7 Best Hiking Shoes

How we test hiking shoes

At RunRepeat want to make sure you get the most up-to-date and honest reviews on the best hiking shoe options out there. Here is our approach:

• We buy shoes ourselves: As an independent review website, we avoid sponsorships and purchase all hiking shoes with our own money to stay unbiased.
• We test in real conditions: We take each shoe on a series of hikes on various distances and terrains to check every important aspect, including durability, comfort, waterproofness, and more.
• We go extra hard on popular shoes: We are especially wary of the most sought-after models, so we put them through our rigorous lab tests. 'Rigorous' to the point that we also slice the shoes open!

Do you actually need hiking shoes?

Generally, common hiking shoes offer more protection, traction, and stability than trail runners and sneakers. We have wear-tested and lab-tested all of these and can confidently guide you towards the right choice.

When you might get away with your running shoes: 

• You’re the athletic type and know your way around spending time outdoors. 
• You plan to do easy hikes: short, on rather even terrain, with no technical sections (sharp rocks, debris). Hard-packed and well-maintained trails can be covered in running shoes.

If, however, you plan to get into hiking for real and do frequent hikes, longer hikes, especially the ones with heavy backpacks and demanding terrain, then a sturdy, supportive, and grippy pair of hikers is what you need. 

We’ve inspected hiking footwear inside out - in the lab and out on the trails. What matters in hiking is: 

1. Type of the terrain (hard ground or soft ground; hard-packed or loose)
2. Season (do you need waterproof features? Is there any slush, mud, snow?)
3. Weight of your backpack (backpacking asks for more stability and support)
4. Length of the hike (easy and short hikes can be done in shoes meant for hiking fast and light, while longer hikes, especially multi-day ones, ask for support and stability). 

We’ve combined these into the most frequent combinations. Here’s how we’d go about finding the right pair. 

When to get an all-around day hiking shoe

You plan to do hikes that are rather easy and short. No technical terrain, scrambling, no heavy rain and snow.

We suggest getting a workhorse of a hiking shoe that will work in most cases but won’t excel at one thing specifically. 

Features to look for:

• Lighter weight, around 14.1 oz (400g) or less 
• Average-to-high breathability, which means shoes that scored 3, 4, or 5/5 on our breathability lab test*
• Average-to-high flexibility because they allow for more natural foot movement. Stiffer shoes are better for technical terrain when you need extra stability. We measure the flexibility of every shoe and compare it to the average in the review.
• Average lug depth (4 mm). We say average because the smallest lugs might not have enough grip and are best used in hybrid situations (covering both road and trails) and because very deep lugs will wear out soon and are best used on soft ground only. 

*In case you do plan to hike in wet weather, check out our list of waterproof hiking shoes we’ve tested so far. We dive into details on waterproofing further down.

Keep in mind that, by default, these shoes are less breathable. The waterproof membrane does not breathe well. 

Fast and light hikes ask for the lightest shoes

You want to cover as much ground as possible in little time. You want to move fast and light. Some brands even have an apparel category called FL (fast and light). 

In this case, we suggest getting the lightest hiking shoes out there: 

These shoes are usually not especially stable because hikers sacrifice stability elements for lighter weight. 

Hiking shoes for mud: deep, deeper, mud

Hiking on technical terrain, dealing with obstacles and debris on the trails, covering large muddy areas or even scrambling - you can’t do it all in the same shoe. At least not well.

Based on our wear tests, the deeper the lugs are, the better the hiking shoes perform in mud. What also plays a role here is the distance between the lugs. Too cramped and they collect the mud. Distanced from each other and we can’t believe how good the shoe is at shedding the mud. 

Our general guideline is: use hiking shoes with deep lugs (4 mm and deeper) for soft wet terrain like mud, slush, snow. Use around-the-average lugs (4 mm) with sticky rubber for more flat surfaces (like rock). 

Not all rubber is the same and the sticker it is, the better. Keep in mind though: softer rubber wears down faster, especially when you use mud shoes on hard surfaces (like asphalt, concrete, rocks).

We use an HC shore durometer in our lab to measure the hardness of the rubber. Lower the number on a 1-100 scale, softer the rubber. 

Hiking shoes for technical terrain: prioritizing durability and stiffness

When hiking over rocky terrain, we advise going for firmer and stiffer shoes. Soft and flexible hiking shoes are great for nimbleness and softer (less dangerous) ground. Sharp rocks, especially a lot of them, ask for a firmer midsole - so that you don’t feel every little bump underneath your feet. And they ask for stiffness because stiff shoes feel more stable and safe (than flexible shoes) on such terrain. 

