It’s best to go with the lightest hiking shoes for your trip! Hiking Shoes are best for day hikes. They are lightweight, flexible and low-cut.
Hiking Boots are best for day hikes and week-end backpacking. Some flexibility and mid to high-cut for ankle support.
Backpacking Boots are for longer, multi-day trips. They are stiffer and have more support for rough terrain.
Mountaineering Boots are stiff and good for ice and glaciers and allows you to attach crampons.
If you want waterproof boots, the tradeoff is you’ll sweat more in these because they don’t breathe as well as non-waterproof boots.
The most important thing to look for is fit! Your toes should have wiggle room on surfaces that have an incline or decline. Your foot should not move around or side-to-side and it should fit well inside the shoe. Fit the shoes late in the day when your feet tend to swell and bring the socks you plan to wear.
Low, Mid, and High Boot Cut
Low-cut hiking shoes are best for smooth trails and lightweight travel. They are not good for keeping debris out of your shoes or good ankle support.
Mid-cut hiking boots are best for day hikes on rocky trails or multi-day hikes where you want a little more ankle support and they help keep debris out of your boots. They hold up well under moderate loads.
High-cut boots are best for maximum ankle support and balance. They are great for rocky trails and roots and hold up well under heavy loads. Break them in thoroughly before a long backpacking trip.
Boot Construction and Materials
Boot Materials Upper
Full-grain leather is tough and water resistant. Used often in backpacking boots and is good for heavy loads and on rough terrain. Ample break-in time is needed. Not as breathable as Split-grain leather.
Split-grain leather is usually fitted with nylon mesh for breathability. “Split” means splitting from rough interior and smooth exterior for lower cost, but loses toughness and water resistance. Some come with waterproof liners.
Nubuck leather is full-grain leather that is buffed to look like suede. It is very tough and water resistant and needs ample break-in time.
So-called “synthetic leather” polyester, and nylon are lighter weight than leather, less expensive and break-in faster but wear more quickly due to more stitching on the outside.
Waterproof linings such as eVent or Gore-Tex may keep your feet drier at the expense of more warmth during warm weather. Also, you should use Nikwax to help protect the waterproof lining from dust and dirt.
Midsole
In between a boot’s upper and outsole is the midsole. It is used for cushioning shock and stiffness. The main materials are polyurethane and ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA). EVA is lighter and softer than polyurethane and less expensive. Polyurethane is stiffer and firmer so you’ll find it more in backpacking boots and mountaineering boots.
Components for Support
To lessen shock and provide support, these materials may be in between the midsole and the outsole.
Shanks add stiffness to the midsole. They are usually made of lightweight nylon or TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane). They may cover part of or all of the length of the midsole.
Plates if included, are below the shank and are somewhat flexible and protect your feet from roots and rocks.
Outsoles
Rubber is used in all outsoles of hiking boots with Vibram being the best-known brand. Carbon may be added for hardness in backpacking and mountaineering boots but can be slick if you go off the trail.
Lugs are raised bumps and add traction to outsoles. They are usually deeper and thicker on backpacking and mountaineering boots. Wide lugs help give more traction by having more room for mud.
Heel brake is the part separate from the arch and forefoot that helps with traction when going down a steep decline.
Connecting the Outsole and Upper
The upper and outsole, along with the other components are usually held together with adhesives. This makes them have a strong bond. But be careful of heat because the adhesive can give if heated too much by the sun or other factors like fire.
Rands
A rand is the wide rubber wrap that sometimes is connecting the upper with the midsole to protect the boot from abrasion and moisture. It is wrapped all the way around or sometimes just around the toe area.
Can Hiking Shoes or Boots Be Resoled?
Only backpacking and mountaineering boots can be re-soled.
The Most Important Factor: Fit
How a hiking shoe or boot fits is the most important factor! Three things to look for are length, volume, and width. Volume is by far the most important. You want the shoe or boot to feel like it is holding your foot by a hand around the laces area. You don’t want heel slip, which creates blisters, and toe bang, which creates black toe.
