7 Best Hiking Boots in 2024

How we test hiking boots

We at RunRepeat help you find the right hiking boot without going through the hassle of checking out every feature of every boot. Here’s a quick overview of what we do:

• We buy all the hiking boots using our own money, with no one capitalizing on us.
• We backpack and trek for hours on different terrains and elevations, personally determining the level of grip, durability, stability, and breathability of the hiking boots we're testing.
• We take the boots to our lab to cut them in half and accurately measure more than 20 features like stack heights, outsole thickness, lug depth, outsole hardness, midsole softness, and other features that are important for hiking.

When to go for hiking boots and not shoes

The main anatomical difference between the hiking shoes and boots is the cut: shoes are usually low cut and boots are mid or high cut. Performance wise, that means that the boots offer ankle support thanks to the heel collar that surrounds the ankles and can be tightened with laces. 

Based on all the tests we’ve performed on our hikes and in our lab, we recommend getting hiking boots when: 

• you need ankle support because your ankles are prone to twisting and prefer being secured 
• you plan to go backpacking
• you don't like water or debris getting inside of your hiking shoes (and wearing gaiters is not your cup of tea) or if 
• the terrain is so harsh you want more protection all over your feet and ankles. 

Nail the perfect fit in hiking boots

If you’ve never bought the hiking boots before, these are our guidelines on how to make sure the fit is as good as possible: 

1. Go hiking boot shopping later in the day, in the afternoon or in the evening. By then, your feet are already somewhat swollen naturally. The swelling happens on the hikes as well so it’s best to match the conditions as much as possible. 
2. Bring your hiking socks and orthotics (if using) with you and try the boots on with them. 
3. Lace the boots up and sense if there are any hotspots. Boots should be comfortable and snug, but not too snug or too wide. You should have one thumb’s width of room behind your heel when you push the foot forward. Or, find as much room in front of the toes when your heel is glued to the back. 
4. Try the boots on the ramp! Go up and down. There should be no heel slipping and no sliding inside the boot. 

Most boots need some time to be broken in properly. Keep that in mind when planning your hiking adventures. 

Hiking boots for beginners and easy hikes 

If you’re new to hiking and want to get your first pair of boots, we recommend all-terrain hiking boots that allow for a little bit of everything but are not to be used on very demanding hikes. Very demanding means very long or even multi-day hikes on technical terrain, maybe even with a heavy backpack. 

For beginners, we recommend lightweight hiking boots with around-the-average lug depth. That means they should weigh less than 17.6 oz (500g) and have lug depth around 4 mm or less. 

Heavy hiking boots can be too much at first if you’re new to hiking and might tire your feet sooner rather than later. Very deep lugs work great in soft wet ground but are also less durable. Average lugs (or close to the average) are great for light hikes on usually well-maintained trails. 

Another tip for beginners: hiking boots with a heel tab (pull tab) are usually much easier to put on. 

Grip and lug thickness: don’t slip!

In hiking, traction is a priority. The boot can fit perfectly but if you choose boots for dry hard-packed trails and end up covering dozens of miles in the mud, you won’t be happy and maybe not even standing due to all the slipping.

In our lab, we use a digital caliper to measure the thickness of the lugs. 

The deeper the lugs, the better the grip. This especially applies when it comes to soft ground like mud, slush, snow. Here are our general guidelines: 

1. Choose very deep lugs (4mm and deeper) if you plan to hike mainly on wet soft ground (snow, mud, slush). 
2. Chose average lugs (~4 mm thick) if you plan to cover a little bit of everything when hiking - maybe it will be wet, dry, soft, hard. 
3. Choose shallower lugs (less than 4 mm) if you plan to stick to hard-packed trails or rocky terrain. 

It’s important to note that the hardness of the rubber also plays a role in traction. Generally, softer rubbers are stickier and more pliable while harder rubber outsoles offer more protection and durability. 

We measure the hardness of the rubber with a shore C durometer. The higher the number, the harder the rubber. 

Stability in hiking boots: 3 tests we do

Feeling planted when hiking, especially on uneven terrain, is imperative. Hikers who prioritize stability do not enjoy narrow and high platforms. 

When doing test hikes, we always check for lateral stability. Is it easy to twist the ankle? Is it easy to bring the shoe out of the balance? See on the video below how that looks like. 

Doing the lateral stability test on our wear tests

We take this a step further: we also measure the width of the base (midsole). The wider the base, the more stable the hiking shoe is. 

Additionally, we measure the stiffness of the heel counter.

Flexible ones allow more ankle movement and stiffer ones, especially when the laces are tightened properly, secure the ankle to a high degree which helps with the overall stability of the shoe. 

Hiking in summer: prioritize breathability!

We don’t just perform wear tests but we also do lab tests. This is especially important in breathability because feet sweat differently but our tests are standardized and every hiking boot is treated the same way in the lab. 

Testing the breathability of hiking boots in RunRepeat lab

We make smoke with a smoke machine and pump that smoke into the shoe. Then, we watch where the smoke comes out and at which pace. This allows us to rate the breathability of the hiking boot on a 1-5 scale. 5 means the hiking boot is perfect for summer, as breezy as it gets! 4 as well. Such breathable shoes are never waterproof which is great because waterproof membranes are not needed in summer.