We use a force gauge to band the shoe to 90 degrees and the more force we need to do that, the stiffer the shoe. 

Our measurements of the midsole softness are as objective as possible: we cut all the shoes in half and poke them with a durometer.

The HA durometer tells us how soft the midsole is. The higher the rating, the firmer the midsole. 

If you’re planning to do a hike with a lot of obstacles, fallen trees and branches, and similar objects that can’t wait to poke your toes and destroy the shoes, we recommend looking for the most durable hiking shoes. 

In the lab, we measure the durability of the upper and the outsole. We press the Dremel against both surfaces and examine how much damage there is. When it comes to the upper durability, we assign a rating of 1-5, where 1 is the least durable. 

In the case of the outsole, we use a tire tread depth gauge and check out the depth of the dent (in millimeters) our Dremel has made. 

Less millimeters in the dent means more durability!

Based on all those tests, here are hiking shoes that score the highest in the durability department:

Carrying a heavy backpack: look for support in hiking shoes

If you’re packing light and bringing just the essentials, lightweight hikers will do. However, if you’re backpacking or simply need to carry a heavy load, we suggest you look for hiking shoes that 

1. offer lateral support (supportive features on the upper are present and give it more structure)
2. are at least averagely cushioned (basically, skip minimalist hiking shoes)
3. are on the firmer and stiffer end. 

Cushioning, firmness and stiffness are always laid out in our reviews, along with the comparison to the average. On our wear tests, we assess the lateral stability of the shoe: 

Support elements on the upper literally feel like they are locking the foot in place.

When it comes to cushioning, minimalist or barefoot hiking shoes are shoes we don't recommend. They don't have enough material between your feet and the ground and, therefore, not enough impact protection, any other protection, support or stability. See how flexible, wobbly and low-to-the-ground this minimalist V-trek hiking shoe is: 

As discussed above in the technical-terrain section, hiking shoes that are too soft and flexible and almost running-shoe-like will make it difficult to walk with a heavy load. 

Another thing we check in this department is the stiffness of the heel counter. Stiffer heel counters offer a better heel lockdown and, therefore, such shoes feel more stable. We rank it on a 1-5 scale, where 5 is the stiffest. 

Most breathable hiking shoes: best for summer

When testing breathability, we don’t just wear the shoes in hot weather but also examine them in the lab. We pump the smoke into the shoes to see how much smoke will come out and where and, based on it, give the breathability rating 1-5, where 5 is the most breathable. 

We also perform 2 more assessments: we check the upper above the flashlight and look at it under the microscope. 

All these tests combined allow us to present the most breathable hiking shoes: 

Hiking in rain and snow: look for waterproof hiking shoes 

In order to keep your feet dry when hiking in wet weather, we recommend getting waterproof hiking shoes. The waterproof membrane most often used here is Gore-Tex or GTX. Snow hiking shoes are also waterproof but have deeper-than-avera lugs.

Waterproof hiking shoes usually have “Waterproof” or “GTX” in their name. 

There 3 things to keep in mind when buying waterproof hiking shoes: 

1. They are not breathable. The membrane breathes a bit but usually it is average at its best. 
2. Water can still get inside your shoes by sliding down your legs or trousers or covering deep water levels. 
3. Once the water gets in, it is almost impossible to get it out due to the lack of breathability. Don’t expect the shoe to dry on its own together with your socks as you keep going. This could happen in non-Goretex trail running shoes that are very breathable, but not in waterproof hiking shoes. 

Learning the basics: Waterproof, water-resistant, and water-repellent materials

Labels like waterproof, water-repellent, and water-resistant often cause confusion. This overview offers clear guidance: 

Hiking cold weather: hiking shoes best for winter

Not that these shoes should be waterproof but they should also behave well in cold weather. 

We test this by measuring the flexibility and midsole softness at room temperature and after the shoe has spent 20 minutes in the freezer. We don’t want a shoe to feel like a brick at sub-zero temperatures!

Here are winter hiking shoes with the smallest difference in the 2 measurements: 

Wide toebox in hiking shoes: measured in the lab

When looking for hiking shoes that fit wider forefeet, it’s easy to get lost in the reviews people leave because we all have different feet.

