7 Best Hiking Shoes For Men, 100+ Shoes Tested in 2023

When venturing into the wild, whether you prefer the manicured trails or off-path tracks, it is imperative that your manly tootsies have the right gear on. To help you wind up with the ideal pair, we have tested 300+ (and counting) remarkable hiking shoes for men.
Do you need something you can whip out in virtually every situation? Or maybe you want a hiker that can keep you going for days with a moderately heavy pack on your back? Whatever it is that you need, there is a top pick with a corresponding alternative waiting for you below.
How we test hiking shoes
These days, objective reviews on men’s hiking shoes are fast becoming a rarity. RunRepeat exists to counter that. Detailed below is our approach.
- To stay unbiased with the way we do our reviews, we buy kicks using our own funds.
- Through days of hiking, we test each men’s hiking shoe to determine its forte. We pay close attention to the hiker’s level of comfort, adhesive prowess, and durability.
- We factor in hundreds of reviews from professional sources and regular users to make ours as comprehensive as possible.
Our approach ultimately results in a CoreScore, which allows us to come up with this male-centric best list.
Best hiking shoes overall for men
CoreScore
The Corescore is a score from 0-100 that summarizes opinions from users and experts. Below shows the distribution of scores for all hiking shoes.
- Top 2% most popular hiking shoes
Pros
- Instant comfort
- Grippy
- Supportive
- Light
- Balance preserver
- Watertight
- Antimicrobial insole
Cons
- Questionable lacing design
- Towering collar
- Pricey
Verdict
Right before your yearning eyes is the “one ring” of the hiking shoe realm. Yes, the X Ultra 4 GTX from Salomon is the hiker to rule them all!
The 4th iteration in the X Ultra series, this beast of a shoe is amazing in virtually every way. After going through several hundreds of high-quality trail kicks, we’re completely convinced that the X Ultra 4 GTX has the guns to mow down the obstacles in front of you.
“Kingly underfoot” is how we’d describe the X Ultra 4 GTX’s Contagrip outsole. The multi-sided lugs slapped onto it gave us extraordinary slip resistance on dirt tracks and muddy slopes alike. And let’s not forget how easy it was to navigate mossy terrain in this bad boy!
Does the Salomon X Ultra 4 GTX have the comfort to match its adhesive power? Yes, and the shoe has it in overflowing amounts. As a cherry on top, we got it loosened up in just a matter of minutes!
In the area of waterproofing, the X Ultra 4 GTX proved its worth through creeks and mulchy puddles. Besides amazing water protection, the shoe’s Gore-Tex liner also supplied us with more than enough breathability.
So, if you want to make the trails bow down to you and your homies, there’s no better hiker to get than this!
Best lightweight hiking shoes for men
CoreScore
The Corescore is a score from 0-100 that summarizes opinions from users and experts. Below shows the distribution of scores for all hiking shoes.
- Top 14% in hiking shoes
- Top 3% in Salomon hiking shoes
- Top 10% most popular hiking shoes
Pros
- Remarkably pampering
- Watertight
- Tenaciously grippy
- Lightweight
- Instant break-in
- Breathable
Cons
- Somewhat narrow
- Subpar support
Verdict
If hiking shoes could fly, the Salomon OUTline GTX would be the frontrunner of that pack. But seriously, this bad boy weighs a measly 350 g per shoe (men’s hikers average around 400 g), making it a nice alternative to a trail runner.
Despite its feather-like weight, the OUTline GTX is no pushover underfoot. Armed with a proprietary outsole whose lugs measure 5 mm deep, this Salomon kick will take you places—across dusty tracks and moistened soil—minus the slippage. Particularly impressive was how it got us scaling muddy slopes without sliding backwards!
You are destined to stay on top of your game where wetness rears its head in this Salomon kick, as well. Splashes beaded off it during our “trips through puddles” test. While we wouldn’t dare use it in waters deeper than three inches, the shoe is quite capable of keeping things dry on the inside in mildly flooded areas.
This super-light hiker for the homies didn’t disappoint on the support front, either. What wowed us the most in this regard was the way it kept our ankles steady, despite being a low-cuffed shoe. We were impressed by its great arch support, too!
Best hiking shoes with best comfort for men
CoreScore
The Corescore is a score from 0-100 that summarizes opinions from users and experts. Below shows the distribution of scores for all hiking shoes.
This shoe has a 7% penalty on its expert reviews because it has fewer than 5 reviews. This is to avoid that shoes with few reviews unjustly receives high scores.
Learn more- Top 16% in hiking shoes
- Top 18% in Merrell hiking shoes
- Top 5% most popular hiking shoes
Pros
- Incredibly comfortable
- Responsive
- Waterproofing that actually works!
- Durable upper
- Perfect for short one-day hikes
- Soft, plush feel
- Protects from sharp rocks underfoot
- Flexible
Cons
- Poor heel lockdown
- Average grip
Verdict
Comfort machine + Merrell? Enter the exceedingly comfy Moab 2 GTX!
Part of Merrell’s iconic Mother of all boots (Moab) lineup, the Moab 2 GTX bathed our stout feet in pure pampering right from the get-go. If you thought instantly comfortable hikers were wishful thinking, this low-profile bad boy will definitely change your mind!
