In spite of the important social, environmental, and health benefits of walking, many public health studies suggest sharp declines in physical activity overall, and walking, in particular, since the COVID-19 pandemic. Using data from the two latest SrV travel surveys for 30 large German cities, we measure changes in rates of walking from 2018 (pre-COVID) to 2023 (post-COVID): trips per person per day, km walked per day, and minutes walked per day. We find statistically significant increases in walking rates and walking mode share between the two years, with slight increases in cycling, stable public transport usage, and significant declines in driving. Disaggregating our analysis, we find that almost all socio-economic groups increased their walking between 2018 and 2023, especially groups with relatively low walking rates in 2018. Two-level logistic regressions (GLMMs) and two-level linear mixed models (LMMs) show that differences in walking rates among socioeconomic groups persisted in 2023, with more walking for persons aged 26–50; women; single-person households; persons without a mobility disability, without a migration background, without a car and driver’s license; persons who were not in the workforce or frequently worked from home, who shopped online infrequently, who had good access to rail public transport, and who reported good walking conditions in their neighborhood. Finally, good weather encouraged more walking. Safer and more attractive walking conditions may help explain why walking increased since COVID in Germany. Indeed, walking conditions in many German cities have continuously improved over many decades, with pro-walking policies accelerated during and since COVID.