Because of that, our lab measurements are as objective as they get: we always use the same caliper to measure the width of the toebox. We do so 2 in places: where it’s widest and where the big toe is. And, we do it on the gel mold that perfectly fills the interior of the shoe!

Pouring the liquid gel into the hiking shoe and freezing it 

The width of the toebox at the big toe often has a bigger value for hikers with wider feet. With this knowledge, you’re equipped with a selection of hiking shoes that actually have wider toeboxes: 

Keep in mind though that, just like with other footwear types, some upper materials are stretchy and offer more give. Others can be very stiff, and overlays on the toebox can keep your pinky toe in the strict position with no room to splay not even a little bit. 

You may also be interested to know the height of the toebox, especially if you're prone to black toenails or bleeding toes. To avoid the pressure coming from the top, we suggest looking for toeboxes with more vertical space. 

If focusing purely on the brand's labels, here's what to look for, depending on the gender: 

These labels are not the same because men's and women's feet are not the same, women tend to have narrower heels and wider forefoots. 

We wrote an in-depth guide on hiking shoes for wide feet in case you want to go into that direction.

6 steps for finding the perfect fit

Knowing your foot type makes a whole lot of difference. Aside from gauging if your feet are wide or narrow, if your feet have any special needs, make sure to treat them well.

If you use orthotics, look for hiking shoes with a removable insole. Or, in case you are overpronating significantly or have plantar fasciitis, get the appropriate shoes that will not irritate your feet. 

Here are the 6 steps to follow if you’re new to buying hiking shoes: 

1. Go shoe shopping in the afternoon. Expect your feet to swell after a day of activities. The same thing happens when hiking. So, it’s best to try on those new hikers late in the afternoon to get the best fit.
2. Try it on, lace it up, and check for pressure points. There should be a thumb’s width space between your toes and the front of your shoes. If your feet move from side to side, then the hiking shoes are too wide. It should feel snug - comfortable and non-constricting. 
3. Make sure to try the shoes with your hiking socks on. Bring the socks that you plan to wear with your hikers when shoe shopping. Avoid using cotton since this type of fabric retains moisture and fails to provide insulation. Instead, choose wool or synthetic socks.
4. Take your preferred insoles or orthotics with you. Default insoles often leave users disappointed. Aftermarket insoles or custom orthotics can greatly improve the fit of the shoe. If this fails, you can always try another pair from another brand.
5. Use the ramp and walk up and down. This tests the shoe’s snugness. When you go up the board, observe for any heel lift. When you go down, check if your toes hit the front of the shoes. If your heel rises more than a quarter of an inch or if your toes hit the front, adjust the laces or try sizing up.
6. Make sure to break in your shoes before your trip. Hiking shoes, especially the heavy, leather ones, require a different break-in time. Start small by wearing the shoes inside your house with your preferred socks. This might feel awkward but in the end, your feet will surely thank you). From there, increase your miles gradually. 

Hiking shoe upper materials: mesh or leather?

We usually see hiking shoes with uppers made of synthetic mesh or leather. 

Synthetic uppers are breathable, they dry quickly and weigh less. They also feel soft right out of the box. 

The downside of having a mesh upper in hiking shoes is that they are less durable than the leather ones and they get soaked easily. Also, not a lot of support comes with the mesh uppers so we usually see them in shoes that are meant for (fast and) light hiking. 

Leather (or suede, nubuck, full-grain) uppers are far more structured and supportive. 

They are durable and warm. They even naturally repel water. However, they often ask for a break-in period and don’t breathe as well. Shoes with leather uppers weigh more. 

Soft rubber or hard rubber outsoles: pros and cons 

In our lab, after we’re done cutting the shoes in half, we measure the softness of the rubber with a Shore HC durometer. The lower the rating, the softer the rubber.

Softer rubber is better for deeper lugs and hiking in wet weather and on loose ground (like mud). 

Softer rubber is more flexible and it’s stickier. Harder rubber, on the other hand, is more durable, stable and overall, more protective. However, it's not as flexible as the soft rubber. Harder rubber grips better on hard flatter surfaces, dry or wet. It offers more protection to our feet.

Get noticed in the dark

Some hiking shoes come with reflective elements. We love those as they make us more visible in low-visibility hikes and it’s easier to find shoes in a dark tent when all you have is a headlamp. 

To check for these elements, we turn the light off in the lab and point the light at the shoes. See how great the KEEN Targhee III Waterproof looks in the dark!