7 Best Hiking Shoes

The KEEN Targhee III Waterproof stands out as a remarkable wide-toebox hiking shoe, offering ample room for toe maneuvering and unparalleled comfort on our adventurous excursions. Its spacious design ensures no constraints, providing the most phenomenal fit we've experienced on our splash-filled journeys. Furthermore, as seen in our lab, its ability to instill confidence in any terrain is truly phenomenal.

Navigating challenging trails became effortless with the Targhee III, as it showcased exceptional traction with its 4.5 mm grippy and multi-directional lugs. From soft soil to slippery stones, we maintained steady footing, thanks to its reliable grip. The generous width in the toebox (106.6 mm) and big toe area (86.6 mm) allowed our toes to move freely, surpassing our average lab measurements and enhancing overall comfort.

Equally impressive was the shoe's tank-like nature against rugged terrains. Its waterproof upper and toe bumper shielded us from external elements, while the firm yet cushioned midsole provided ample protection underfoot. Our durometer readings confirmed its density to be 13.6% higher than average, ensuring a stable ride.

Despite its exceptional performance, the Targhee III's only drawback is its weight, being 28.2% heavier than average. It would have been fantastic to trek with less load on our feet. 

Merrell Accentor 3 stands out at just $100, offering exceptional cushioning, protection, and support for hikers. It has a roomy fit that accommodates wide feet and swelling, allowing us to savor our treks with confidence. Among wide-toe-box hiking shoes in our lab, Accentor 3 provides ultimate comfort.

Measuring the heel thickness with our caliper, we found it to be a substantial 30.8 mm, effectively dampening repetitive impact and harsh objects underfoot. Adding to its gentle sensation is the Air Cushion in the heel, measuring a plush 18.0 HA on our durometer. Combined with a modest forefoot for heightened ground sensitivity, the result is a steep 14.1 mm offset that alleviates lower leg pressure.

Moving to the main foam, we discovered it’s 22.7% firmer than average, ensuring surefooted strides even under heavy loads. The cushion remains resilient, even with loaded backpacks and long mileage. Further enhancing our stability is its generous 108.0 mm toe-box that gently tapers to the big toe for our natural toe splaying. 

A nylon shank is cleverly positioned beneath our arches for additional support without sacrificing maneuverability—Accentor 3 emerged 38.3% more flexible than the average shoe, boosting a natural and comfortable feel.

However, this Merrell drenched our feet in sweat. Its well-insulated nature only makes it comfortable in cold weather hikes.

The Teva Grandview GTX Low proves to be a day-long hiking essential, delivering a liberating experience on extended treks. Its protective construction effectively addresses common concerns like wet feet, harsh landing impacts, and cramped toes, earning it the title of the ultimate wide hiking shoe with the best Gore-Tex.

On our encounters with rain and muddy puddles, not a single drop of water entered the shoe. Other than the Gore-Tex membrane, our microscope reveals a very compact woven material that repels water. Our lab confirms its impermeability with a 2/5 breathability score. 

The spacious toebox of the Grandview GTX Low allows our toes to spread out comfortably, measuring 103.8 mm wide. What’s even more generous is its big toe area, measuring a massive 87.0 mm vs. the 81.5 mm average.

Even underfoot, Teva remains supportive. Right from the start, the cushioning made its presence felt. With a stack height of 33.6/23.0 mm, it delivers prolonged comfort and effective impact absorption. Further enhancing the comfort is its impressively soft midsole, measuring at 15.3 HA—44.8% softer than average.

This Teva’s extra layers of comfort and protection come at the expense of heavier weight. At 15.6 oz (441g), it’s 15.4% bulkier than its counterparts. Those who prefer lighter shoes should look elsewhere.

Is there such a thing as a breathable hiking shoe that’s uber lightweight and suitable for wide feet? There is indeed, and it’s called the Adidas Terrex Trailmaker! Our feet feel light and airy, thanks to their lightweight, breathable upper and the wide toe box allows ample airflow to keep our feel fresh and comfortable, not to mention wiggle room! The Adidas Terrex Trailmaker is undoubtedly our best lightweight hiking shoe with a wide toe box!

Lightweight and flexible, it’s easy to forget we’re wearing shoes in the Trailmaker! The scales don’t lie; when we weighed them in our lab, we found them to be 9% lighter than the average hiking shoes! They keep our feet fresh while hiking, and our legs still have energy to burn at the end of the day.

Even at a glance, the Trailmaker is noticeably wider than the competition. Back in the lab, our calipers cinched it. Measuring 102.7 mm at the forefoot, they are 3.3 mm wider than average, leaving plenty of space for hikers with wider feet. It carries the advantage through to the toe, as well. Measuring 79.8 mm at the big toe, there is also 3.3 mm extra space at the end of the shoe. We found our toes could spread out more comfortably than in a narrower shoe.

This shoe is a cut above the rest on a hot day! Its durable upper may not look especially breathable, but our feet didn’t overheat on our hikes, and they dried out quickly after a soaking. When we pumped smoke into the shoe, it exited through the tightly woven upper quickly and evenly, taking us by surprise! In fact, we rated it a solid 4/5 for breathability, one of the more breathable shoes that we have tested.

