The Trail Walk 401 (Men) and 402 (Women) are light hiking and walking shoes made by PROSPECS. I was recently sent a pair of the women’s version to test out and either recommend or dissuade our readers from purchasing.

Although I own a pair of heavy-duty hiking boots, a lighter version geared toward spending only a few hours on the trail, as well as several pairs of tennis shoes either made for the gym or running, I never thought a shoe made specifically for trail walking was necessary. Each type of activity requires the body to place weight on specific areas of the foot, and this shoe has succeeded in cushioning these areas and giving comfort throughout a trail walk.

Recently, since moving to an area in a bigger city where hiking paths are not as common, this shoe has proved useful. The closest I have gotten to nature around my new house are the paved walking paths through small areas of woods built around rivers, with some trails that branch off of these paths.

Image by Ariel Black