The Ryka Podflow is an ideal shoe for women running everyday errands, walking, working out, cross training at the gym, and interval workouts. It offers a comfortable and supportive fit with a nice design!
Okay, so I don’t believe I have ever bought a walking shoe or actually walked in a walking specific shoe so I wasn’t sure what to expect with the Rykä Podflow Walking Sneaker. As a runner, trainer, mom, of course I walk, but in my running shoes! I’m sure many of us are guilty of this!
Typically running shoes are more flexible, cushioned and can provide more stability while walking shoes are designed for comfort and support while also having a flexible sole. It’s actually really important that we not use our running shoes for every day things. This was a great chance for me to make sure I was following that golden rule!
As a runner, the first thing I did was bend them in my hands to test the flexibility of the sole. Surprisingly not too flexible in the midfoot, but more flexible in the forefoot. I slipped them onto my feet and they felt nice!
I could definitely feel the arch support, and roomy fit. The articulated pod design also looked really cool and turned out to be great conversation starters.
Who Is It Good For?
- Wide Feet: Nice, roomy fit and available in medium or wide width.
- Heavier Walkers: The cushioning and durability make it a great choice.
- Long Walks: The extra arch and heel support make this a great all day shoe.
- Fitness Walkers: This is a shoe designed for all day wear and workouts.
These shoes have a great design and look, plus a lot of science behind them! Rykä’s shoes are made specifically for a woman’s foot and these shoes are versatile! From walking, to fitness classes, to wearing them for hours at work, I put them to the test!
Ryka Podflow Overview
Before we dive into more details about the Ryka Podflow , let’s go over how Ryka shoes are designed for women.
Each pair of shoes, regardless of the activity, is going to be based on the Ryka Q technology.
“Our game-changing tech is based on the ‘Q Angle’, the inside angle of the quadriceps muscle that is 3-4% great in women than men, which impacts a women’s stance and weight distribution on her feet.”
If you’re not sure which Ryka shoe is the best fit for you, take the Ryka Shoe Finder Quiz directly on their website.
Since Ryka shoes are designed for women, the structure of the shoe is a little different than most. You’ll find that there’s a wider forefoot and a narrower heel for a more secure fit.
The midsole is is made of ACTIVenergy™ translucent EVA foam which offers a soft and responsive midsole cushioning. The pods along the sole of the shoe also offer targeted support for each part of the foot while promoting natural motion. The heel has a nice rocker and the pod along the arch feels a bit firmer which helps promote a natural feeling motion while walking or exercising.
As I pulled them out of the box, they were very white, or rather Brilliant White! Don’t get me wrong, I love white shoes but they just don’t stay white for long out here in the dusty Sonoran Desert!
Right out of the box these shoes were very comfortable. I wore them to work where I’m on my feet all day, walked on both flat and hilly terrain, wore them to teach a cardio conditioning class, and to cross train at the gym where I used the elliptical machine and step mill.
The brilliant white color captured a lot of attention and I had a lot of questions about the shoe. The design of the shoe is nice and looks good just to go out and run some errands.
Compared to a running shoe, it did feel stiff at first but after wearing them to work and on some walks, they felt just fine!
If I’m active and not thinking about the shoes on my feet, that’s usually a sign that the shoe has a good fit and is truly comfortable. Although I felt like the sole was not super flexible, the 25 degrees of forefoot flexibility must have been just what I needed both on hilly and flat terrain or while teaching a fitness class!
Ryka Podflow Specifications
- Weight: 8.3 oz
- Heel Drop: 10mm
- Available in black, bright blue, verdant yellow, brilliant white
- Available in wide
- Available on ryka.com for $89.99
Ryka Podflow Fit
At first the arch support was very noticeable in the shoe. I have low arches and don’t usually opt for shoes with high arch support. However, I got used to it and it never bothered me while working out or walking.
I have wide feet and felt like these shoes were roomy enough without ordering a wide width.
As with almost all of my shoes, I used a heel lock with the laces to give my heels a more snug fit. I liked the padded collar around the heel and had no rubbing and appreciated the heel and tongue loops to help pull the shoes on.
I had zero rubbing on the toes and the toebox felt plenty roomy even while walking down steeper hills. I did not feel like the energy return was anything special on these shoes, but I don’t have any other walking shoes to really compare them to.
The pod design on the sole did offer a natural feel while in motion and I did not feel limited while walking. The heel to toe drop is a bit higher than what I normally wear, but found them to be comfortable and I did not feel unstable with the higher stack height either.
I wore these shoes for hours at a time and they felt good on my feet the whole time!
Ryka Podflow Feel
These shoes feel more stable than squishy, yet they did not make my feet ache after wearing them all day at work and going for a walk.
Southern Arizona is hot and dry and I love shoes that are breathable so the mesh fabric was cool and not restrictive at all while on the move.
I also love how there is reflective underlays near the logo on the sides of the shoes that are visible in the dark!
Not only does the insole offer extra arch support and nice heel support, but it is made with partially recycled EVA. I always appreciate companies that try to reduce or reuse materials!
The outsole is made of compression-molded rubber with a decoupled heel rocker and arch support pod. The articulated pods are innovative in providing both cushion, natural movement and stability.
Not only are these shoes specifically designed to fit women’s feet, they are also approved by the American Podiatric Medical Association and awarded the Seal of Acceptance for products that promote good foot health. The Podflow was also performance tested in a lab for a energy return, over-pronation prevention, and the correct amount of flexibiity
Our team has tested a ton of walking shoes and Coach Stacey recently tested another Ryka that she adored, so here’s what we consider similar:
Understanding the benefits of having a walking specific shoe might just change things for your feet! These are a fun, stylish option that will keep you on the go all day long with the right cushion and arch support for walking or cardio workouts.Similar Shoes to the Ryka Podflow
Our Verdict
Who Tried it
Laura Swenson is a RTTF running coach, a personal trainer and group fitness instructor. When not working out indoors, she loves running both road marathons and ultras out on the trails! Living in Arizona she enjoys the surrounding mountains but also spends an equal amount of time surfing, snorkeling, reading and napping on the beach with the fam!
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