There is a lot to consider when deciding on which hiking boot is right for your particular needs on the trail. Use our comparison tables below, which are divided up between men’s and women’s, to help you quickly compare the most important metrics to be considered.
Once you’ve compared various models that you’re interested in against each other, we would recommend reading the individual review for each boot you’re interested in on your short list. These can be found in our overall roundup – best hiking boots.
You can also use our buy now links for each hiking boot in the tables below to find current prices at a variety of retailers who stock them.
Editor’s note: This article is part of our guide to the best hiking boots, be sure to check out the rest of this guide for our top buying tips:
Salewa Men's Alp Trainer 2 Mid GTX Boots | Hoka Trail Code GTX | Keen Targhee III Waterproof Mid | Asolo Fugitive GTX | Scarpa Rush TRK GTX | Altra Lone Peak ALL-WTHR Mid 2 | Oboz Bridger Mid B-Dry | Skechers Relment-Pelmo | Teva Grandview GORE-TEX | Timberland White Ledge Mid Waterproof | |
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Our Ratings | Best Overall Men's | Most Stylish | Best for Long Distance Trails | Most Breathable | Best for Winter/Cold Weather | Best Lightweight | Best for Backpacking | |||
Pros | Excellent comfort. Great combo of breathability and water-resistance. | Excellent Grip. Excellent water resistance | Excellent comfort. Great durability | Tough and durable. Great water resistance. | Excellent durability (including ability to be resoled). Excellent ankle support | Very light. Extremely comfortable | Tough build. Great fit and comfort | Very comfortable. Reasonably priced. | Comfortable. Looks good | Often very inexpensive. Offered in a wide range of sizes. |
Cons | Can be pricey. May be a little tight if you have very wide feet | The styling is not to everybody's taste. Some durability concerns | The loos are a little dated. Are relatively expensive outside of the USA | Some may find the upper too flexible. Can be expensive. | Can be pricey. A little heavy | Long term durability concerns. Not well suited to more technical terrain | A little heavy. Not the most breathable | Not suited to technical hiking. Styling is a little dull. | Some durability concerns. Not suited for more extreme trails | Low water resistance. Less ankle support than others. |
Traction | Excellent | Excellent | Very Good | Excellent | Excellent | Very Good | Very Good | Very Good | Very Good | Good |
Breathability | Excellent | Good | Very Good | Good | Low | Excellent | Low | Low | Good | Low |
Ankle Support | Excellent | Good | Excellent | Very good | Excellent | Good | Very Good | Good | Good | Average |
Arch support | Regular to good | Regular | Regular | Minimal | Minimal | Regular | Good | Good | Regular | Regular |
Fit | Fits true to size available in a single width | Fits true to size. Available in a single width | Fit true to size. Available in normal and wide fit and with a wide range of sizes | Fits true to size. Available in standard and wide fit. | Fits true to size. Available in a single width. | Fits true to size. Available in a single width | Fit is true ot size. Available ins standard and wide versions. | Available in a wide range of sizes with several width options. sizing may run large. | Fits true to size. Available in a single width | Runs small. Available in regular and wide fit. |
Materials | Suede leather upper and synthetic | Full synthetic | Leather upper and synthetic | Suede leather and synthetic | Suede leather upper with synthetics | Full synthetic | Leather upper with synthetics | Suede leather upper with synthetics | Leather and synthetic upper | Leather and synthetic upper |
Appearance | Modern hiking boot | Modern sports shoe inspired hiking boot | The design is a little dated | The design is a little dated | Modern hiking boot | Modern sports shoe | The design is a little dated | Regular hiking boot | Retro inspired modern hiking trainer | Traditional hiking boot |
Durability | Excellent | Good | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Good | Excellent | Very Good | Good | Good |
Water Resistance | Gore Tex membrane | Gore Tex Membrane | Keen.Dry' breathable waterproof membrane | Gore Tex Membrane | Gore Tex Membrane | In-house waterproof membrane | B-Dry Membrane | Water-resistant treatment and possibly a water-resistant membrane | Gore Tex membrane and water resistant treatment | Water resistant treatment and sealed seems |
Weight (pair) | 1.04kg/2lb 05oz | 868g/1lb 14.6oz | 970g/2lb 2oz | 1.39kg/3lb 1oz | 1.19kg/2lb 10oz | 856g/1lb 14oz | 1.08kg/2lb 06oz | 964g/2lb 02oz | ||
Insoles | Modular insole system to fine-tune fit | Padded removable insole | Padded removable insole | Padded removable insole | Padded removable insole | Padded removable insole | Shaped 'O-FIT' insole | Air Cooled Memory Foam Insole | Padded removable insole | Padded removable insole |
Break-in Period | Minimal | Minimal | Very minimal | Minimal | Short break in required | Very minimal | Minimal | Minimal | Minimal | Minimal |
Lacing system | Regular laces | Regular laces | Regular laces | Regular laces | Regular laces | Regular laces | Regular laces | Regular laces | Regular laces | Regular laces |
Toe Protection | Reinforced rubber rand on toe | Reinforced toe section | Leather reinforced with rubber toecap | Reinforced toe section with rubber rand | Reinforced rubber toe cap | Rubber reinforced toe | Reinforced rubber toe cap | Rubber rand at toe | Reinforced rand and rubber toe cap | Sole extended up to form a small toe cap |
Women’s Hiking Boots:
