Hiking Boots: Expert and User Reviews

Our AssessmentWe felt that this Backpacker magazine review deserved a separate listing because it looks at a series of previously recommended boots in the context of time, highlighting those that still stand out, even years after the initial pick. There are only occasional details about how these boots were tested, but clear explanations about why each pick stands out from the pack.

Our AssessmentOutside makes it easy to reference their favorite hiking boot and shoe picks for 2011; click on the image of any boot to see a brief review of each boot. Details are scant about how these boots were tested, although each of the "Gear of the Year" reviews is assigned separate out-of-5 ratings for support and comfort. The two standouts each received at least 4.5 out of 5 in each category, and have relatively more detail in their reviews, including a rundown of which components worked best, and notes from reviewers about break-in and comfort.

Our AssessmentThis U.K. organization put 11 models of hiking boots to a series of laboratory tests, including dunking in water tanks, ripping soles off and flexing the boot on a revolving belt. Each model was also subjected to at least 36 miles of travel by a team of six "hiking experts." Of the four "Best Buys" chosen, only the Salomon 3D Fastpacker Mid GTX is widely available in the United States. This shoe performed admirably in the lab tests, although the hiking experts "were less impressed."

Our AssessmentThis site's tone is casual, and the reviewers are all freelance writers with extensive experience in the outdoors; sometimes they'll be late uploading reviews because they're traveling and, presumably, testing gear. There's no real comparison between models, but each reviewer offers a candid, first-person opinion and details about their personal experience with the boots, including features they liked, fit, feel and a quick "Bottom Line" summary. Many of the Best Reviewed and Runner Up models in our report received positive reviews, and this is an excellent resource for getting an experienced outdoorperson's blog-style description of each hiking boot or shoe. They also offer reviews of trail sandals and general outdoor gear.

Our AssessmentA stable of outdoor-savvy writers pen these reviews. Although there are no flat-out comparative reviews, a separate roundup of long-term reviews ("These Boots are Made for Walking") addresses how five heavyweight hiking boots lasted after a year of use. Of particular note, the reviews address break-in time and both positive and negative issues with the boots, adding details on how the boots were tested -- which sometimes goes as far as mountaineering ascents -- and a quick summary at the end.

Our AssessmentThe Seattle Times caters to Pacific Northwest gear-heads with periodic reviews of hiking boots and shoes, penned by a regular contributor to Backpacker magazine, which we consider the best source for hiking boot and shoe reviews. Several models are tested in this review by both male and female testers, ,who hiked well-maintained trails to trackless routes through rocky remains of flood zones carrying weighted packs ranging from 20 to 60 pounds. Only the top picks are listed, so we don't know how many models were tested The shoe descriptions include details on fit, comfort, breathability, support and grip on slick rocks.

Our AssessmentThis backcountry skier, writer and photographer reviews several footwear options for summer hiking. He's candid about everything from how the boots or shoes look right out of the box to how they fit his feet personally, and gives a few details about testing. There are no comparative reviews here, but his clear favorite is the Vasque Breeze XCR, and he manages to give details about features on the shoes without sounding like he's regurgitating a specs list.

Our AssessmentThe Lowa Renegade II is the only hiking boot -- and the Renegade II Lo the only hiking shoe -- in this roundup of favorite hiking gear from the editors of Woodall's Camping Life Magazine. They don't go into detail about how they tested this boot, but do explain which features caught their attention and declare these boots some of the most comfortable they've ever worn, making it clear that they have in fact been tested.

Our AssessmentAs part of the "Ultimate Hiking Guide," published in Shape magazine, this list presents the best women's hiking shoes. Although there's a short list of favorite features from each shoe, there's no discussion about how or whether they were tested, and no discussion about negatives. However the author identifies which shoe is appropriate for what kind of terrain. The discontinued Columbia Switchback Omni-Tech model is also recommended.

Our AssessmentThe author reviews the Kayland Zephyr based on his own experience during a fall and winter of use -- or maybe the review is based on several peoples' experience; this is never made entirely clear. He's obviously put in the time to test the Zephyrs and his review is clearly based on actual testing, but they're not compared to other boots.

