7 Best Shoes For Light Hiking in 2023

On our short, light hikes, we like nothing better than to don our Hoka Speedgoat 5s. With excellent grip, unbeatable stability, and exceptionally lightweight, it’s no wonder it won us over as the best overall shoe for light hiking.

As an unmatched all-rounder, the Hoka Speedgoat 5 seems to deal with just about anything. When we tested it on the trail, the closely-spaced lugs clung to loose and frozen trails and even held us steady in mud. The lugs are 1.3 mm shallower than the average for hiking shoes, but for light hikes on groomed paths, we found this is more than enough.

Used also for trail running, the Hoka Speedgoat 5 has stability written all over it. It has a noticeably wide platform that makes it difficult to overbalance - yes, even when hiking (or running) over uneven ground! We measured the forefoot, finding it to be 116.4 mm, 5 mm wider than average. The heel is even more impressive, measuring a whopping 10 mm wider than the average of 97.5 mm. We put our faith in these shoes on all surfaces - and they did not let us down.

Weighing in at just 9.7 oz (277g), it’s easy to forget that we are even wearing shoes on our hikes! The average hiking shoe weighs 13 oz, 3.3 oz heavier than the Hoka Speedgoat 5. This makes our short hikes a breeze.

Despite the wide platform, the upper is 5 mm narrower than the average for hiking shoes, so we don’t recommend the Hoka Speedgoat 5 to hikers with particularly wide feet.

For hot summer days on our light hikes, it doesn’t get any better than the Nike React Pegasus 4. Lightweight and impressively breathable, it is grippy, adapting to any surface, and has a comfortably flexible sole. No surprises why we chose it as the best breathable light hiking shoe.

Weighing just 10.4 oz (295g), the Nike React Pegasus Trail 4 is far lighter than the average 13 oz (374g) hiking shoe, making it a dream for short, light hikes. The perforated mesh upper is a weight-saver, as well as providing first-rate ventilation which keeps our feet dry, even on our hottest summer hikes.

We were amazed by the versatile, sticky outsole, which works wonders on hard-packed or rooty trails, gravel or asphalt. We measured the lugs at 3.4 mm. Also functioning as trail shoes, the lugs are 21% shallower than the average hiking shoe, but we didn’t feel disadvantaged in the slightest. The outsole measures 85.5 HC, softer and therefore slightly tackier than average, which compensates for the shallower lugs.

Our feet can also flex naturally within the shoe, increasing the surface area in contact with the ground and increasing the grip still further. We twisted the shoe manually, awarding it 2/5 for torsional flexibility - definitely a flexible shoe! We love the natural feel this offers our feet and found it perfectly comfortable on short day hikes.

On the other hand, ground feel is lacking since the cushioning is pretty generous. The stack height at the heel is 35.5 and 22.8 mm at the forefoot, compared to the averages of 33.5 mm and 21.5 mm respectively. We don’t recommend it to hikers who prefer to feel what they are hiking on.

This shoe is a warrior among the shoes in our light hiking collection! Equipped with a rock plate, sturdy midsole and welded overlays, bump protection in this shoe goes above and beyond, and its amazing grip makes it adaptable to all-terrain use. It’s easy to see why the Brooks Cascadia 17 shines as the most protective shoe for light hikes!

Even on the roughest and rockiest of trails, we didn’t notice any sharp objects underfoot. We compared the stack heights to our other lab-tested shoes, finding the Cascadia 17 has a decent amount of material underfoot to protect us from dangers on the trail. The heel stack at 33.1 sits around the average for hiking shoes. The nylon rock plate in the sole provides guaranteed protection from landing badly on a rock or root, and we stride out confidently.

The welded overlays create a literally seamless upper, with no weak spots in the creases. Multiple layers make this an extremely robust shoe which, along with the toe bumper, defies wear and tear on rough trails.

The Trailtack outsole displays 42 lugs in a grippy chevron design. At 3.8 mm, the lugs are 0.5 mm below the hiking shoe average for hiking shoes. However, this is counterbalanced by a tacky outsole which measures 81.8 HC, softer than the average of 85.1 HC. Softer outsoles tend to grip better on all surfaces, and that is certainly the case in the Cascadia 17. We tested them on mud, gravel, roots and rocks, and they bit into everything.

The durability of the mesh upper is disappointing. We applied a Dremel at a force of 3.2N at 5K RPM for 4 seconds. The resulting wound in the fabric caused us to rate this shoe 2/5, where 1 is the least durable. We don’t recommend the Brooks Cascadia 17 to hikers looking for an extremely durable shoe.

The versatile Altra Lone Peak 7 is our top choice for the best light hiking shoes for wide feet. With its generous toe-box and wide platform boasting excellent stability, this flexible, zero-drop shoe is the best friend of hikers and trail runners alike. 

With plenty of space for our toes to splay out, we are big fans of the roomy toe-box in the Lone Peak 7! We felt extra-stable on different types of terrain since our feet could mold naturally to the ground under our feet. At the widest part of the forefoot, we measured 96.2 mm, and the square shape of the toes means it doesn’t taper off quickly.

