You won't find many hiking shoes offered in a narrow size. However, several of the best hiking shoes and best trail running shoes for hikers have narrow fits. That means that hikers and backpackers with narrow feet have some solid options. What are the best hiking shoes for narrow feet? Hikers with narrow feet should start with the following hiking shoes and trail running shoes:
My recommendations are based on my experience fitting men and women at a hiking and backpacking shop in Pennsylvania and polling my co-workers at Backcountry who have narrow feet.
best hiking shoes for narrow feet
Vasque Breeze LT: best lightweight hiking shoe (narrow)
Main Benefits:
The Vasque Breeze LT Low is the best lightweight hiking shoe for narrow feet. Vasque is best known for burly footwear. But the Breeze LT (LT= "lightweight") is lighter, narrower, and more flexible than the original Breeze. The LT features breathable mesh uppers and Vibram Megagrip/LiteBase outsoles, which are 30% lighter and 50% thinner than the average hiking outsole. The Breeze LT Low may be a good choice for fast hikers with light packs and hikers with narrow feet who mostly stick to well maintained trails that don't beg for big, supportive hiking shoes.
Salomon X Ultra Pioneer: best budget hiking shoe (narrow)
Main Benefits:
The Salomon X Ultra Pioneer is a good, all-around hiking shoe for hikers with narrow feet—and a good buy. The X Ultra Pioneer is basically a less expensive version of the award-winning X Ultra 3 hiking shoe (which is no longer available). More than most hiking shoes, X Ultras balance agility with stability, giving hikers more support at a lighter weight than the average hiking shoe. Even better, the X Ultra Pioneer costs less than the rest of the X Ultra family since it's replaced GORE-TEX with Salomon's proprietary waterproofing and removed the quick-lace system of the original in favor of traditional laces. That makes the X Ultra Pioneer a budget-friendly hiking shoe with aggressive lugs for steeper, tougher trails. Fit-wise, Salomons run snug in the heel with tapered toe boxes for a relatively narrow fit.
Lowa Renegade Low (hiking shoe in a narrow size)
Main Benefits:
The Lowa Renegade Low GTX is the rare hiking shoe that's sold in a narrow size (as well as regular and wides). The low-cut version of a Hall of Fame backpacking boot, the burly Renegade Low is a highly supportive and durable hiking shoe that's best for moderate to difficult hikes. The leather uppers and GORE-TEX lining combine for solid weather protection while the Vibram outsoles provide durable traction on a range of trails. Renegages run heavier than most hiking shoes. However, true narrow sizes are hard to find, and REI sometimes carries the low-cut Renegade in a narrow.
best trail running shoes for narrow feet
La Sportiva Ultra Raptor II: trail running shoe with narrow fit
Main Benefits:
The La Sportiva Ultra Raptor is the most protective trail running shoe for hikers and a good fit for narrow feet. This light but solid trail running shoe features plenty of foot protection (for a trail runner), strong trail feel, and great grip on rocks and technical terrain. Sportiva's sturdiest trail runner should spare your feet from a little more wear and tear on the trail, and it also adds moderate cushioning to absorb some shock on the trail. The Ultra Raptor II may be a killer pick for ambitious day hikers who love mountain trails and some rock scrambling.
Salomon Speedcross: trail running shoe with narrow fit
Main Benefits:
The Speedcross is Salomon's narrowest trail running shoe and a long-time best seller. It feels firm yet fast underfoot with widely spaced lugs designed to dig into mud and snow. This Speedcross also features a snug fit that you can dial in with Salomon's Sensifit uppers and quicklace system. The Speedcross 6 is available in waterproof-breathable GORE-TEX (GTX) or non-waterproof ($20 less). If you've got narrow feet and want aggressive traction for soft trails, this light-weight trail runner could be the best fit for your (narrow) feet and best match for your (muddy) hikes.
where to buy narrow hiking shoes
These five options are my short list of the best hiking shoes for narrow feet. For more options, you can browse other hiking shoes and trail running shoes from brands that run narrow, such as La Sportiva, Salomon, and Vasque.
It's ideal to try on hiking shoes before you buy them, especially if you're worried about fit. However, you'll find the best selection of hiking shoes for narrow feet at Backcountry or REI. The links above show you current prices and give you short cuts to check for available sizes and colors.
If this post has helped you pick out new narrow hiking shoes, please consider purchasing them through these affiliate links. That's free for you, but the retailer may share a small percentage of the sale with Hiking Feet. That pays for this site and gives me a few dollars back for all the unpaid hours I've spent creating free content to help others find the best fits for their best and best matches for their hikes.
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