Usually, we'd look for the highest breathability ratings: 5/5 and maybe 4/5. However, in hiking, even 3/5 is considered breathable, given that their average breathability (1.4/5.0) is lower than the average breathability of, say, running shoes (3.3/5.0. 

It’s very interesting to look at the uppers under a microscope and notice how waterproof hiking boots have uppers that are tightly woven and have absolutely no ventilation holes, while breathable hiking boots have uppers that are more loose. 

Winter hiking boots: what to look for? 

For winter hiking boots, we highlight 3 features: waterproofness, warmth and grip that works on wet ground. But, we also emphasize our freezer test which allows us to test flexibility of the boots once they've been exposed to cold weather. Will the boot feel like a brick or almost identical to how it feels at room temperatures? We answer these questions!

When it comes to waterproofness, it is best to look for waterproof membranes.

The most common one is Gore-Tex but some brands have their own trademarked membranes. The good thing is that waterproof hiking boots are horribly rated on the breathability test which means they are warmer. 

Waterproof hiking boots are rated with 1 or 2 on our breathability test, meaning they are the least breathable. If you are worried about very cold weather, also look for insulation in the hiking boots. 

When it comes to the grip for winter hiking, we recommend deep lugs because winter usually means snow, slush or mud. When we say deep, we mean at least 4mm. No worries there, because our caliper measurements are already done and at your service. 

It’s also great when hiking boots are super stable, this means that the base is wider than the upper and that the heel collar is rather stiff as covered in the section on stability. 

To determine how the boot performs in winter, we put it in the freezer for 20 mins.

Then, we repeat the a) flexibility test, and b) midsole softness test. This tells us how much the boot stiffens up and firms up in cold weather. See below the hiking boots sorted by the smallest change in flexibility. 

Harsh terrain asks for the highest durability

If you know you will hike over very harsh terrain and you want hiking boots that are super protective, we recommend looking for the most durable boots. In our lab tests, durability is assessed based on how much damage we’re able to make on 3 different parts of the boot. 

Doing the Dremel test on the toebox of hiking boots 

We make this damage using a Dremel. All our tests are standardized, so we always use a) the same RPM, b) the same pressure, and c) the same period of time (how much the test lasts). When we make a dent on the toe box or on the heel counter, we assess the damage on a 1-5 scale, where 1 is the least durable. 

Doing the durability test on the heel counter in RunRepeat lab

However, when we press the Dremel against the outsole, we’re able to use the tire tread gauge and to measure exactly how deep the dent is.

Testing the durability of the outsole in hiking boots with a Dremel

The deeper the dent, the less durable the outsole rubber! 

Lightweight vs. heavy hiking boots 

We consider hiking boots lightweight when they weigh less than 17.6 oz or 500g. 

We measure every boot that comes into our lab on the same scale and in men’s size 9 (US). 

Heavy hiking boots are heavier because they usually offer more protection, stability, and are able to endure more abuse. We recommend using heavy hiking boots on more demanding endeavors. 

Lightweight hiking boots are better for easier routes, when you don’t need as much stability, or when you plan to do fast and light hiking. This means light backpack, light boots and covering the ground at a rather higher pace. 

Waterproof hiking boots: what, when and why

Use waterproof hiking boots when you know you’ll spend time in wet weather, rain, snow.

Hiking in waterproof boots (Salomon X Ultra GTX Mid)

Don’t use them for dry and warm weather because they don’t breathe well (or almost at all) and because they are pricier: you will be paying extra for something you don’t even need. 

If in doubt, you can always opt for water resistant or water repellent - they might work for light rain or morning dew. Here’s how the 3 are different: 

Another thing worth noting is the tongue gusset. When the tongue is fully gusseted, it is connected to the sides of the boot under the eyelets. This additionally prevents water/snow/debris from getting into the boot.

When tongue is "free", meaning it has no gussets and no connection to the sides, it is more likely the debris and other things will get inside the boot. 

Wide-feet friendly hiking boots 

We all know the struggle when you have wide(r) feet and don’t know whether the boots are wide enough for you. Fortunately, in our lab we use a digital caliper to measure the width of the upper at the forefoot. 

We do this in 2 places: where the forefoot is widest and around the big toe.

This allows us to assess how much the toe box tapers, is it pointy to accommodate Greek style better or is it wider so that other types of toes can enjoy it. 

Bonus tips: 3 important features to look for in hiking boots 

If you’re very much into hiking, here are 3 more things you should pay attention to when it comes to hiking boots: 

1. Are your hiking boots crampon compatible? This will matter once the terrain asks for crampons - usually when it is very icy and snowy. Usually, mountaineering boots are crampon compatible. This compatibility is usually given by the manufacturer. Boots can be B1, B2 or B3 graded and, therefore, compatible with C1, C2 or C3 crampons. 
2. Is the lining/insole antimicrobial? Very important if you have sweaty feet. Check the specifications from the brand to find out. 
3. Can your boots be resoled? This is up to the manufacturer, so check with them. It’s convenient because such shoes can then last longer, as long as the upper is not damaged. 

Get noticed in the dark!

Some hiking boots come with reflective elements that make them noticeable in the dark. If this is a feature you find important, make sure to look for it. In all our hiking boot reviews we make sure to note whether the shoe has them or not. 

See here how Keen Targhee III Waterproof Mid shines in the dark 

Above, you can see the reflective elements on Hoka Trail Code GTX.