Putting shoes on is a fall risk most men don’t think about. The Skechers Go Walk Flex Hands Free changes that — easy entry, secure fit, non-slip sole.
Getting shoes on and off is one of those daily tasks that quietly becomes more difficult with age — bending down to tie laces, balancing on one foot while the other is raised, managing the fine motor coordination that shoe fastening requires. For older men with back pain, reduced flexibility, or any balance concern, the routine act of putting shoes on every morning carries its own fall risk before the first step is even taken.
Skechers addressed this problem directly with their Hands Free Slip-ins technology — a heel design that allows the shoe to be put on simply by sliding the foot in, with no hands required. No bending. No balancing. No laces or fasteners to manage. The shoe goes on as easily as a slipper but performs like a proper walking shoe.
For older men specifically the Go Walk Flex Hands Up Sneaker combines the hands-free entry technology with the walking performance features that fall-preventive footwear requires — making it one of the most practical and genuinely useful senior footwear options currently available.
→ See the Skechers Go Walk Flex Hands Up on Amazon
The Hands Free Technology — What It Actually Does
The Skechers Hands Free Slip-ins technology is not a standard slip-on shoe design. It’s a specific heel construction that solves the problem standard slip-ons have always had — the open back that requires gripping to stay on, producing the loose-fit shuffling that increases fall risk.
The Hands Free heel uses a reinforced internal heel pillow that holds the foot securely from behind without requiring a traditional heel counter or strap. Slide the foot in, and the heel pillow grips the Achilles area — keeping the shoe on securely without any hands, without any fastening, and without the open-back insecurity that makes standard slip-ons fall-risky.
The result is a shoe that goes on like a slipper and fits like a laced shoe. For anyone who has ever struggled with laces or with the balancing act of pulling on a shoe that requires hands — this is a genuinely different experience.
Why This Matters for Fall Prevention Specifically
The putting-on and taking-off of shoes is a balance-challenging activity that most people don’t think about as a fall risk until it becomes one. Standing on one foot while the other is raised. Bending forward while maintaining balance. Managing fine motor fastening while in an unstable position.
A shoe that eliminates all of this — that goes on by sliding the foot forward while seated, with no balance challenge involved — removes a daily fall risk that conventional footwear creates multiple times per day. Not a dramatic fall risk, but a real one that compounds across every dressing and undressing event of every day.
Go Walk Flex — The Walking Performance Features
The Hands Free entry technology makes the shoe easy to put on. The Go Walk Flex platform makes it worth wearing all day.
Flexible Sole
The Go Walk Flex sole is specifically designed for walking — flexible enough to allow the natural rolling motion of the foot through the gait cycle rather than restricting it with a rigid sole. This flexibility reduces the energy required for each step and allows more natural foot movement that supports the proprioceptive feedback that contributes to balance.
Cushioned Midsole
Adequate cushioning reduces the impact transmitted to joints during walking — important for older adults with any knee, hip, or lower back sensitivity. The cushioning in the Go Walk Flex is balanced — enough to protect joints during extended walking without the excessive thickness that reduces ground feel and proprioception.
Lightweight Construction
Heavy shoes increase the energy cost of each step and contribute to the leg fatigue that affects gait quality over longer periods of walking. The lightweight construction of the Go Walk platform reduces this energy cost — making longer walks possible without the fatigue-driven gait changes that increase fall risk.
Breathable Upper
Mesh upper construction keeps feet cooler during walking — particularly relevant for older adults who may have circulation changes that affect foot temperature regulation. Comfortable feet are feet that stay in shoes longer rather than transitioning to slippers or socks when the shoe becomes uncomfortable.
What the Go Walk Flex Does Well for Seniors Specifically
The No-Bend Entry
For anyone with back pain, hip replacement, or significant flexibility reduction — being able to put shoes on while seated, by simply sliding the foot forward, is not a minor convenience. It’s the difference between a shoe that’s realistically wearable every day and one that requires a level of physical effort that makes it an occasional-use item.
Daily-worn shoes provide daily fall prevention. Shoes that are painful or difficult to put on don’t get worn daily — and footwear that doesn’t get worn doesn’t protect. The hands-free entry solves the compliance problem that makes many technically appropriate shoes practically ineffective for older men.
Suitable for All-Day Indoor Wear
As covered in our guide on best shoes for seniors to prevent falls — fall prevention programs recommend wearing proper supportive shoes with non-slip soles throughout the day including indoors, rather than transitioning to socks or slippers when entering the home. The smooth indoor floors where most falls occur demand as much traction attention as outdoor surfaces.
The Go Walk Flex is comfortable enough for all-day indoor wear — making the recommended behavior of wearing proper shoes throughout the day a realistic one rather than an uncomfortable directive.
Pairs With Non-Slip Socks
For overnight and immediate post-waking periods before shoes are on — non-slip grip socks provide the traction that shoes provide during the day. Our review of the best non-slip socks for seniors covers the specific option we recommend for the hours when shoes aren’t being worn.
→ Get the Non-Slip Grip Socks on Amazon
Sizing and Fit Considerations
Several fitting considerations are worth noting for the Go Walk Flex specifically and for Skechers Go Walk platform generally.
