hiking shoe What we liked: very comfy insole, light and bouncy feel when hiking What we didn’t like: slightly thin upper
I’ve sneaked this one in here even though it’s more of a mid boot. There is, however, a low shoe version which is almost exactly the same bar the ankle length. Either way, I think it’s a great all-rounder hiking shoe at a very good price point.
Featuring 100% waterproof AquaDry fabrics, an impressively mouldable build, and some secure Ghillie lacing, there’s a whole bunch of cool features here. In particular I like the NosiLife insect repellent treatment and can see it working well in the likes of the Scottish Highlands when facing the pesky Scottish Midge.
I found that the ADAPT EVA midsole combined with a foam Arneflex insole made for some very comfy hikes. You can really feel the shoe moulding to your foot the moment you start using it. The outsole felt light and bouncy too, with a solid amount of protection from rocky terrain underneath. I used it in some pretty wet conditions in the north of Ireland and it felt very secure on slippery surfaces.
Craghoppers have made a good effort on sustainability here too, with a nice amount of recycled content all throughout the boot. They’re actually vegan-friendly too. I’m intrigued to see if it holds up to the test of time as the upper is thinner than my usual choice of shoe. That being said, there is a hardy-feeling toe cap for some reassurance. I’d also recommend sizing up as they run a little small.
Available in men’s and women’s versions / Waterproofing?: Aquadry/ Outsole: Vibram Litebase / Cushioning rating: 8.5/10 / Stiffness level: 4/10
Price: £135 Weight: 320g Best for: all-terrain walking, approach What we liked: variofix lacing system, tough materials, good grip What we didn’t like: not the most cushioned
The Meindl Ontario GTX shoes are made from suede and mesh at the upper, with a Meindl Magic Active sole underfoot. There’s also an Air Active foot bed to ensure breathability and moisture management, along with a slick design that would fit in well both on the trail and in the city.
I really liked the lacing system that wraps around the shoe. It pulls your heel right into the back of the shoe and feels very secure when you’re out walking. It meant that there was no slippage whatsoever which is usually what tends to happen to me with walking shoes.
I took them for a spin on a scramble in Ireland and the suede upper felt very protective, particularly from rocks and scree. The grip was very solid too, especially when accompanied with the ankle-tight lacing. I felt very secure on the rock. They’re not the most cushioned walking shoes I’ve tried, so you might want to look elsewhere if you’re after something for long-distance comfort or for low-level hikes.
Available in men’s and women’s versions / Waterproofing?: Gore-tex / Outsole: Meindl Magic Active/ Cushioning rating: 5/10 / Stiffness level: 6/10
Price: £160 Weight: 260g Best for: everyday wear, day hikes What we liked: roomy toe box, light weight What we didn’t like: not the grippiest or most technical
The Arc’teryx Kopec Gore-Tex shoes are a solid option for everyday walking. They were actually specifically designed with day hiking in mind. While I wouldn’t use them on anything too technical, I still found they were comfortable and competent on trail hikes and they transfer well as an around-the-town shoe that needs to withstand some milage.
The construction is pretty minimalist and features a Gore-Tex waterproof membrane, a Vibram Megagrip outsole, a dual density foam midsole, and a durable Cordura upper. Elsewhere on the shoe you’ll find a padded tongue combined with a wide toe box and a moulded toe cap.
During my tests, I was impressed with how protective the shoe felt despite not being targeted towards technical terrain. That’s thanks to the reinforcements at the toe and heel, and the supportive integrated shank which blocks out rocks and roots well. I wouldn’t say it’s the grippiest of shoes, and found that it struggled in slimy mud, but the Gore-Tex membrane managed to keep out water (from both puddles and rain) well.
Available in men’s and women’s versions / Waterproofing?: Gore-Tex/ Outsole: Vibram Megagrip / Drop: 7.7mm / Cushioning rating: 6.5/10 / Stiffness level: 5/10
Price: £170 Weight: 680g Best for: long-distance hiking, lightweight backpacking What we liked: very comfortable, lightweight What we didn’t like: price
Lightweight, comfortable and pretty cool looking in our opinion, we’re big fans of these trail shoes by U.S-based brand Danner.
Named in reference to the 2650 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail, these are designed with long distance walkers specifically in mind ,with loads of padding under foot thanks to the three layers of varying density in the sole, including EVA foam and a removable ortholite insole.
There’s also good support at the back of the heel thanks to what Danner call their EXO Heel System. This serves to pocket your heel and prevents it sliding about. We found this to be very comfortable and the shoe felt very ergonomic overall. Other things we liked include the quality suede leather and the Vibram outsole with multi-directional lugs for a bit of grip on dusty or muddy trails.
Please enter your email so we can keep you updated with news, features and the latest offers. If you are not interested you can unsubscribe at any time. We will never sell your data and you'll only get messages from us and our partners whose products and services we think you'll enjoy.
