Tried and Tested: I didn't expect these budget shoes to be this comfortable, and now I cannot stop recommending them

I tested Campus Annie walking shoes for 18 months, and their soft cushioning, lightweight feel and easy fit kept me wearing them.

I have a slightly annoying relationship with sports shoes. They look great when you first buy them, feel perfectly fine for a few days, and then suddenly my feet have opinions. Finding a comfortable pair is even trickier for me because I have flat feet. I need cushioning, but I also do not want shoes that feel bulky or leave my feet aching after a simple workout.

These Campus Annie walking shoes became my everyday favourite after 18 months of walks, errands and light workouts without uncomfortable feet. (Hindustan Times)

So, in August 2024, I bought the Campus Women’s Annie Walking Shoes almost on a whim. They were affordable, looked fuss-free and seemed perfectly adequate for light gym sessions. I honestly expected them to be a temporary pair. Fast forward 18 months and I am still wearing them.

They have moved from my gym bag to my everyday shoe rack and now come out for evening walks, errands and those light workout days when I do not need anything too serious.

My initial review of the shoes. Click here to read.

First impressions: Simple, soft and very easy to wear

The first thing I liked about these shoes was how little effort they demanded. They have a pull-on, lace-free design, so there is no sitting around tying laces when I am already running late. I can simply slip them on and head out. For everyday use, that small detail becomes surprisingly useful.

The design is also quite simple. Mine has the Black and Rani colour combination, although the Annie range also comes in options such as Navy, Purple and Silver and Rose Pink. There is nothing overly sporty or flashy about them. They have a clean knitted upper with a few colour details around the sole, which makes them easy to wear with workout clothes, track pants or even casual jeans.

The knitted upper was soft from day one. There was no stiff feeling around my feet and, importantly, no painful break-in period. For a budget pair of walking shoes, the construction also felt reassuringly solid.

The reason I kept wearing them: That memory foam insole

Here is where these shoes surprised me. I bought them for light gym workouts. I kept wearing them because the memory foam insole made walking genuinely comfortable.

With inexpensive footwear, cushioning can feel good for the first few weeks, then lose its appeal. That has not been my experience with these Campus shoes. Even after 18 months, the underfoot cushioning still feels comfortable enough for my regular evening walks and light treadmill sessions.

For someone with flat feet, this matters. I am not looking for a shoe that dramatically changes the shape of my foot or claims to solve every foot problem. I simply want something that does not leave my feet sore after an hour of walking. These shoes have managed that rather well.

The cushioning feels soft without making every step feel unstable. There is also enough flexibility for casual movement, which is useful when I am moving between a walk, a quick shop and a few chores without changing footwear.

At some point, I stopped thinking of these as my gym shoes and started thinking of them as my dependable everyday pair. That is probably the biggest compliment I can give them.

Campus Annie walking shoes: Specifications at a glance

Feature	Details
Brand and model	Campus Women’s Annie Walking Shoes
Upper	Breathable mesh with knitted vamp
Closure	Slip-on, pull-on
Insole	Memory foam cushioning
Outsole	TPE with anti-slip grip
Best suited for	Walking, light workouts, casual daily wear and flat feet

What worked for me

The cushioning

This is still my favourite part. The memory foam makes the shoes comfortable for regular walking and light exercise, and the cushioning has held up well over 18 months.

They are genuinely lightweight

I do not like feeling as though my shoes are doing half the workout before I even start mine. These feel light on the feet and easy to wear for longer periods.

No laces

This sounds like a tiny detail until you start wearing slip-on shoes regularly. I now appreciate being able to put them on in seconds.

Good value

Campus is an Indian footwear brand, and these shoes deliver a lot for their price. I did not buy them expecting premium performance. I bought an affordable pair for the gym and ended up using them for far longer and far more often than expected.

What could be better

No shoe gets a completely free pass from me, though.

The knitted fabric upper attracts dust quite easily. Since I wear these outdoors quite often, they need a dry wipe now and then to keep them looking fresh. If you are someone who wants white or very light coloured shoes to remain spotless, this is something to keep in mind.

The design is also very basic. That works for me because I bought them for comfort, not for making a fashion statement. If you want a trendy, statement-making pair of trainers, these may feel a little too plain. And then there is the rain. These are not the shoes I reach for during a wet monsoon evening. The fabric upper is better suited to dry conditions, so I tend to keep them indoors or switch to something more suitable when the roads are wet.

Are they still worth buying after 18 months?

For me, absolutely. The funny thing is that I never expected these shoes to become a long-term favourite. They were an inexpensive purchase for light gym sessions, not a carefully researched footwear investment. Yet 18 months later, they are still in my regular rotation.

If you have flat feet, prefer soft cushioning and want a lightweight shoe for walking, casual workouts and everyday use, I think the Campus Annie is worth considering. It is also a sensible option if you do not want to spend a lot on a pair that will mostly be used for walking and light exercise. I would skip these for serious running, intense training or workouts that need strong lateral support. They are simply not built for that kind of use.

But for my evening walks, quick errands and light workout days, they have done exactly what I needed them to do. And honestly, when a shoe bought on a whim is still earning its place on your shoe rack a year and a half later, that is a pretty good result.

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Disclaimer: At Hindustan Times, we help you stay up-to-date with the latest trends and products. Hindustan Times has an affiliate partnership, so we may get a part of the revenue when you make a purchase. We shall not be liable for any claim under applicable laws, including but not limited to the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, concerning the products. The products listed in this article are in no particular order of priority.

 

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