In order to keep the weight down, this shoe lacks cushioning underfoot. The midsole is comfortably soft, but the stack height measures 3.1 mm less than average below the heel. Combined, this makes for slightly less cushioning (and more ground feel), which is why we don’t recommend the Adidas Terrex Trailmaker for long hikes or backpacking.

We put wide-toebox hiking shoes to the test and found Nike ACG Watercat+ to be the best for water hiking. It shines the most in and around water with its effective drainage system, easy-to-maneuver build, and reliable traction on slippery surfaces.

The wickerwork upper keeps our feet dry from water and sweat because the woven cords have large ventilation holes. Amazingly, the bottom part has drainage holes for faster drying too. 

We felt as nimble as a cat maneuvering through slippery rocks and tricky underwater surfaces. Watercat+ has a flexible build and low stack providing good ground feel for better balance. In our lab bend test, it needed 30.7% less force than the average hiking shoe to bend to 90 degrees. Its heel and forefoot cushion stand lower than the average, resulting in a more leveled 4.7 mm drop. This makes us more sensitive to the ground.

Enhancing our control further is the generous toebox that offers 7.9 mm extra space than average. Even at the big toe area, it gives 10.8 mm more room than the average — allowing our natural toe splay. We have no doubts about grip because the sticky patterned outsole keeps us steady through all conditions.

Unfortunately, the holes in the upper leave room for small rocks to get in.

For our speed hiking adventures, we look for a shoe that is superbly grippy and lightweight. We found that and much more in the wide-toed KEEN NXIS Speed, leading us to dub it the best speed hiking shoe with a wide toe box.

We felt agile and surefooted while speed hiking in the NXIS Speed. Our lab tests showed that several factors come into play which contribute to the superb grip we experienced on the trail. The varying-sized 4 mm lugs grip well onto wet or dry surfaces. Twisting the shoe manually, we awarded it 2/5 for torsional rigidity, where 1 is the least rigid. This allows the shoe to flex with our foot on uneven ground, increasing the surface area and ultimately enhancing our grip.

Weight is of the essence when looking for a speed hiking shoe. No one wants something heavy and clunky on their feet when trying to be fast and light! We found what we were looking for in the KEEN NXIS Speed. Tipping our scales at a mere 11.8 oz (335g), it’s one of the lightest hiking shoes that we have tested, and 1.4 oz (44g) lighter than average. It gave us wings and we flew along the trail on our test hikes.

KEEN are always generous in the toe box department, and the NXIS Speed doesn’t let the side down. We measured the toe box at the widest part with our calipers, finding it to be 2.6 mm wider than average, and will accommodate most feet. But it’s around the big toe that the NXIS Speed steals the show. Measuring an impressive 89.6 mm, the toe box is 8 mm wider than average and the widest toe box in our hiking shoe database, except for the fully barefoot Vibram Fivefingers V-Trek. The extra space up front further increases our grip and all-day comfort. Cramped toes are a big no in these shoes!

Our main gripe with the KEEN NXIS Speed is that the laces kept coming undone. It was mightily frustrating having to keep stopping to retie them, especially on our speed hikes. We recommend changing the laces for something less slippery.

A superbly versatile shoe, the Adidas Terrex AX4 won us over with a wide variety of features which make it the best budget hiking shoe with a wide toe box. With a starting price of $90, it doesn’t break the bank. $21 cheaper than average, its wide forefoot offers a good amount of wiggle-room for our toes, and it finds the sweet spot between water repellency and breathability. Its firm but protective cushioning keeps our feet safe and comfortable while out hiking.

Out hiking, our toes felt free to move in the wide toe-box of the Terrex AX4. Back in the lab, we measured the width with a caliper, discovering the forefoot is an impressive 102.1 mm wide, compared to the average 98.3 mm! Combined with a stiff heel counter - which we measured as the stiffest 5/5 - our feet felt firmly locked into the shoe whilst not cramping our toes.

This is a seriously adaptable all-rounder which finds a balance between water repellency and breathability. In our lab tests, we pump smoke into the shoe and watch to see how much smoke permeates the upper. The Adidas Terrex AX4 scored a respectable 3/5 for breathability - a good middle ground. We took a close look at the mesh upper through a microscope too - the tight weave is responsible for keep light rain and morning dew out of the shoe, while still allowing air to flow through.

A firm and protective shoe, our feet had no problems hiking or sharp rocks and scree. In the lab, we tested the midsole with a durometer. It measured 39 HA, 19% firmer than average in hiking shoes. It kept our feet protected from sharp objects as well as providing a stable foothold.

On colder days we felt the midsole stiffening up, so we put it in the freezer for 20 minutes to simulate cold weather. When we tested it again with a durometer, we found it had become 26% harder - quite a jump for an already-firm shoe. We don’t recommend it to hikers looking for a high-performing winter hiking shoe.