Equally flooring was how much spring to our step the Moab 2 GTX gave us. Its plush-yet-protective sole unit made us feel completely safe over rugged obstacles. Engineered extra bouncy, heel strikes on it felt like landing on clouds!
On the traction front, the Merrell Moab 2 GTX made us feel like kings on wet and dry surfaces alike. Our trips across creeks and semi-dried-up bogs ended with no one ever slipping from our crew. We give its Vibram outsole extra props, too, for helping us scramble without losing our footing.
Written on its proverbial face is “stunning” in the aesthetics department. It’s not all looks for the Moab 2 GTX, though, as its gawk-worthy ensemble, which is a combination of mesh and leather, also proved its worthiness to us in the area of durability!
So, yeah, we highly recommend the Moab 2 GTX for those who simply wish to feel at home wherever. Get one now!
Best wide toe box hiking shoes for men
CoreScore
The Corescore is a score from 0-100 that summarizes opinions from users and experts. Below shows the distribution of scores for all hiking shoes.
- Top 3% in hiking shoes
- Top 5% in KEEN hiking shoes
Pros
- Incredible tenacity
- Roomy toe box
- Super-comfortable
- Stays dry in the rain
- Bouncy
- Lightweight
- Quick break-in
- Durable laces
Cons
- Very expensive
- Heel slips for some
Verdict
Best men's hiking shoes for backpacking
CoreScore
The Corescore is a score from 0-100 that summarizes opinions from users and experts. Below shows the distribution of scores for all hiking shoes.
- Top 24% in hiking shoes
- Top 15% in KEEN hiking shoes
- Top 3% most popular hiking shoes
Pros
- True to size
- Roomy toebox
- Waterproof
- Impressively durable
- Grippy outsole
Cons
- Loose fit
- Rigid feel
- Break-in period needed
Verdict
Are you going on a camping trip with a loaded pack filled with all your manly stuff in tow? Then keep it real and keep things simple by hiking exclusively in the KEEN Targhee II!
As our highest-rated backpacking shoe, the Targhee II doesn’t fool around with its capabilities. And if we’re left with only one word to describe this bad boy, we’d choose “adamantine.”
While the Targhee II looks is unmistakably indestructible, it has a soft core. Indeed, this shoe can be the most comfortable there is. We say “can be” because it does require a bit of a break-in period. But believe us—past its manageable honeymoon phase, pure pampering is yours!
More than enough underfoot firepower awaits you in this men’s KEEN hiker, too. It’s a double-whammy, actually. Its cushy midsole can bear heavy weights for multi-day adventures, while its rubber outsole makes haphazard traversals on wet and dry terrain a cinch.
And while we’re on the subject of firepower, we have to give the Targhee II the credit it deserves on the waterproofing front. All we’re saying is, if you detest soggy socks and wrinkly feet, grab this KEEN kick ASAP!
Best value hiking shoes for men
CoreScore
The Corescore is a score from 0-100 that summarizes opinions from users and experts. Below shows the distribution of scores for all hiking shoes.
- Top 15% in hiking shoes
- Top 17% in Merrell hiking shoes
- Top 14% most popular hiking shoes
Pros
- Grippy outsole
- Versatile (backcountry and city walks)
- Easy to break in
- Affordable
- Provides arch support
- Durable
- Lightweight
Cons
- Heel slippage
- Not breathable
- Lacks cushioning
- Narrow
Verdict
They say men are simple fellas. When they see something of high quality—one that doesn’t demand an arm and a leg—they snag it. Well, if you are one of those homies, don’t hesitate to buy the Moab 2 Ventilator!
With its MSRP of $100, the Merrell Moab 2 Ventilator is hard to say no to. Why? Because while it reigns as the king of value, the things it can do make it a force of nature out there.
Right from the off, this piece allowed us to venture into the mulchy wild in pure comfort. Nothing on the inside felt rushed, only suppleness that fine gentlemen out there won’t be able to resist! Props to its snug rearfoot for pampering our heels from start to finish!
And have we mentioned that it really does live up to its name yet? Yes, the Moab 2 Ventilator has the lungs to breathe out and eject stuffiness from its leathery shell.
Now, just like most Moab offerings, this breathable bad boy comes with that mighty grippy Vibram outsole. On it, we found ourselves crushing every part of the trail with amazing sticking prowess. That said, we were particularly impressed with its adhesive performance on slick rock!
Most popular hiking shoes for men
CoreScore
The Corescore is a score from 0-100 that summarizes opinions from users and experts. Below shows the distribution of scores for all hiking shoes.
This shoe has a 7% penalty on its expert reviews because it has fewer than 5 reviews. This is to avoid that shoes with few reviews unjustly receives high scores.
Learn more- Top 20% in hiking shoes
- Top 21% in Merrell hiking shoes
- Top 1% most popular hiking shoes
Pros
- Super comfortable
- Great for wet/dry transitions
- Lightweight
- 10/10 breathability & drainage
- Easy on and off
- Plenty of grip
- Great for everyday errands
- Doubles as a sandal
- Extremely durable
Cons
- Not designed for performance
- Minimal support