Danner Mountain 600 Leaf GTX | Merrell Moab 3 Mid Waterproof | Salomon Quest 4 Gore Tex | Columbia Newton Ridge Plus Waterproof Amped | Zamberlan 996 Vioz GTX | Salomon X Ultra 4 Gore-Tex | Lowa Renegade GTX Mid | La Sportiva Nucleo High II GTX | Hoka Kaha 2 GTX | Vasque Breeze Waterproof Hiking Boots | |
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Our Ratings | Best Overall Women's | Most Comfortable | Best for Mountain Walking | Best Budget | Best Waterproof | Best for Summer/Hot Weather | Best Leather | Best for Day Hikes | ||
Pros | Extremely comfortable. Wears in quickly. Excellent fit for wider feet | Excellent comfort. Excellent durability | Sturdy and ready to take on anything. Good toe placement and great ankle positioning | Very comfortable, pretty much straight out the box. Great price point | Excellent build quality. Can be resoled | Low weight. Good build quality | Available in three widths and a variety of sizes. Extremely comfortable | Cutting edge materials, good breathability to waterproofing ratio | Extremely supportive and comfortable. Stylish. | Excellent durability. Rigid build |
Cons | Not great for narrower feet. Sizing for buyers outside the United States can be limited | Slightly confusing product range. The design looks dated. | Break in takes a little while. Rigid. | Isn't as breathable. Could do with a more robust sole | Expensive. The design may be too utilitarian for some | Ankle cuff not as supportive as some others. Wider toe box may not suit those with very narrow feet. New | Expensive. Isn't visually that striking | Expensive for what they are. We don't find them suitable for longer treks | Expensive. Leather feels cold after walking through significant water. | Dated design. Stiff upper may not be to everybody's taste. |
Traction | Excellent | Very good | Medium/deep thread pattern | Good - but not as good on technical terrain | Excellent | Excellent | Vibram outsole - excellent | Excellent | Excellent - uses Vibram Megagrip | Very good |
Breathability | Good | Very good | Gore-Tex upper and well insulated | OK | Low | Good | Good | Excellent | OK | Very good |
Ankle Support | Good | Very good | Excellent | Good | Excellent | Good | Excellent | Good | Excellent | Excellent |
Arch support | Regular to good | Good | Average | OK | Average | Good | Average | Regular | Average | Average |
Fit | Fits a little large, size down a half size if in-between, available in a single width | Fits true to size. comes in standard and wide widths | Suits normal to wider feet | Standard fit, runs small - best to go up a half size | Standard fit - runs small | Fits true to size. Comes in standard and wide widths | Comes in standard, narrow and wide fit options and wide range of sizes | Runs narrow | Standard fit | Runs a little small. Available in standard and wide fit |
Materials | Grain leather upper, metal lacing hardware and synthetic/rubber soles | Synthetic and pig suede upper. | Leather and synthetic | Upper leather and suede and synthetic | Mostly leather with synthetic lining and rubber sole | Fully synthetic | Leather and synthetic | Leather and synthetic | Leather and synthetic | Nubuck leather and synthetics |
Appearance | Modern hiking boot | Slightly dated design | Modern | Modern hiking boot with traditional feel | Traditional hiking boot | Modern hiking boot | Modern hiking boot | Modern hiking boot | Modern hiking boot/trail hybrid | Slightly dated design |
Durability | Excellent | Very good | Excellent | Sole feels quite lightweight | Excellent | Excellent | Good | Average | Good | Excellent |
Water Resistance | Gore-Tex membrane | In-house waterproof, breathable membrane | Gore-Tex membrane | Waterproof (Omni-Tech) | Gore Tex lining and water resistant coating | Gore Tex membrane | Gore-Tex membrane | Gore-Tex Surround membrane | Gore-Tex lining | In-house waterproof, breathable membrane |
Weight (pair) | 900g/2lb per pair | 800g/1lb 12oz | 1070g/2lb 6oz | 791g/1.8lbs per pair | 1.28kg/2lb 13oz | 740g/1lb 10oz | 950g/2lb | 900g/2 lb. 1 oz | 1015g/2.5 lbs | 990g/2lb 2oz |
Insoles | Standard insole | Padded insole | Padded insole | Standard insole | Padded insole | Padded. shaped insole | Standard insole | Standard insole | Standard insole | Padded insole |
Break-in Period | Minimal | Minimal | Some break in needed | Very minimal | Some break-in required | Minimal | Minimal | Slightly longer than average | Minimal | Medium |
Lacing system | Regular laces with metal lacing hardwear for durability | Standard laces | Standard laces | Standard/regular laces | Standard/regular laces | Standard laces | Standard lacing system | Standard/regular laces | Standard - eyelet with grip lacing around the ankle | Standard laces |
Toe Protection | Rubberized toe rand | Rubber rand around toe and small toe cap | Rubberized toe rand | Rubberized toe rand | Substantially reinforced toe offers excellent protection | Rubber rand on toe and small toe cap. | Substantial rubber toe rand | Rubberized toe rand | Rubberized toe rand with reinforced stitching | Rubber rand around toe and small toe cap |
Conclusion
When deciding which hiking boots to buy, we would recommend that you decide based on where you intend to wear them the most.
If you’re a hiker who is likely to spend a lot of time on trails that are more well maintained or you live in a fair-weather climate, you may well be better served by a pair of breathable and therefore less waterproof boots.
If you know that you will be taking on muddier and wetter environments where snow and ice and varying alpine is likely to be encountered, you would likely be better served with a pair of hard wearing boots.
Our main advice is to not just decide based on brand names alone but to decide on what feels right for your unique circumstances.
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