I Tested the Best Hiking Boots and Shoes of 2025. These Tackled Every Terrain With Tact

For years I lived close to a very popular trailhead in Colorado that led to some beautiful alpine lakes and, as a result, saw some of the most unqualified hiking footwear imaginable. Think unlaced Nike Frees for feet-deep snow and mud. Sure, you can get away with hiking in trail running shoes, but if you spend more than a few days on trails each year, it’s worth finding a well-built pair of hiking boots or shoes and some trekking poles while you're at it.

The spectrum of capable hiking footwear runs from zero-drop, low-top sneakers to high-top, all-leather hunting boots built for a lifetime of year-round wear. Trends are pointing to more nimble, comfortable athletic shoes that combine the durability and protection of boots with the agility and comfort of sneakers.

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Which pair is right for you depends on where and how often you hike, how many miles you log, the weather patterns and, of course, the fit. Visiting an outdoor footwear specialist and trying on as many boots as you can stand is great if you have one nearby, but we’ve lined up some of our favorites—including the best overall pick, Salewa Wildfire NXT—to get you started. 

If you're looking for more thorough reviews, check out more from the 2025 Men's Journal Outdoor Awards, including the best camp chairs, coolers, sun shirts, camp cookware, backpacking meals, and more.

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Best Hiking Boots and Shoes at a Glance

• Best Hiking Boots Overall: Salewa Wildfire NXT Mid GTX
• Most Comfortable Hiking Boots: Salomon X Ultra 5 Mid
• Best Backpacking Boots: La Sportiva Aequilibrium Trek GTX
• Best Trail Runner Hiking Shoes: Altra Lone Peak 9+
• Best Waterproof Trail Runner Hiking Boots: Scarpa Ribelle Run Kalibra HT
• Best Zero-Drop Hiking Boots: Xero Xcursion Fusion
• Best Insulated Hiking Boots: Danner Arctic 600 Side Zip

Best Hiking Boots and Shoes of 2025

Best Hiking Boots Overall: Salewa Wildfire NXT Mid GTX

If Salewa’s new Wildfire NXT Gore-Tex hikers look more like a basketball shoe to you than a hiking boot, you might have an outdated idea of hiking boots. Yes, there are still plenty of bulky, all-leather hikers out there (and many are very good), but the trend over the past decade is toward more synthetic materials and streamlined designs meant to be fast and light over big and rugged.

Salewa is a 90-year-old German outdoor footwear brand, but their offerings aren’t stuck in the past with lots of technical hiking, trail running, and mountaineering shoes with modern materials and designs. Technically, they call the Wildfire NXTs an “approach shoe” which doesn’t mean much to folks who don’t work in a shoe store. It’s essentially a blend of climbing, mountaineering, and hiking shoe features meant to handle trail and rock equally well, which makes it a versatile hiking boot for almost anyone.

Overall Impressions

While from a distance, the Wildfire look sneaker-like in form, the Vibram MegaGrip sole is a giveaway that this is something else. The material is durable and grips well on rock and in mud, but the lugs in the tread aren’t super-thick, giving you a better feel for the trail. Combined with a well-cushioned foam midsole heel with a 10 mm drop, the lower part of the shoe is built like a trail runner and, in fact, there’s a low-top version of the Wildfire NXT that is essentially just that.

Despite the similarities to running shoes, it’s built for abuse with a grab-bag of high-strength synthetic materials in high-wear areas. Even the mesh-like fabric covering the forefoot is a ripstop polyethylene and the cuff above the ankle a similarly tear-resistant high-tenacity nylon.

Hidden inside is a Gore-Tex membrane that makes these waterproof while retaining breathability, but like any waterproof shoe, they run steamy in hot, dry weather. Their mid height is enough to keep debris from entering the cuff of the shoe, but low enough that they don’t restrict ankle articulation like high-top mountaineering boots. The lacing system cinches up snug, but interestingly the cuff is designed to stay loose and flexible via layered material instead of a continuous fabric. The upside is that it moves more like a low-top. The downside is it hangs open a bit, inviting debris more than, say, an elastic sock that seals around the lower leg like on some hikers.

Final Verdict

Overall, the Salewa Wildfire NXT are an all-around capable hiker that’s comfortable on technical ascents, casual trails, and even light trail running. This isn’t a budget hiking shoe, but it’s not as expensive as serious mountaineering boots, yet it’s far more versatile and still built to last.

