As a woman over 60 choosing walking shoes for seniors, the clearest difference between these four pairs is width.
For a wider fit, start with the Under Armour Charged+ Assert 11. Under Armour lists it in a D width, which in women’s sizing means wide, with leather overlays for midfoot support.
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Four pairs, and who each one is for:
- Under Armour Charged+ Assert 11: a cushioned, laced shoe, listed in a wide (D) width.
- New Balance FuelCell Walker Elite: a laced shoe New Balance builds for walking, with an outsole shaped to the walking stride.
- Skechers Summits Quick Getaway: a memory foam insole, a padded collar and tongue, and a Medium width.
- Hoka Bondi 9: a mesh upper in a Medium width, listed with a future ship date.
Under Armour Charged+ Assert 11
Everyday walks, for a foot that needs a little more room.
Under Armour Charged+ Assert 11
Wide (D) fit, 7.7 oz, standard laces
Mesh upper with leather overlays, cushioned Charged+ midsole
Look up your size and the price on Amazon
Under Armour builds it like a running shoe, with a cushioned Charged+ midsole and grooves in the sole that let it bend at the toes.
Under Armour adds leather overlays on the mesh for midfoot support and an insole it calls anti-microbial.
- Made for
- A wide fit: the D width is wide in women's sizing
- Unsuited to
- A standard-width foot: the New Balance, the Skechers and the Hoka list Medium
New Balance FuelCell Walker Elite
Walkers who want a shoe made for walking rather than running.
New Balance FuelCell Walker Elite
FuelCell foam midsole, adjustable laces
Walking Strike Path outsole, mesh and textile upper
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New Balance calls the outsole Walking Strike Path and says it guides the foot through the whole walking stride.
It pairs FuelCell foam with what New Balance calls a Stability Plane, meant to keep the shoe stable without losing cushioning. The upper is engineered mesh and textile, with adjustable laces.
- Made for
- An outsole New Balance designs around the walking stride
- Unsuited to
- Buyers who want a stated weight: New Balance's listing gives none
Skechers Summits Quick Getaway
Walkers who want memory foam underfoot and padding around the ankle.
Skechers Summits Quick Getaway
Memory foam insole, padded collar and tongue
Flexible midsole Skechers says absorbs shock
Look up your size and the price on Amazon
Skechers calls the memory foam insole full-length and cushioned for comfort.
The listing does not state a weight for this pair, or how it fastens.
- Made for
- A standard (Medium) width
- Also think about
- Under Armour, if a D width suits your foot better
Hoka Bondi 9
Walkers who already wear Hoka and know their size.
Hoka Bondi 9
Mesh upper, Medium width
Textile lining
Look up your size and the price on Amazon
Hoka’s listing gives the fewest details of the four: no weight, no midsole material and no fastening.
- Made for
- A standard (Medium) width, like the Skechers
- Unsuited to
- Buyers who want a shoe that ships now: this listing shows a future availability date
What a falls study found about shoe styles
In a study of 1,371 adults aged 65 and older, athletic and canvas shoes were linked to the lowest risk of a fall.
Researchers followed the group for two years, then compared 327 people who fell with 327 who did not, matched by age and sex.
Going barefoot or in stocking feet was linked to a sharply higher risk, with an adjusted odds ratio of 11.2.
Other footwear was linked to about 1.3 times the risk of athletic or canvas shoes. The study’s likely range for that figure runs from 0.9 to 1.9, so other shoes may carry no extra risk at all.
This is an observational study, so it shows a link, not a cause. It looked at shoe styles in general, not at these four models. The study does not show that any shoe prevents falls.
The study, led by Koepsell, appeared in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society in 2004.
Choosing between the four
Width separates these four pairs most clearly; the listings say less about cushioning, fastening and weight.
- Cushioning: Under Armour has a cushioned Charged+ midsole, New Balance a FuelCell foam midsole, and Skechers a memory foam insole. None gives a figure you could compare, and Hoka’s listing does not mention cushioning.
- Width: Under Armour comes in D. New Balance, Skechers and Hoka come in Medium, and New Balance also makes this shoe in wide and extra-wide.
- Fastening: Under Armour has standard tie laces and New Balance has adjustable laces. Skechers and Hoka’s listings do not say.
- Weight: Under Armour lists 7.7 ounces without a size. New Balance, Skechers and Hoka give no weight.
Worth paying for
- A wide width, if a standard width feels tight: Under Armour’s D, or New Balance’s wide and extra-wide sizes.
- A padded collar and tongue, if the back of a shoe tends to rub your ankle. Skechers lists both.
Not worth paying for
- A pair that does not ship yet, if you want shoes now. Hoka’s listing shows a future availability.
Which pair to walk in first
| Your walk | Take a look |
|---|---|
| A wide (D) fit | Under Armour Charged+ Assert 11 |
| A shoe built for walking | New Balance FuelCell Walker Elite |
| Memory foam and a padded collar | Skechers Summits Quick Getaway |
| Already wear Hoka and can wait | Hoka Bondi 9 |
If foot pain after a walk is part of the problem, read about common causes and fixes before you buy new shoes. If blisters are part of the problem, read about walking socks for blister-prone feet.
If foot pain, swelling or a recent fall is why you are choosing new shoes, talk to your doctor first.
If the shoes already in your closet still fit well, feel comfortable and show no worn tread, you may not need a new pair yet.