Our AssessmentThis article recommends gear for camping away from developed sites, which entails backpacking at least a mile or two. The Scarpa Kailash GTX are recommended for their comfort and minimal break-in period, as well as their waterproof Gore-Tex lining. We'd rank this review higher if any testing were documented.

Our AssessmentThis retail site makes it easy to filter hiking boots and shoes by type and gender, then sort the list by average customer rating. The list also shows the number of reviews on which the average rating is based. Quite a few hiking boots have accumulated enough reviews for the ratings to be significant.

Our AssessmentThis comprehensive gear guide includes a couple of hiking boots and shoes, with brief descriptions, all of which were ostensibly selected as the "best of the best." It's not clear how many other hiking boots were considered, or whether any hands-on testing was conducted.

Our AssessmentThis retail site shows the average rating for each hiking boot that's accumulated at least one owner-written review. You can sort the list of hiking boots to put the top-rated models first, and sorting by brand makes it easy to compare different boots and shoes within the same line. All of the picks chosen here have at least 4 stars and 20 reviews; some have substantially more.

Our AssessmentThe recommendations in this book are based not only on the author's thru-hiking experience, but also on an objective survey and interviews with 136 long-distance hikers on the Appalachian Trail. Noting that these hikers walked 250,000 miles, Mueser says this is "like one person spending 50 years hiking and testing boots." About 80 percent of the hikers who wore Hi-Tec or Merrell hiking boots were satisfied with them, but there were more ankle troubles with Merrell, while Vasque wearers had the fewest ankle problems. Based on the survey, Mueser recommends fabric boots or shoes that dry out fast rather than waterproof models -- at least on a trip of more than one or two days.

Our AssessmentThis review site collects user reviews for a variety of outdoor gear, with footwear separated into sections for men's and women's boots. Although most brands offered have only one or two reviews, if any, a few do stand out with a rating of at least 4.5 out of 5, and more than 10 reviews. If you click through to individual reviews, you can see separate overall and comfort ratings, and comments from each reviewer.

Our AssessmentEvery year BackpackingLight.com posts regular updates from the Outdoor Retailer Markets, and the 2009-2011 editions call out some notable features in boots. In particular, the 2011 edition highlights the TrekSta Evolution 2 and Evolution Mid, favorites in other reviews, which are built (surprise!) on a foot-shaped last, which is surprisingly unusual in the outdoor footwear market. The 2011 reviewer calls out GoLite shoes for a comfortable fit and identifies some interesting Salomon boots coming in the fall, but doesn't actually review them. Although the Inov-8 shoes mentioned in the 2010 review are technically trail runners, the reviewer still identifies them as supportive and comfortable. This makes interesting reading, but isn't an actual review, so we can't actually identify any picks.

Our AssessmentThe reviews here are consolidated from several sites, including REI.com, Moosejaw.com and Zappos.com. Some of the top-rated boots have thus accumulated ratings from more than 200 users, making them quite significant. Editors also consolidate the main pros and cons identified by owners. The number of reviews is given a lot of weight here, so be sure to browse down the list to find the top-rated models -- even when the list is sorted by average rating.

Our AssessmentThis retail site publishes owner-written reviews and ratings of hiking boots, though not all major brands are carried. It's especially useful since there are separate ratings for comfort and look, as well as an overall rating. The site is difficult to browse; although you can see an overall rating in the product listings, the only way to see the comfort and style ratings, or review comments, is to click on each model. This is still a good place to check for reviews once you've narrowed your buying choices down to a few boots.

Our AssessmentEditors recommend sturdy hiking boots with plenty of ankle protection, saying that trail shoes just don't cut it in wilderness areas where there's more risk from sprained ankles than from bears. The author, a wilderness guide, favors Vasque boots but also recommends The North Face and Salomon hiking boots for durability. The author says that Columbia hiking boots tend to be inexpensive, but good for day hiking, and that the Lowa brand spans the range between day hiking and heavy-duty backpacking. The review includes links to a buyer's guide and an article on fitting boots.

Our AssessmentThis long list of hiking boots shows the average rating, but it's organized alphabetically with no way to show the top-rated boots first. This used to be a good site to check once you'd narrowed your choice to two or three models, but with the last reviews added in 2008, it's quickly losing its relevancy. However, it's still interesting to see that some well-known hiking boots get less than stellar ratings here.