Most Comfortable Hiking Boots: Salomon X Ultra 5 Mid

Salomon is another European outdoor footwear brand that’s been leading the charge towards technical hiking footwear made with modern materials and lighter builds. Their Quest series of high-top boots are an excellent hybrid high-top hiker built for heavy loads and long days, but they’re frankly overkill for most people’s day hikes.

Enter the very sneaker-like X Ultra 5 Mid which has a lower height and a softer, more cushioned build that’s an easier transition for infrequent hikers that aren’t comfortable strapping into heavy-duty boots. There’s plenty of cushioning in the cuff—a frequent pain point for infrequent hikers. One downside of the cozy build is that the cuff doesn’t cinch up super-tight or -high and the tongue folds forward, inviting debris.

The Contagrip sole’s lugs are moderately deep and the sole does well in a variety of terrain. The underfoot cushioning is enough to protect your feet in rough terrain but not so thick as to deaden your feel for the trail. The platform is also much more stable than you’d expect from a lighter duty hiker.

Despite a fairly armored build, the look of the shoes is decidedly “cool” and will remind ‘90s sneakerheads of the Nike “Bo Jackson” Air Trainer SCs in form, height, and design. Yes, it looks and feels like a techy hiking shoe, but not so much that it can’t pull double-duty as casual wear.

Best Backpacking Boots: La Sportiva Aequilibrium Trek GTX

The light and fast movement has been great for outdoor footwear, creating more options than ever, especially for on-trail hikers. Still, serious adventures call for more serious hiking boots and La Sportiva’s Aequilibrium Trek GTX are an interesting hybrid that is a more nimble take on the hardcore mountaineering boot.

The boot has a serious “double lug” heel for traction on steep uphills and support carrying heavier loads backpacking, summiting, or hunting that sets it apart from the new crop of trail runner-style hikers. But it borrow the agility and flexibility through the sole that lets hikers move quickly with confidence.

One thing that’s been lost with the move to lighter materials is the “buy it for life” ethos well-made hiking boots once had, but the Aequilibrium Trek are built in that spirit with a rugged upper that blends heavy duty leather and synthetics. The shoes are also built with the capacity to be resoled so if the tread wears out, they can be replaced and live on.

Related: I Tested the Best Hunting Boots to Traverse Mountains and Fields

Best Trail Running Hiking Shoe: Altra Lone Peak 9+

If you’ve ever been on the Appalachian, Continental Divide, or Pacific Crest trails, you’ve likely seen a lot of Altra Lone Peak shoes on hikers that look like they’ve been out there for weeks—because they have. The zero-drop Lone Peaks have become de rigueur for thru-hikers logging big miles day after day and this updated edition makes a great hiking shoe for well-worn trail, even if you’re day hiking.

The headline on the Lone Peak 9+ is their wide toe box and zero-drop construction, which just means they have a flat sole. Think the opposite of marshmallow heeled Hokas. Like the Vibram Five Finger craze years ago, fans of zero drop and the wide toe box in the Lone Peaks prefer the feel for the trail and a foot position that’s closer to how you’d walk if you were barefoot.

Lest you worry these are flimsy ballet slippers, there’s still plenty of protection with an upgraded Vibram Megagrip outsole for traction and protection. And once you get used to the room around the toes, the Lone Peaks are insanely comfortable and are less likely to lead to blisters and hotspots than more rigid, confining hiking shoes.

Best Waterproof Trail Running Hiking Boots: Scarpa Ribelle Run Kalibra HT

For many hikers, a hiking boot isn’t required equipment. If you hike often, you won’t want to subject your gym shoes to the mess and abuse of outdoor use, but you can get the same comfort and agility by opting for the modern trail runner style of Scarpa’s Ribelle Run Kalibra HT shoes. These trail runners ditch laces for the secure cinch of the twist knob BOA system and provide durability and grip in an ultralight package.

If you’ve never experienced it, the BOA system is an amazing alternative to laces, using a thin metal cabling to evenly tighten the laces from a single point via the dial. Yes, BOA cables can fail, but they’re arguably more durable than lace systems and the system wraps the foot better than laces when properly integrated as it is here.

While they look like running shoes, the Ribelle Run trickles down features from their mountaineering boots such as the wraparound rubber-like rand that resists damage from run-ins with rocks and sticks. There’s also welded polyurethane overlays in high-wear areas and mesh above the forefoot to keep the waterproof build more breathable when you pick up the pace.

Best Zero Drop Hiking Boots: Xero Xcursion Hiking Boots

If you like a zero-drop shoe, but can’t stand the debris that low-tops let in, Xero Shoes’ Xcursion boots port it into a mid-height hiker. These boots are softer and more flexible than most, but the 10 mm-thick FeelTrue rubber outsole is surprisingly substantial and protective for how flexible it is.

