best hiking shoes for men and women: 2024 picks

How do you begin to find the best hiking shoes for your feet and your hikes? The boot wall at your local outdoor gear shop may hold 25 hiking shoes. And that's nothing compared to REI and Backcountry, which literally offer more than 100 hiking shoes online. The choices may seem overwhelming, especially if you're newer to hiking. The good news is that most hikers ultimately pick from a small pool of the best hiking shoes:

The bad news is that many of these hiking shoes won't fit your feet, your budget, or the kind of hiking you do. 

That's why Hiking Feet's recommendations for the best hiking shoes highlight the "best fit" and "best match" for each shoe—and groups these hiking shoes by category to narrow your choices down to 2-3 options. This should help you find the best hiking shoes for YOU.  

This post includes affiliate links. Hiking Feet may receive a small commission if you click on a link and make a qualifying purchase. That's free for you—and gives you an easy way to support Hiking Feet's free and independent content. 

all-around best hiking shoes

Most people pick hiking shoes that provide better support and traction than a running shoe or sneaker. If you're after a good, all-around hiking shoe that can handle a range of trails, I recommend starting with the Salomon X Ultra 4 Low GTX or Oboz Sawtooth X BDry hiking shoes. The X Ultra 4 is the rare hiking shoe that's both lightweight and supportive while the Sawtooth delivers plenty of support, comfort, and durabilty for the average day hiker. 

Salomon X Ultra 4 GTX

The Salomon X Ultra 4 is the rare hiking shoe that's both lightweight and supportive, making it a good, all-around hiking shoe for the average hiker and more serious hikers. Salomon's best-selling hiking shoe has a moderately stiff feel with moderate cushioning and moderate flex at the foot's natural flex-point—a great balance between stability and agility. It's also stacked with a waterproof-breathable GORE-TEX membrane (optional) and aggressive traction that excels on steeper trails with loose footing. It's no surprise that I've sold more Salomon X Ultras over the years than any other hiking shoe. 

Oboz Sawtooth X

For ten years, the Sawtooth has been Oboz's best-selling hiking shoe. The new Sawtooth X is the 10th ("X") anniversary update to this sturdy, durable, and comfortable hiking shoe. It's easy on your feet, thanks to Oboz's sturdy outsoles, cushy EVA foam midsoles, and expensive O-fit insoles, which add extra cushioning and support where other brands skimp. My older Sawtooths also lasted forever— twice as long as most hiking shoes I've owned. It's heavier than most hiking shoes. But the Oboz Sawtooth X is the rare hiking shoe that's strong enough for harder hikes yet comfortable enough to wear all day, too. It's one of the best hiking shoes for day hikers who value comfort and durability more than weight savings. 

best lightweight hiking shoes 

Lightweight hiking shoes weigh around two pounds (men) or less (women) and may be a good choice for fast hikers or more casual hikers who mostly hike easy to moderate trails that don't require much support. If you value weight savings more than support or price, you might start with the Vasque Breeze LT (narrow feet), Hoka Anacapa Low (max cushion), or Danner Trail 2650 (standard or wide feet). 

Vasque Breeze LT

The Vasque Breeze LT (“Lite”) is a lightweight trail shoe with light and flexible soles that are made for fast-and-light hikes on well maintained trails. To trim ounces, the Breeze LT features lightweight mesh uppers and Litebase Vibram outsoles that are thinner than traditional hiking shoes. This shoe runs small (size up) and narrow with a more environmentally friendly NTX waterproofing. This is not the hiking shoe for men and women who want support. However, the Vasque Breeze LT could be a great choice if you're looking for a snug fit and hike fast without much weight on your back. 

Hoka Anacapa Low

Most lightweight hiking shoes cut cushioning to cut weight—not the Hoka Anacapa. Hoka’s first hiking shoe is lightweight with maximum cushion for more comfort on the trail. The Anacapa also feautures a waterproof and breathable GORE-TEX membrane and premium Vibram outsoles. Their tread is soft enough for good grip on solid rock but also feature some aggressive, V-shaped climbing and braking lugs that can dig into soft or loose surfaces. Hoka's first hiking shoe is a winner, especially if you're looking for a lightweight hiking shoe with more float than feel underfoot.

Danner Trail 2650

The Trail 2650 is Danner's best-selling hiking shoe and one of the best hiking shoes for men and women who want a light-weight trail shoe. With a light build and roomier fit, the Trail 2650 may be great match for fast hikers and hikers who mostly stick to well maintained trails. It's not cheap—and lacks the stability and support of hiking shoes further down this list. However, these lightweight hiking shoes feature third-party upgrades, such as optional GORE-TEX waterproofing and premium Vibram outsoles known for their durability and multi-surface traction. Like most Danners, the Trail 2650 has crossover appeal for people who want a trail-to-town shoe that they can wear for hiking, work, and casual use. 

The hard question is which 2650 should you buy? There's a bewildering number of choices, including the desert-focused Campo with a sock-like fit, the mesh version, the standard nubuck leather, or the special full-grain leather style — each of which is available in non-waterproof or GORE-TEX, low- or mid-cut, standard or wide fit. Confusing. But the affiliate links below will let you sift through your options at Backcountry, which usually has the best online selection of hiking shoes. 

best hiking shoes for hikers on a budget 

In 2023, most of the best hiking shoes cost more than $150. That's more than many of us can spend—and may be more than we need to spend. The best budget hiking shoes may be good enough for the average hiker and weekend warrior. If you're more concerned with price than with weight or support, start with the adidas TERREX AX4 or Merrell Moab hiking shoe. 

adidas Terrex AX4

The adidas TERREX AX4 is probably the best hiking shoe that retails for $100 or less. The TERREX AX4 is a respectable hiking shoe made with mesh uppers and Continental rubber outsoles with aggressive lugs that dig into steep ascents and descents. It’s more or less an average hiking shoe with decent support, breathability, and traction at a decent weight. That’s not bad at all for a shoe that sneaks below $100 (non-waterproof). This budget hiking shoe should be good enough for most day hikes, and its colors look great against denim or khakis if you want to wear it as casual outdoor shoe.

