This urban walking shoe is helping me hit 10,000 steps a day—and they actually look good

I used to think that the shoes I wore for my daily walks weren't important. As long as they kept my feet dry and reasonably comfortable, I was happy.

But as I increased my step count to hit at least 10,000 steps a day, I noticed that I was getting some joint pain around my knees and ankles while walking.

I live in a city and mostly walk on concrete, so I didn't want to wear the walking shoes I own that are designed for trails and muddy paths. But I found regular trainers and running trainers didn't provide the support I needed, either.

That's why I was so excited to hear about a new shoe from Merrell. The SpeedARC Matis is a hiking sneaker designed for urban walking.

These supportive walking shoes rival the style of my expensive, trendy trainers, and they feel at least one hundred times more comfortable and supportive for daily walks.

I've been wearing them for a couple of weeks and they've upgraded my daily walks in three ways.

1. They're supportive

The flexplate technology gives a firm but flexible structure inside the shoe that helps manage impact when your foot hits the ground.

2. They're comfortable

The SpeedARC Matis is also really cushioned, unlike some hiking shoes, which can feel so heavy that I’m desperate to take them off by the end of the day.

3. They're stylish

My favourite thing about this shoe is that it doesn't look like a traditional hiking shoe, which means I can wear them with jeans—or whatever I decide to wear that day—without compromising on style.

After all, I'm often getting my steps in while going about my day-to-day life, rather than heading out on a long walk, so it's great to have a hybrid shoe that looks good with whatever I'm wearing and, crucially, don't leave me with tired feet or sore knees after a day of lots of walking.

It's available in four colorways for women and five for men, and it retails at $180.