Foot ailments, ankle, calves, knee and lower back pain are quite common among the elderly, which usually comes long with age.
To address corns and calluses, bunions, flat arches, toe joint problems, and heel pain health conditions, it is a necessity that seniors wear the correct footwear to prevent these ailments from worsening further or to in the first place prevent any of these conditions from occurring, especially if a senior has other health conditions like diabetes or arthritis, which have an adverse effect on the feet.
Feet need to be taken care of and protected in order to enable you to stay physically mobile and active, which not only keeps you in a good state of mind, but also ensures that the risk of disease caused by these health conditions is controlled and reduced.
To help you out with your foot health condition we have considered the most fashionable, comfortable walking shoes along with the price of these shoes, and put together a list of affordable, feature packed walking shoes for elderly women and men.
Best Walking Shoes for Elderly Women (Most Comfortable & Best Price)
- Propet Women's W3851 Wash & Wear Slip-On$ 85 is a comfy slip-on moc in leather, suede, or nubuck with a stretchable neoprene collar. It comes with a removable footbed and an arch-supporting EVA midsole and rubber outsole for durability and traction. It is also machine washable.
- New Balance Women’s WW577 Hook and Loop Walking Shoe$80 features exceptional shock absorption with Absorb cushioning in the heel, offering an individual fit with a hook and loop closure. It is very durable as it has a leather upper, polyurethane midsole, and a solid rubber outsole for constant cushioning and awesome support and traction.
- Propet Women’s Tour Walker Strap Sneaker$80 is complete leather with Nylex lining and a twin strap closure making it durable. It features a cushioned EVA midsole with herring-bone tread rubber outsole which offers great traction and grip. It also comes in 5 different widths, which will give you that perfect fit.
- Skechers Women’s Gowalk 4/5$75 features lightweight Ultra Go cushioning with high-rebound Comfort Pillar Technology for ultimate comfort. It comes with Air Cooled Goga Mat which is a breathable insole, and dual density outsole for stability and support. It is machine washable as well.
- Propet Women’s Stability Walker$70 is designed for a wider footprint and heel base for better stability. It comes with a lacing closure system with padded collar and tongue. It features a removable PU footbed and PU insole with a rigid heel counter, a heel pad and cushioning ridges for superior comfort, along with a full-grain perforated leather upper or nubuck upper with brushed nylon lining. It also comes with an arch supporting EVA midsole with rubber outsole for durability and traction.
Best Walking Shoes for Elderly Men (Most Comfortable & Best Price)
- Propet Men's W3851 Wash & Wear Slip-On$85 is an easy slip-on moc in leather, suede, or nubuck with a stretchable neoprene collar. It features with a changeable footbed and an arch-supporting EVA midsole and rubber outsole for durability and traction. Its machine washable as well.
- Propet Men's Life Walker Strap Sneaker$80 has a leather upper, along with brushed nylon lining and padded collar and tongue, with a twin strap closure. It features a firm heel counter and removable footbed, cushioned EVA midsole and a herring-bone tread rubber outsole.
- New Balance Men’s MW577 Hook and Loop Walking Shoe$80 is very sturdy as it has a leather upper, polyurethane midsole, and a solid rubber outsole for constant cushioning and awesome support and traction. It features brilliant shock absorption with Absorb cushioning in the heel, providing an individual fit with a hook and loop closure.
- Hush Puppies Men's Gil Slip-On Shoes$80 is in full smooth grain leather, with a removable EVA footbed. It offers a hook and loop closure on the front, and ZeroG lightweight outsole for flexibility and traction.
- Skechers Men’s Gowalk 4/5$75 features lightweight Ultra Go cushioning with high-rebound Comfort Pillar Technology for superior well-being. It comes with Air Cooled Goga Mat which is a ventilated insole, and twin density outsole for stability and support. It is also machine washable.
- Propet Men’s Stability Walker$70 comes with a lacing closure system with padded collar and tongue, and is planned for a wider footprint and heel base for better stability. It also comes with an arch supporting EVA midsole with rubber outsole for durability and traction. It features a removable PU footbed and PU insole with a rigid heel counter, a heel pad and cushioning ridges for superior comfort, along with a full-grain perforated leather upper or nubuck upper with brushed nylon lining.
What to Look for in Walking Shoes for the Elderly?
The following features are a must have for seniors when buying walking shoes;
- Motion Control
Nowadays the latest walking shoes come with cushioned motion control which is an essential requirement in your walking shoes. This feature ensures that your ankles and arches of the feet are well supported, which automatically reduces the impact and pressure on your heels. This will provide you stability while walking.
- Lightweight and Breathable
The weight of your shoes definitely has an influence on your comfort level and the amount you (want to) move around. The lighter the shoes the less impact they have on your feet, ankles, calves, knees, and lower back. Walking shoes for the elderly today come with soft flexible materials such as full grain leather, neoprene, nylex, polyurethane, foam and carbon materials, etc., making the entire shoe, midsoles and outsoles lightweight. These materials along with mesh technology also makes the shoe well ventilated to prevent or reduce moisture and odor in the shoes, which can prevent serious to common foot conditions like scratching and peeling of skin between the toes, or other foot conditions like blisters or bunions.
- Cushioning
Good shock absorption capacity of your shoes has a direct impact on your heels which is usually the first point of contact with the ground that takes a lot of pressure. Having special cushioning and beveled pads in the heels prevents your foot from sliding, as this is a key area which causes an ache resulting in soreness.
- Support
Having 360-degree support for your feet including the toes and arch area is imperative. The width of the shoe toe box must be adequate enough to enable your toes to move around and avoid or give room for corns or calluses, and also to accommodate bunions. If further arch support is essential, there are quite a few walking shoes which cater for changeable inserts which can be substituted with biomechanicallydesigned orthoticor proprioceptive insoles.
- Traction
A good walking shoe along with being sturdy must also have a flexible outsole with good material and well-designed grooves, which rubber/carbon soles offer. There are certified slip resistant shoes which provide superb grip on both dry and wet surfaces.
Conclusion
Walking shoes for elderly women and men must be sturdy and supportive, and at the same time soft, flexible and comfortable, with good protection and traction. In our article above we have shortlisted the best brands and products of walking shoes for seniors based on the criteria we have highlighted as crucial taking your foot health condition into consideration.