Note: Adidas also offers this shoe in GORE-TEX for better waterproofing–which bumps its price up to the $120 range:

Merrell Moab 3 

Merrell is more of a budget brand than a premium brand— with the low-cut Merrell Moab standing out as its best-selling hiking shoe. The Moab hiking shoe is a popular pick for budget-oriented hikers, casual hikers, and beginners who prefer the Moab's "out of the box comfort" to more supportive, performance-oriented hiking shoes. It's not the best choice for serious hikers and tough terrain. However, the Moab is good enough for the average day hiker, and the Merrell Moab 3—updated in summer 2022—seems to be more supportive than its predecessors. That makes the Merrell Moab 3 Low one of the best hiking shoes for budget-oriented hikers and for men and women who wear hiking shoes as work shoes or everyday shoes.

best hiking shoes with wide toe boxes

KEEN Targhee Low

The popular KEEN Targhee is one of the best hiking shoes for hikers with wide feet, thanks to its wide toe box. That adds wiggle room for your toes with a protective toe bumper designed to protect toes and toe nails from rocks and roots. Targhees also boast plenty of cushioning, protective leather uppers, and moderate support for good, all-day comfort. Tough terrain and heavy packs may expose this shoe's limitations. However, the KEEN Targhee is one of the best hiking shoes for the average day hiker and fans of roomy toe boxes.  

Altra Olympus 5 Hike

Altra has never made a true hiking shoe—until releasing the Olympus 5 "Hike" late in 2022. The Olympus 5 HIKE GTX is a max cushion hiking shoe that adds some hiking features on top of that thick cushioning. That includes sturdier uppers that mix synthetic mesh with leather for added durability, a waterproof and breathable GORE-TEX membrane for weather protection, and grippy Vibram Megagrip outsoles with hiking (not running) traction. It's a pricey hiking shoe, for sure. But it's packed with performance and more cushioning than most hiking shoes. Altra's first real "hiking shoe" looks promising—giving hikers the balanced cushion/zero drop, gender-specific fit, and wide toe box that Altra's running shoes made popular.

best alpine hiking shoes

Do you mostly hike mountains? Many of the best brands for hiking shoes are based in the Alps—where they make stiff and grippy hiking shoes for rocky, alpine terrain. The La Sportiva Spire GTX, Salewa Mountain Trainer Lite, and Scarpa Rush 2 Low GTX are the best alpine hiking shoes for more technical trails and rocky mountains. 

La Sportiva Spire GTX

Like Salomon's X Ultra 4 above, La Sportiva's Spire GTX offers premium performance in a lightweight package. With its mix of EVA cushioning and sturdy TPU inserts, the Spire is both soft underfoot and stable on uneven ground. It's not cheap. But that's because it's packed with premium features for tackling alpine terrrain, including Vibram outsoles and GORE-TEX Surround —the most breathable GORE-TEX system in hiking shoes. La Sportivas run narrow. But if the Spire fits you, it's one of the best hiking shoes for men and women who want premium quality and lightweight performance for mountain hikes.

Salewa Mountain Trainer Lite

Made for the hiking the Alps in mild weather, the Salewa Mountain Trainer Lite is a sturdy hiking shoe for serious hikes in the mountains. It’s a hybrid that mixes the support of a hiking shoe and climb-oriented features of an approach shoe, so it excels on technical trails with some rock scrambling. In spite of its name, the Mountain Trainer Lite GTX is not a lightweight hiking shoe; it’s a burly shoe with stiff and sturdy soles for excellent stability and support on uneven ground. The stiffest, most supportive hiking shoe on this list, the Mountain Trainer Lite has plenty of chops for hard mountain hikes.

Scarpa Rush 2 GTX 

The Scarpa Rush 2 GTX may be the best overal hiking shoe on this list. It's stiff and supportive—what you want for alpine treks—while weighing several ounces less than the average hiking shoe. As you might expect from a brand known for its climbing shoes, the Rush 2's outsoles have great grip on rock while adding a GORE-TEX membrane for durable and breathable waterproofing. Scarpa also offers a more standard fit than other alpine brands—which usually run narrow. (Hikers with wide feet may be able to wear the Rush 2 by sizing up a full size from their everyday shoe size.) With great stability and agility, this premium hiking shoe can handle serious alpine hikes as well as more moderate trails, too. 

choosing the best hiking shoes for YOU

Life's too short to settle for crappy hiking shoes. So this post has highlighted the best hiking shoes for men and women— based on my extensive hiking experience and outdoor industry training. My hope is that this post has helped you find one or two pairs that will fit your feet, your budget, and your hikes.

If you're still on the fence, Hiking Feet reviewed of several of these hiking shoes. Click here for my in depth reviews of the Danner Trail 2650, Altra Olympus 5 Hike, Salomon X Ultra 4 Low, Obox Sawtooth X Low, Salewa Mountain Trainer Lite, and Scarpa Rush 2. You can also learn more about these brands (and others) with Hiking Feet's brand reviews. 

If you have found your next pair of hiking shoes, please consider buying them through the affiliate links above. Hiking Feet may receive a small commission (at no cost to you) from the retailer. Those commissions fund this site (and compensate me for the hundreds of unpaid hours I spent creating free content to help you choose the hiking shoes that make the most sense for you). If this site hooked you up, please consider hooking me up, too. Thanks, I appreciate it!