Hiking boot buyer's guide

When it comes to determining what hiking boot or shoe is best, first think about how, when and where you will use it. For instance, if you plan to hike mainly in warm weather, you may prefer a quick-drying shoe without waterproofing rather than heavier, hotter waterproof footwear. If you're an occasional hiker or don't plan to carry heavy loads, a lighter boot or shoe with a shorter break-in period makes sense. Lightweight leather-and-mesh hiking boots and shoes are often comfortable right out of the box, while heavier all-leather boots can require varying amounts of time to break in.

The newest trend leans more toward hiking shoes than boots. Boots provide more ankle support for tougher trails, bushwhacking and carrying heavier backpack loads, so considering what type of hiking you plan to do is the best way to choose. It's also an individual matter as to how much ankle support you need to avoid twists and sprains, and how stiff a sole you prefer. If you cannot decide between a high- or low-cut shoe, look at the mid-cut hiking boots that have appeared in recent years. As the name suggests, these fall somewhere between a low-cut shoe and a full boot, aiming to give you the best of both worlds.

Reviewers often rate hiking shoes and boots based on the support and stability they provide for different types of terrain -- from smooth trails to off-trail bushwhacking -- as well as for various weights of backpacking loads.

Choosing the best hiking boots

Experts say to consider the following when choosing boots or shoes for hiking and backpacking:

  • Get the lightest shoes you can. Backpacking expert and author Ronald Mueser says every extra pound on the feet is like carrying 5 or 6 pounds on your back. Unless you need extra ankle support or are venturing into very rugged territory, reviewers suggest choosing the lightest hiking boots or shoes that suit your purpose.
  • Look for lugs that release mud. Most hiking boots and trail-running shoes have widely spaced or specially shaped lugs that provide good traction, but don't hold onto mud. Reviewers say this is important, because otherwise a lightweight boot or shoe can become a monster when weighed down with mud. Softer lugs give the best traction, but wear faster.
  • Choose boots with removable insoles and replace them with better ones. Experts say few hiking boots come with quality insoles or insoles that will fit your particular feet best. Be prepared to shop for insoles at the same time you buy your hiking boots, so you can get the best possible fit right away.
  • Decide whether you need a waterproof boot. Many leather or lightweight hiking boots with waterproof Gore-Tex membranes let you wade through streams without getting wet, as long as the membrane is undamaged and the water doesn't go above the ankle cuff. Alternatively, you can wade right across deeper streams wearing light trail-running shoes that drain and dry quickly. Of course, temperature makes a difference, and some people like fast-drying shoes. For snowshoeing, you obviously need a waterproof hiking boot.
  • Look for a rand on waterproof boots. This is a wide rubber wrapping around the upper shoe where the upper attaches to the sole. The rand both waterproofs that area and serves as extra protection for the leather.
  • One-piece, full-grain leather uppers are durable and easy to waterproof. The more seams in a shoe, the more chance of leaks or rips, and full-grain leather is much thicker and less prone to damage than split-grain leather. However it makes for a heavier, stiffer boot that can take months to break in, with a chance of blisters during that whole period.
  • Be open to replacing laces. Sometimes fragile laces are the only source of complaints in user hiking boot reviews. This is an easy, inexpensive fix, and shouldn't deter you from purchasing shoes or boots that otherwise fit your feet and your planned hiking style.

Getting a good fit

In his book "Long-Distance Hiking: Lessons from the Appalachian Trail," author Roland Mueser's survey of Appalachian Trail thru-hikers reveals that "one-width" shoes fit only about 64 percent of the population. Here's how to insure the best fit:

  • Buy hiking shoes or boots in store on a day when you have the time to try on multiple models. However, most online stores offer free shipping on exchanges, so if you don't have any sporting goods store nearby, the Internet is a good alternative.
  • Wear the socks you intend to wear while hiking. The fit of your hiking boots or shoes depends on the type of socks you'll be wearing. If you need to purchase socks, reviewers recommend shopping for both at the same time so you can find the best combination. Also, keep in mind that if you wear light, ventilated shoes through the water, your socks will get wet. Select quick-drying socks to go with your quick-drying shoes.
  • Look for a snug heel fit with a deep Achilles notch to keep the back of the ankle cuff from rubbing against your calf or ankle, and a roomy toe box. Shoe and boot designers have devised various ways to keep footwear snug around your ankle, since any slippage there tends to produce blisters.
  • Wiggle your toes. You should have plenty of room to do so and the toe box shouldn't touch the tops of your feet.
  • Test hiking boots while wearing a loaded backpack. The pack should be loaded with the amount of weight you intend to carry. This can change the fit and feel of the boots a great deal.
  • Err in the direction of a larger rather than smaller size if you plan on hiking long distances. Your feet may swell a half-size to a full-size larger than usual, during these trips.

Do you need a waterproof membrane?

Rain, snow, dew and stream crossings get hiking boots wet from the outside, while moisture from your feet dampens them from the inside. Many manufacturers use a breathable waterproof membrane inside the shoe to keep water out and to release sweat as it accumulates. For improved breathability, some hiking boots and shoes use eVent fabric rather than Gore-Tex, since eVent allows sweat to pass through more easily.

In the best hiking boots, reviewers say either of the aforementioned membranes works well (as long as it's not damaged), allowing you to wade right through a stream as long as the water isn't deeper than the boots. Moisture is still apt to soak through eventually during extended hiking in wet or melting snow. As noted earlier, proprietary membranes used in Keen and L.L.Bean models don't fare as well as Gore-Tex or eVent in tests at Backpacker magazine.

If waterproof boots do get wet, they take a long time to dry. Even Gore-Tex XCR, the most breathable type of Gore-Tex, doesn't breathe as well as plain leather -- and certainly not as well as mesh -- so boots and shoes with waterproof membranes tend to be hotter and sweatier to wear. From his survey of hikers, author Roland Mueser concludes that it's better to let feet get wet in lightweight fabric or mesh because they dry faster. He notes, as do several other experts, that the pores in Gore-Tex get clogged after a few hundred miles, reducing the shoe or boot's breathability. User reviews point out that the slightest hole in the membrane results in leaks.

Both Gore-Tex and eVent use a controversial chemical in their manufacturing called PFOA, also known as C-8. This is the same chemical used to make Teflon. The European Union has decided that there's insufficient evidence to rule PFOA a carcinogen, but in the U.S. the Environmental Protection Agency has called for a phase-out of its use by 2015. No one knows for sure if the waterproof membranes in hiking boots would expose the wearer to this chemical.

Back to top