It's not easy to find vegan hiking boots or hiking shoes. Most hiking footwear is made with leather—or a mix of leather and synthetic materials. Even non-leather hiking footwear tends to incorporate animal-based glues and binding products. But vegans can find a few ethical options for their hiking feet, especially lightweight hiking boots and trail running shoes. This post provides a quick introduction to the best vegan hiking boots, hiking shoes, and trail running shoes for hikers—with notes to help you choose the ones most likely to fit your feet and match your hiking style.
Unlike most articles that recommend vegan hiking footwear, I've personally worn most of the boots and shoes on this list— and know my stuff. I work in the outdoor gear industry and previously managed footwear at a hiking and backpacking shop.
Best Vegan Hiking Boots
The best vegan hiking boots are the Topo Athletic Trailventure 2, On Cloudrock, Lowa Innox Pro, La Sportiva Ultra Raptor II Mid, and Scarpa Rush Mid. These are all lightweight hiking boots (since almost all mid-weight hiking boots incorporate leather). Each has its own fit and best suits a specific hiking style—from casual hikes to fastpacking to harder hikes. So please read my descriptions to find your "best fit" and "best match" from this short list of vegan hiking boots.
Topo Trailventure 2
Lightweight Vegan Hiking Boot
Main Benefits:
The Topo Trailventure 2 is the most versatile vegan hiking boot for day hikers. It's a cross between a lightweight hiking boot and a trail running shoe–a “fastpacking” boot. (Learn more in my Trailventure 2 review.) The Trailventure features Topo’s wide toe box, a secure fit, and low (5mm) heel to toe drop for a more natural landing. This combination has earned Topo Athletic the American Podiatric Medical Association's Seal of Approval for promoting healthy feet. The waterproof version features eVent waterproofing (the most breathable waterproofing on the market) and grippy Vibram outsoles that can handle almost any trail from easy to tough. Made for fast hikers with light packs, this versatile vegan hiking boot is comfortable enough for easy day hikes and technical enough for moderate to difficult day hikes, too.
Best Fit
standard to wide feet
Best Match
day hikers, low drop fans, fans of wide toe boxes
Men's Topo Trailventure 2
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Women's Topo Trailventure 2
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On Cloudrock
Casual Vegan Hiking Boot
Main Benefits:
The On Cloudrock is another vegan fast-packing boot that rocks lightweight comfort. Ons feature cushiony cloud-tec pods underfoot for the feeling of walking "on clouds." That delivers plenty of cush for easy to moderate hikes, urban hikes, and everyday wear. (It's popular with people who work on their feet all day.) The Cloudrock is not as supportive or as durable as traditional hiking and backpacking boots; however, it still offers more ankle support than most lightweight hiking boots. (Learn more in my longer Cloudrock review.) The On Cloudrock looks great and may be a comfortable hiking boot to wear from the summit to the sidewalk.
Best Fit
standard feet
Best Match
casual hikers, urban hikers, fastpackers, trail to town
Men's On Cloudrock
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Women's On Cloudrock 2
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Scarpa Rush Mid
Best Vegan Hiking Boot
Main Benefits:
Another high-performance hiking boot, the Scarpa Rush Mid GTX is the rare hiking boot that provides mid-weight support in a lightweight package. That means this light but rugged vegan hiking boot can pretty much do it all on the trail. The Rush has plenty of backbone for moderate to difficult hikes while still feeling light and agile on your hiking feet—thanks to moderately stiff but comfortable soles that flex a little at the foot's natural flex point. The boot's soft ankle collars don't provide the best ankle protection, but its waterproof-breathable GORE-TEX membrane and grippy Presa rubber outsoles provide premium performance. (Learn more in this in-depth review.) If you're into harder hikes, the Scarpa Rush Mid GTX (and new Rush 2) is the premium vegan hiking boot on this list.
Best Fit
standard feet (size up)
Best Match
moderate to difficult day hikes, light backpacking
Men's Scarpa Rush 2 Mid GTX
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Women's Scarpa Rush 2 Mid GTX
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Best Vegan Hiking Shoes
The two best vegan hiking shoes are the La Sportiva Spire GTX and Salewa Mountain Trainer Lite GTX. Both are serious hiking shoes that make my curated list of the best overall hiking shoes for men and women.
La Sportiva Spire GTX
Best Vegan Hiking Shoe
Main Benefits:
The La Sportiva Spire GTX is not only one of the best vegan hiking shoes, but also one of the best overall hiking shoes! The Spire GTX is light but sturdy, soft but stable, thanks to its mix of cushiony EVA foam and firmer TPU supports. For a premium price, you get Vibram outsoles for excellent traction and GORE-TEX Surround–Gore’s most breathable waterproof membrane. This trail shoe may be a good match for moderate and difficult day hikes and backpacking trips with a lighter pack. It’s expensive for a low-cut hiking shoe. However, the Spire GTX may be worth it for hikers who don’t mind paying for quality and performance.
Best Fit
standard feet
runs large (women)
Best Match
all-around hiking,
moderate to difficult trails
Men's La Sportiva Spire GTX
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Women's La Sportiva Spire GTX
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Salewa MTN Trainer Lite
Most Supportive Vegan Hiking Shoe
Main Benefits:
The Salewa Mountain Trainer Lite is a serious hiking shoe that’s built for technical, Alpine trails with rock scrambling. In spite of its name, the Mountain Trainer Lite GTX is not a lightweight hiking shoe (learn more in my review); it’s a muscular hiking shoe with stiff and sturdy soles for better stability and support than the other vegan hiking shoes and lightweight hiking boots on this list. The Mountain Trainer Lite has a standard fit and comes in both a waterproof-breathable GORE-TEX (GTX) option and non-waterproof option (less expensive). This vegan hiking shoe from Salewa has a strong backbone and plenty of chops for moderate to difficult hikes in the mountains.
Best Fit
standard feet
(size up)
Best Match
hard hikes, rocky terrain
Men's Salewa Mountain Trainer Lite
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Women's Salewa Mountain Trainer Lite
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buying vegan hiking boots and shoes
Are you committed to buying vegan hiking boots or hiking shoes? For this post, I've vetted each of these hiking boots, hiking shoes, and trail running shoes from the vendor's websites to verify that they're vegan. You can feel confident that this curated list above only lists Vegan hiking boots and shoes, so you can make an ethical choice for your hiking feet.
You can also feel confident that these are quality hiking boots and shoes. Unlike other sites that recommend vegan hiking boots and shoes, my recommendations reflect my extensive hiking experience and outdoor industry experience. I actually know the "best fits" and "best matches" for each of these vegan hiking boots and shoes because I've worn them and sold them—I didn't just Google "vegan hiking boots" and list the search results (like other blogs and websites).
You'll find in-depth reviews of the Topo Trailventure, On Cloudrock, Lowa Innox Pro, Scarpa Rush, and Salewa MTN Trainer Lite on HIking Feet (with more reviews on the way). Feel free to browse Hiking Feet's brand reviews or hiking boot/shoe reviews to learn more about these recommended brands and recommended boots and shoes.
Have you found your favorite vegan hiking boot or hiking shoe? If so, you'd be doing me a solid if you bought them through the affiliate links above. That won't cost you anything, but the retailers may share a small percentage of the sale with Hiking Feet. Those commissions aren't much, but they fund this site—and give me a few dollars back for the thousands of hours of free labor that I've devoted to free and independent content that helps others buy the best footwear for their hikes.
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