Aging is an unpreventable change that must occur. Unfortunately, as people grow older, their agility and active lifestyle starts to diminish. However, seniors can improve their energy levels and maintain their independence by exercising regularly.
Exercise is not only good for the body but it is also of immense benefit to the soul, mind, mood as well as mental health of a person.
There are various forms of exercise, but for elderly seniors who want to stay healthy and mobile well into old age, walking is the perfect form of exercise. After all, they are no longer strong enough to engage in other rigorous exercises.
Benefits of walking to the elderly include the following:
- Leads to a longer life
- Maintains healthy weight
- Strengthens the muscles
- Improves sleep quality
- Supports the joints
- Improves breath
- Slows mental decline
- Lowers the risk of Alzheimer’s disease
- Reduces the risk of disability
- Enhances mobility, flexibility, and balance
- Boosts mood and self-confidence
That said, in order to be able to engage in regular walking sessions that you will not only enjoy, but will also derive the above-listed benefits from, you’ll need a good pair of walking shoes.
What are walking shoes?
Walking shoes are sturdy, practical shoes used for regular or extensive walking exercises. They are of different shapes, sizes and colors and are built to provide maximum comfort and protection.
Why do elderly people need walking shoes?
When the feet are not able to function properly, other parts of the body provide support for the body. And when this happens, it causes pain in the lower back, hips knees, ankles, heels, and other weight-bearing parts of the body. Constant pain in these parts of the body can lead to weakness and further injury.
Walking shoes provide the protection and mechanical support that the feet need to bear the body’s weight effectively while moving from place to place. With a good pair of walking shoes, seniors can keep their entire body well balanced and well aligned while walking.
What to look for when buying walking shoes for seniors
Not all walking shoes are suitable for elderly people. Whether you’re a senior or a caregiver looking to buy a good pair of walking shoes, you need to factor in the following important features before making a choice.
- Comfort and fit: The feet should be able to move freely in the toe box. The shoe should not pinch or bind, and the heel should be snug, but not too tightly. Walking speed and endurance during walking depend on the how comfortable the shoes are for the wearer.
- Weight: Heavy shoes might make the exercise difficult and tiring. Therefore, a light weight shoe is most preferable for walking exercise.
- Size: It goes without saying, but the current feet size of the wearer should be taken into consideration before purchase. Inappropriately sized shoes can cause difficulty in walking and maintaining balance. And it can cause foot fractures.
- Waterproof or non-waterproof: This choice should be made based on the weather condition in the wearer’s environment, but it’s always better to go for waterproof shoes.
- Durability: The shoe should be durable and long lasting. This will save you the cost of frequent replacement of your walking shoes.
- Friction: Good walking shoes should not be slippery. Slippery shoes can lead cause falls, which can, in turn, lead to foot fractures and other serious injuries.
Best walking shoes for elderly (review)
Picking the appropriate walking shoe might be a little tiring because there are more than countable different models and brands in the market.
However, we’ve helped scoured the market for some nice walking shoes, and here are the best we found.
Best walking shoes for men
Based on buyer opinions, brand trust, inherent features, and other important factors, here are the two best walking shoes for senior men.
OUR TOP PICK
Skechers Performance Men’s Go Walk 3 Slip-On Walking Shoe
No products found.Made for utmost care and endurance, the Skechers Performance Men’s Go Walking Shoe offers a seamless blend of style and performance.
It is made with a mesh fabric and a slip-on fabric, which make it easy to wear and pull off. And it features a cushioned foot bed with GOga Mat® technology, which pampers the foot all day.
Other important features of the Skechers Performance Men’s Go Walking Shoe include a ResalyteTM technology midsole that ensures wonderful impact absorption, a Memory Foam padded heel cup to give comfortable fit, and a combination of GOimpulse and GoPillars technologies, which give a remarkable flexibility and responsiveness.
NOTE: We made this shoe our top pick for elderly men because it doesn’t have a shoelace, which can be very difficult for seniors to cope with.
Buyer reviews
As at the time of this writing, the Skechers Performance Men’s Go Walking Shoe had a staggering 2,154 customer reviews on Amazon.com. 68% of this total were 5-star ratings, and 19% were 4-star ratings. Overall rating was 4.4 out of 5 stars.
EDITORS CHOICE
ASICS Men’s GEL Venture 5 Running Shoe
No products found.The Asics Men’s GEL-Venture 5 running shoe provides an everyday comfort and a great fit. Cushioned with a Rear foot GEL and a rugged outsole, it is suitable for various terrains with great grip. In fact, it is particularly suitable really rough terrains.
Buyer reviews
The ASICS Men’s GEL Venture 5 Running Shoe presently has 2,272 customer reviews on Amazon.com, with 65% being 5-star ratings and 24% being 4-star ratings. Overall rating stood at 4.5 out of 5 stars.
Best walking shoes for women
And here are the best walking shoes for senior women…based on the same factors we used to select those for senior men.
OUR TOP PICK
Skechers Performance Women’s Go Walk 3 Slip-On Walking Shoe
No products found.For a matchless performance and practicality, the Skechers Performance Women’s Go Walk 3 Slip-On is the ideal walking shoe.
Made from both synthetic material and fabric, it has a pull-on heel loop and roomy forefoot which makes it easy to wear and pull off, thus enhancing the fit. It also has an OrtholiteTM foot bed which provides an unequalled comfort and antimicrobial sock liner that prevents bad odor.
The Skechers Performance Women’s Go Walk 3 Slip-On also features a Resalyte midsole, which provides excellent shock absorption and cushioning support. It also has GOimpulse sensors along with the flexible outsole for enhanced sensory feedback.
Buyer reviews
As at the time of writing this, there are 2,615 customer reviews of the Skechers Performance Women’s Go Walk 3 Slip-On, with 69% being 5-star ratings and 18% being 4-star ratings. Overall average rating was of 4.5 out of 5 stars. That’s more than enough positive reviews to help you decide!
EDITORS CHOICE
Skechers Performance Women’s Go Walk Slip-On Walking Shoe
No products found.The Skechers Performance Women’s Go Walk Slip-On comes in a slip on style for comfort and durability with Resalyte cushioning. The GOimpulse sensors give you responsive feedback and is designed to suit practically any surface.
Buyer reviews
As at the time of writing this, the Skechers Performance Women’s Go Walk Slip-On had 7, 076 customer reviews on Amazon.com. 77% of this total were 5-star ratings and 14% were 4-star ratings. It has an overall rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars.
In case we’re wondering why it’s not our top pick, we found that it offers less breathability than the Skechers Performance Women’s Go Walk 3 Slip-On.
Last update on 2023-12-10 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API