Skechers runs slightly wide in the Go Walk platform — the toe box is generous compared to many athletic shoes. Men with standard width feet often find the regular width fits well. Men with truly wide feet may find the extra room comfortable rather than loose.
The hands-free heel fit depends on accurate sizing. The heel pillow that creates the secure fit is size-specific — too large a size means the heel pillow doesn’t contact the Achilles correctly and the shoe functions like a standard slip-on rather than the hands-free design. If between sizes, size down rather than up.
Foot length changes with age — have feet measured before purchasing if it’s been more than a year or two since the last fitting. Arch flattening with age can increase length by half a size or more. Don’t assume the size worn at 60 is still correct at 75.
Try both feet if purchasing in store. Feet are often slightly different sizes. Fit to the larger foot.
The Go Walk Flex in the Complete Fall Prevention System
Fall-preventive footwear addresses the foot-floor traction and stability component of fall risk. It’s most effective as part of the comprehensive approach that addresses every major fall risk factor.
The bathroom modifications that address the highest-risk room — grab bars correctly positioned at the shower entry and next to the toilet, a non-slip bath mat outside the shower, toilet safety rails for the sit-to-stand transition. As covered in our guide on the bathroom causes more senior falls than stairs, cars, and ice combined — the bathroom is where most serious falls happen and where the most impactful modifications are available.
→ Get the Non-Slip Bath Mat on Amazon
→ Get the Toilet Safety Rails on Amazon
The bedroom modifications — bed rail for the morning getting-up transition, night lights on the path to the bathroom. As covered in our guide on getting out of bed is the most dangerous moment of a senior’s day — the first movement of every morning is the highest-risk transition of the day.
→ Get the Night Lights on Amazon
The medical alert safety net — automatic fall detection for when prevention isn’t enough. The SecuLife Smartwatch worn on the wrist provides fall detection that works everywhere in the home and outside it. Our complete review at SecuLife Smartwatch Review covers every feature worth knowing.
→ Get the SecuLife Smartwatch on Amazon
Who the Go Walk Flex Is Best Suited For
The Skechers Go Walk Flex Hands Up is specifically well-suited for:
- Men with back pain or reduced flexibility — for whom bending to tie shoes is genuinely difficult or painful
- Men with balance concerns — for whom the one-foot balancing involved in conventional shoe-putting-on carries its own fall risk
- Men with reduced hand dexterity — for whom lace management or buckle fastening is difficult
- Men who currently wear slippers indoors — the Go Walk Flex is comfortable enough to replace indoor slippers with a genuinely fall-preventive alternative
- Men who walk for exercise — the Go Walk platform is designed for walking performance, not just casual wear
- Men recovering from surgery or injury — the no-bend entry and secure fit make it practical during recovery periods when bending is restricted
Frequently Asked Questions
Do the Go Walk Flex shoes require any hands at all to put on?
No — the Hands Free technology is designed specifically to allow putting the shoe on without hands. Slide the foot forward into the shoe while seated and the heel pillow secures the foot in place. No bending, no hands, no balancing required. Taking the shoe off is similarly hands-free — step down on the heel of the opposite shoe to push the back down and slide the foot out.
Are these shoes suitable for outdoor walking?
Yes — the Go Walk Flex is designed for walking performance on standard outdoor surfaces including pavement, paths, and light terrain. They are not trail shoes and are not designed for significantly uneven terrain or wet grass. For standard daily walking — neighborhood walks, errands, light outdoor use — they are well-suited.
How do the Go Walk Flex shoes compare to regular slip-ons for fall prevention?
Significantly better. Standard slip-ons have open backs that require toe gripping to stay on — producing the loose-fit shuffling gait that is itself a fall risk factor. The Hands Free heel creates the secure fit that prevents this. The shoe stays on without any gripping, maintaining the proper foot-floor interaction that fall-preventive footwear requires.
Can these be worn with orthotics?
The removable insole in most Go Walk models allows orthotics to be substituted — though the hands-free heel fit may change slightly with a different insole thickness. Try with the orthotic in place before committing, confirming the heel still fits securely with the heel pillow.
Are they machine washable?
Check the care label on the specific model — many Skechers Go Walk shoes are machine washable on a gentle cold cycle. Air dry rather than machine drying. Regular cleaning maintains both the appearance and the performance of the sole traction.
A Shoe Worth Putting On Every Day
The best fall-preventive shoe is the one actually being worn — every day, throughout the day, including indoors where most falls happen. A shoe that’s difficult or painful to put on doesn’t get worn every day. A shoe that’s easy to put on, comfortable to wear all day, and genuinely fall-preventive in its design does.
The Skechers Go Walk Flex Hands Up Sneaker is that shoe for a lot of older men — the intersection of practical wearability and genuine fall-prevention performance that makes daily consistent wearing realistic rather than aspirational.
→ Get the Skechers Go Walk Flex Hands Up on Amazon — check current price and sizing
About the Author
Tom Garrett spent eight years as an EMT and saw the footwear that older adults were wearing when falls occurred more often than any other single factor in their environment. Open-back slippers. Worn-out soles. Shoes that clearly hadn’t been on that day. The shoe that’s easy enough to put on every morning is the shoe that’s actually there when it matters. He writes for Elder Safety Guide because fall prevention only works when it’s actually being worn — and footwear that makes daily wearing practical rather than effortful is footwear that protects.