The stability in the Lone Peak 7 is as good as it gets! With a heel stack of 23.3 mm, it is 9.8 mm lower than average, offering a low center of gravity which makes it difficult to overbalance. The wide platform underfoot is also 1cm wider than the upper, so we found it practically impossible to twist our ankles while hiking or even running over uneven ground!

With its soft midsole – 8% softer than average to be precise – delivering plush comfort, we also noticed how it had enough give in it to allow our feet to bend and flex naturally over roots and rocks as we hiked. We measured the flexibility in the lab with a force gauge, finding it to be 24.2N - 34% more flexible than the average hiking shoe! We find this makes for a fabulously agile shoe, perfect for our short, light hikes!

With an overall drop height of 0.2 mm, the Altra Lone Peak 7 is firmly in the zero-drop category. We therefore don’t recommend it to hikers who have a heavy heel strike.

Amongst the best shoes for light hiking, there’s only one that can be dubbed the best lightweight hiking shoe for the job, and we have chosen the Adidas Terrex Trailmaker. Its insanely light weight combines with a delightfully natural feel to the shoe - so much so that we almost forget we are wearing shoes! With an extra-wide toe box, the Trailmaker provides all-day comfort for our short, light hikes.

There are not many hiking shoes that are lighter than the Trailmaker. We barely notice them when we put them on! In the lab, we popped them on the scales, and discovered that they were a mere 12.7 oz (361g). Compared to the average hiking shoe weight of 13.9 oz (395g), this is a lightweight kick that doesn’t weigh us down.

We love the natural feel of the Trailmaker, and find their superb flexibility and close contact with the ground perfect for short, easy hikes on maintained trails. They flex easily with our feet, and when we assessed them in the lab with a force gauge, we found they needed only 20.5N of force to bend to 90°! For reference, the average hiking shoe is much stiffer, measuring 36.4N. With less material underfoot than other hiking shoes, the Trailmaker has a low heel-to-toe drop of just 9.6 mm, 2.4 mm below average, and gives us a natural feel to our strides.

Complementing the natural feel underfoot is extra space in the toe box. Measuring 102.7 mm around the forefoot, the Trailmaker is 3.7 mm wider than average, and retains the 3 mm advantage around the toes too. Our toes have plenty of space to splay out and we found it superbly comfortable while out hiking on easy trails.

We are not especially impressed with the outsole's durability. Adidas exchanged their Continental sole for a lighter but less durable TRAXION outsole. Our Dremel, applied to the outsole for 22 seconds, left a 2 mm dent, almost 2/3rds of the lug! We don’t recommend this hiking shoe for rocky trails, as the outsole wears out relatively quickly.

It’s official, the best budget hiking shoes for light hiking is the Adidas Terrex AX4. $39 cheaper than the average hiking shoe, this is an impressively versatile kick. It proved itself water resistant yet breathable, incredibly stable and lightweight. At just $90, it represents excellent value for money and is the perfect shoe for short, easy hikes.

With the upper fabric under the microscope, we spied an especially tight weave which is both abrasion-resistant and water-repellent on our hikes through wet grass and light rain. The shoe performed surprisingly well in our breathability tests too, and we awarded it 3/5 for breathability compared to the average of 2.3. We love the adaptability of this all-weather hiker.

The Adidas Terrex AX4 is a wonderfully stable shoe, and we felt confident hiking on rough, slippery trails. Its wide, stable platform measures 111.5 mm, around the average, and prevents us from rolling our ankles when hiking over rocks. We experienced no heel slippage, and in the lab, we awarded the heel counter 5/5 for stiffness. It holds our heel firmly without compression.

The cushioning in this shoe is pretty firm. We pressed a durometer to the midsole, and noted 39 HA, making it 27% firmer than average. Whilst this is surely a protective shoe, it’s not the most comfortable, which is why we don’t recommend it for long distance hikes.

As its brand suggests, Vivobarefoot Magna FG gave us the best barefoot feel among the light hiking shoes we brought to the trails. With its enhanced ground feel, light and flexible nature, and excellent traction, we breezed through terrains feeling comfortable and supported throughout.

Magna FG is a zero-drop shoe that offers the natural feeling of minimalist shoes. The gap between the foot and the ground is composed of only thin layers of the insole and outsole, making the surface underneath pronounced. We felt like the shoe was barely there, in a good way!

Enhancing the minimalist feel is the shoe’s light and flexible nature. It had no stiffness whatsoever, making it versatile and comfortable enough for walks and other fitness activities. We never felt it weighed us down and was light on the foot.

The outsole is protective enough, with traction that grips well on wet, dry, and rocky surfaces. We can confirm that its traction is aggressive since we had no slip encounters.

While Magna FG is all about lightness, it has a hefty price tag. At $150, it’s more expensive than the $128 average price of hikers.