When I booked a last-minute trip to Boston and Martha’s Vineyard earlier this summer, I didn’t give much thought to packing until the night before our flight. But then I remembered how much walking would be involved, and I knew I didn’t want to wake up every day and ask myself, “Should I wear my cute shoes or my walking shoes?”

So, I did what all smart middle-aged women with a fashion crisis do: I texted my friends. I put out a call for recommendations for cute, comfortable walking shoes I could wear throughout my trip. The first reply suggested a pair of designer sandals, so I clarified that I wanted sneakers, not sandals, and was looking for a pair under $100. “Dr. Scholl’s!” my friend Liz exclaimed, adding they had good arch support. I immediately headed to Amazon and ordered the Dr. Scholl’s Time Off Sneakers — and I’m so thankful I did.

Dr. Scholl’s Women’s Time Off Sneaker

From the moment I laced up my new kicks, I knew these Dr. Scholl’s sneakers were different from my previous pair of cute sneakers that pinched my toes. As soon as I put them on, I immediately felt the bouncy cushioning and ample toe box, and I loved the style of the all-white shoe and chunky platform. They felt comfortable without any strange rubbing or poking that sometimes comes with new shoes. Feeling good, I put my trust in Dr. Scholl’s (I didn’t even stash a backup pair of walking shoes in my bag!) and off we went to the airport for our week-long East Coast adventure.

Our first day in Boston, my son and I racked up over 18,000 steps exploring Newbury Street, the Boston Commons, and Harvard Square. The next day, we logged around the same amount wandering the North End and exploring the Freedom Trail. During the rest of our trip, we traversed all over Martha’s Vineyard by foot and bike before returning to Boston for more sightseeing. By our last morning in the city, I actually felt my feet craving more action in my bouncy shoes and went for a beautiful walk around the harbor before my son even got out of bed. All in all, my total vacation step count was 100,511 — which is over 50 miles! And, I took every single step in these Dr. Scholl’s sneakers.

Dr. Scholl’s Women’s Time Off Sneaker

To be honest, I don’t think I looked at the reviews when I bought these, since I had the thumbs up from my friend. Now, however, I see these sneakers have over 2,700 perfect ratings — and it’s clear I am not the only one who got these shoes for walking the world. 

“I went from sedentary-desk-job, maybe 3k steps a day if I am lucky, to a week long trip to Lisbon walking over 10k steps a day on steep inclines, uneven surfaces, slippery cobblestone tiles,” wrote one shopper. “These shoes truly made that experience SO much more enjoyable!”

“They held up beautifully, were cushy and comfortable for miles and miles of walking (I got anywhere from 10,000 to 20,000 steps per day on our trip), no achy feet, no blisters,” said another person who wore them on a trip to Europe. 

Even flight attendants and nurses — who are obviously always on their feet — swear by these sneakers.

“No need for time to break them in. Comfortable right out of the box. I work as a nurse and they are holding up very well,” said one reviewer. “I am a flight attendant and I needed all white shoes for my uniform. I bought other shoes and they were super painful after being on my feet for 12 hours… I wore [these] on a week long trip and my feet felt incredible,” wrote another happy customer.

Some of the reviews mention that despite the fact that these shoes are pre-treated with an Easy Clean Repellant topical spray, they do show dirt marks. I had the same experience, although mine resulted from a total collapse on my bike, after my son tried to zip up my backpack as he whizzed by. Suffice to say, my back and arm had matching scuffs. But it was nothing a magic eraser couldn’t fix! (The shoes — not my road rash.)

I love the look of all-white sneakers, but if you like more color in your life, the great thing about these Dr. Scholl’s shoes is that they’re also available in 20 other colors and a variety of textures, including microfiber, canvas, perforated faux leather. I’m thinking of adding a pair of metallic silver, corduroy brown, or even the white and rainbow ones to my collection. At this under-$100 price point, and knowing what I know now, I see multiple pairs of Dr. Scholl’s sneakers in my future.

If you want to browse other cute walking shoes, these are some of the styles I considered, all meeting the criteria of supreme comfort without sacrificing style.

More Comfortable Walking Shoes on Amazon

Naturalizer Women Morrison Fashion Sneaker

Keds Women’s Triple Kick Leather Sneaker

Olukai Pehuea Lī ‘Ili Leather Sneaker

New Balance Women’s 237 V1 Classic Sneaker

Vionic Pismo Womens Casual Supportive Sneaker

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