My Favorite Things: The Best of 2025
With every year of walking, I end up exploring new trails, trying out new gear, listening to new books, and discovering new things. In December, it’s time to look back at the year—before looking ahead to set new goals and make new plans. So, before we move ahead to 2026, here are some of my favorite new discoveries from 2025.
Favorite New Workout:
Anything with Paul Eugene
While looking for some new walking workouts this year, I ran into Paul Eugene—and it just made me incredibly happy. Most indoor workouts are just…functional: a way to get some movement and increase the step count on my incredibly judgmental watch when I can’t (or just don’t want to) walk outside. But Paul Eugene is such a fun, upbeat instructor—a lovably grandfatherly kind of guy who will make you feel like you can do anything. While some people prefer an instructor who will push them to be tougher and stronger—or maybe just to stay quiet and let them do their thing—I love working out with this guy, who always makes me feel like I’m doing great.
Favorite New Shoes:
Avia Comfort Performance Shoes
Sure, my Brooks walking shoes are great—and I did get a new pair of Hoka Cliftons this year—but these shoes were the biggest surprise. Comfortable walking shoes can be incredibly expensive, but these cost less than $30. They’re cushy and breathable, and they’ve held up surprisingly well for almost 300 treadmill miles—and I have a feeling that they’ve got at least another 300 in them.
Favorite New Article of Clothing:
Oalka Racerback Sports Bra
Sure, sports bras aren’t exactly a thrilling article of workout wear—especially if, like me, you always wear something over them. Nobody’s commenting on how cute my Oalka bra is, but I loved it so much that I went back and bought a second identical one. I usually go for a little bit of padding for extra support, but I’ve found that I don’t really miss it. This bra is soft and comfy. It doesn’t rub anywhere. And the price is right. As an added bonus: though nearly a whole year of sweaty walks, it doesn’t stink.
Favorite New App:
WeWard
I haven’t written up a review for this one yet, but I’ve been playing with this app since the school year started, and I’ve really enjoyed it. Not only does it pay you a little extra for consistently walking, but it combines walking with competition and even a hint of Pokemon Go to make it even more fun. You can rise through the ranks and connect with friends and collect cards for bonus points—and instead of just limited gift cards, you can get cash transferred to a PayPal or Venmo account. (If you want to connect, my username is willwalkforcoffee_26643527 – though you can probably just search for WillWalkForCoffee to find me.)
Favorite New Gear:
STNKY Gear Bag
At some point, I’d like to do more walking travel. I’d like to travel to different places for races or just travel out of town to check out new trails. And when I do, my STNKY bag will definitely come in handy. I love that this clever zipper bag locks the smell of sweaty gear inside while also zipping open to create a mesh bag for easy washing. I always pack it with us on volleyball tournament weekends—because it can fit my kid’s stinky uniform after playing all day, along with my own stinky workout gear after a quick workout in the hotel weight room.
Favorite New Trail:
Walnut Woods Metro Park
This was a tough call. Over the summer, my daughter and I explored a bunch of different trails—including one amazing national park. But since we have so much more to explore at our national park (and we’ll definitely need to check it out again next summer), I decided to choose a local-ish park for our favorite new trail of the year. Walnut Woods Metro Park was a bit of a drive from our house, but we really enjoyed the shady trails. They were perfect for walking on a hot summer day—and we agreed that we’d like to check out more of the park in the future.
Favorite New Audiobook:
Just Off for a Walk by Stephen Reynolds
While I tend to listen to a lot of fluffy audiobooks while I’m walking—something light and entertaining but not too demanding. Sometimes, though, I’ll find a book that’s specifically about walking, and I’ll just have to check it out. This audiobook—about a middle-aged office worker who decided to take up long-distance walking as a way to battle his insomnia—was such a fun listen. I love the author’s voice—and his British wit. I enjoyed it so much, in fact, that I went on to listen to the author’s follow-up book, too.
2025 was a year of great walks with friends, beautiful trails, and some fun new discoveries! What did you discover in 2025? Did you find any new favorite things? We’d love to hear about it!
And here’s to 2026—another year of getting up and getting those steps!