Tips for Shopping in Person
Prepare for Hiking Boot Shopping
Shop late in the day because our feet swell up as the day progresses. Bring along any inserts you use and your hiking socks.
Talk with a Hiking and Backpacking Footwear Specialist
Sales specialists can help you with your shoe and boot purchases by asking you some basic questions:
- Have you done a lot of hiking?
- What terrain will you be hiking on?
- What will the weather be like?
- How heavy will your backpack be?
- Do you have any feet problems?
- Is there a particular brand that you are fond of?
Observe Your Bare Foot
If you can see the bones and veins in your foot, chances are you have a low-volume foot. When you can’t see them, you probably have a large volume foot. If you can’t put your finger under your arch, your foot is probably flat. And if you can, you probably have a medium to high arch. If you have a bunion, you will need a wide shoe.
Try on Several Pairs of Hiking Shoes or Boots
Select a minimum of 3 pairs of shoes or boots. If you have a slender, narrow foot, then the European brands —Asolo, Salomon, Zamberlan and Lowa—are often well suited. When you have wide or large volume feet, then that means Keen fits well. If none of them work for you, then ask your sales specialist for 3 more pair. Do this until you find at least 2 pairs that you like.
What’s your first impression?
- Toes or sides feel too tight? Likely shoe is too narrow.
- Check the lacing if your heels slide when you walk.
- Make sure your socks fit smoothly otherwise you may feel pinching.
Spend Some Time in Each Pair of Boots
Walk around the store. If they have an area for testing shoes and boots like simulated stones and roots, inclines, then by all means, go at it.
Adjust the laces by the instep if your heels slip while walking up an incline.
The shoe or boot may be too large or the laces too loose if your foot slides forward when walking down an incline.
Again, the boot or shoe may be too large or the width too narrow if your toes are crammed together when walking downhill.
You should be able to wiggle your toes without them touching the front of the shoe or boot.
If you find good hiking shoes or boots, take them home and wear them around your house for several hours to make sure they fit well.
Tips for Online Shopping of Footwear
- Consider using a brand that you like and are familiar with. They are usually very consistent in their fit and quality.
- Try on 3 different pairs and send back what doesn’t fit.
- Know your foot size. It’s best to have your foot measured by a Brannock device at a shoe store. Alternatively, you can measure your foot and use any size charts the shoe or boot page may have to fit you. Or, you can just go by your shopping history.
- Wear the shoes in the clean confines of your home and if you have stairs, go up and down. Wear them for several hours and if they don’t fit right, return them.
- Call if you need guidance. Usually they have many years of combined experience to help you.
Some Tips for Choosing Hiking Shoes and Boots
If you are a beginner, what boots would I recommend? For short hikes, under 5 miles, and with really nice trails, I recommend hiking shoes. If your trails have roots and rocks or rough terrain, you may want to go with hiking boots.
How stiff should the soles be?
It depends on the terrain you’ll be hiking on. If you will be hiking on rough terrain with a lot of rocks, roots and uneven ground, you may want a stiffer sole. Try walking on different objects with the shoes or boots and if you can feel the object through the sole, you need a stiffer one.
How do I know if a boot or shoe fits right?
To test the length when standing flat on the floor, you should have a thumbs width of space in the front of the shoe and you should be able to put a finger between your heel and the back of the shoe.
The best way to measure the fit of the shoe or boot is how it feels on your foot. Does it pinch; rub, too short, or too long? Does your heel lift? Is it tight?
How can I change the fit of a shoe or boot?
Consider three things:
Lacing
If you can put a finger under the first lacings, the laces are too loose. The laces should be tight enough to keep your foot from sliding forward in the shoe or boot. The sales specialist can show you different lacing techniques for hiking, if you have one available.
Socks
Try using snug fitting socks and not big, bulky, thick ones because they can sometimes fit loosely and loose fitting socks can create blisters.
Inserts
Superfeet feature a firm stabilization cup that consolidates and optimizes the natural padding in our heels. This aligns the body, and wards off fatigue. SOLE accommodates higher arches and offers a slightly cushier feel. Both are superior to the no-frills inserts included with hiking footwear.