The mesh upper goes up just high enough to wrap the ankle and keep pebbles away, but it’s flexible enough to be barely noticeable. Because there’s not a ton of lateral stability, these are mostly directional hikers at their best sticking to a trail. If you’re prone to bushwhacking and sidehilling, you’ll want to consider one of the other, more traditional hiking shoe options above.

The rest of the boot is a lot like other trail runner-style hikers with a mostly mesh upper reinforced with protective TPU overlays, even if it’s less structured than most. If you get comfortable with the zero drop, barefoot feel and want even more, the Xcursions are capable of being worn with insoles removed for even closer contact with the trail.

Best Insulated Hiking Boots: Danner Arctic 600 Side Zip

Most hiking happens in fair weather seasons, but if you don’t stop hiking just because it’s dropped below freezing, you’ll want a boot with some added warmth. Danner’s ultra-comfortable and stylish Arctic 600 boots deliver 200 grams of PrimaLoft insulation as well as a unique side zip and lace entry system that makes them ideal for pulling double-duty as a winter hiker and casual wear winter boot.

The look is classic leather mid-height hiker planted on top of a cushy foam midsole and Vibram tread. The lugs are deep enough for some soft snow and mud and the Vibram Nisqually Arctic Grip is a compound built for cold temperatures. The metal lace loops and hooks cinch up well for a secure fit, giving this plenty of hiking capability.

Away from the trail, however, it’s easy to loosen things up. Worn with laces relaxed, the side zip entry makes them as easy as Chelsea boots for quick on and off and while they’re too warm and outdoorsy for office wear, they’re warm enough for winter chores and errands.

What You Should Look for in Hiking Boots and Shoes

Fit & Sizing

Fit is highly individual, so it’s important to try on lots of options and pay close attention to what feels good — and doesn’t. There are a few things to keep in mind when evaluating shoes and boots for hiking that apply regardless of the idiosyncrasies of your feet.

Toe Space

Unlike some other types of athletic footwear, you want some room at the toe end of the shoe to prevent toe bang, especially hiking downhill. The width of the toe box is also a hot topic these days, with brands such as Altra popularizing extra-wide toe boxes that permit splayed out forefeet.

Heel Lock

It’s important to find a secure fit through the ankle and “throat” of the boot that locks in your heel, so your feet don’t use the extra space for your toes to slide around.

Instep Height and Volume

Many bulkier hiking boots leave lots of room for thick socks and initial comfort, but this can be a recipe for blisters on-trail, especially if you have a lower-volume foot. Folks with pronounced arches may want a boot with more “ceiling height” over the instep, but flatter, lower-volume feet will want a more tailored form to keep their feet locked in.

Waterproof or Breathable?

It makes intuitive sense to get hiking footwear that’s built with a waterproof-breathable membrane such as Gore-Tex, but there are instances where it does more harm than good. Hot, dry areas call for more breathable options when there’s less danger of feet getting wet and breathability is far more important. 

If you mostly hike in colder, wetter areas where wet feet can cut your trip short or even risk frostbite, sweaty feet are less of a concern and you should stick to waterproof options.

Low, Mid, or High?

Low-top, sneaker-like hikers are more popular than ever for their comfort and more athletic feel on the trail, but other prefer the stability and security of a high-top burly mountaineering boot. What’s right for you depends on where and how you hike. If you carry fairly light loads, hike fast, and stay mostly on well-maintained, smooth trails, a low-top sneaker hiker or trail running shoe might be your best bet. 

If you spend a lot of time bushwhacking off-trail, hiking rocky terrain, and take a more deliberate pace, you may prefer the stability and cushioning of a beefier high-top boot. Mid-height boots split the difference and many of the options recommended below fall into this category because they provide stability and keep out debris like a high-top, but give you the trail feel and agility of a trail running shoe.

Why You Should Trust Me

I’ve been hiking since I was a kid in Upstate New York and have since trudged boots through everything from hot, high deserts chasing pronghorn antelope to tropical rainforest brush to feet-deep snow and subzero temperatures. I’ve experimented with zero-drop sneakers, insulated logging boots, high-tech hikers, and trail runners in search of the perfect boot for every season. Whether scouting, thru-hiking, or hunting, I hike hundreds of miles each year and test the latest and greatest from bootmakers throughout the year in the Rockies.

Full List of Winners From Men's Journal 2025 Outdoor Awards

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