best women’s hiking shoes 2024

It's not easy coming up with a short list of the best women's hiking shoes. The good news is that most good brands now offer their best hiking shoes with gender-specific fits. That's a step up from the days when brands would simply take a men's hiking shoe and "shrink it and pink it." The bad news is that there are few hiking shoes made solely for women—and the best women-specific hiking shoes seem to get phased out after a few seasons.

Still, I can come up with a solid list of the best women's hiking shoes, based on my outdoor industry experience and feedback from my female customers and co-workers. My list of the best women's hiking shoes of 2023 assumes that women and girls deserve hiking shoes that are just as technical as men's hiking shoes. The best women's hiking shoes are the 

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best women-specific hiking shoes

Here are the best women-specific hiking shoes—women's-only models that were designed and sized for women who hike:

Oboz Sapphire Low

Merrell Siren

The incoming Merrell Siren 4 (and outgoing Siren 3 Edge) is a women-specific model that's not as stodgy as the best-selling Merrell Moab. It features a quality Vibram outsole and Vegan-friendly construction with a lightweight build that's better for casual day hikes or fast hikers with light day packs (or no packs). This is a budget option for women who prefer a non-waterproof hiking shoe that's specifically made for women—not adapted from a men's model. 

best women's hiking shoes: women-specific fits

For the most part, the best women's hiking shoes come from leading brands who offer their best-sellers in both men's and women's versions. These shoes provide men and women with the same quality and performance —with their women's styles offering women-specific fits and often more "feminine" styling and colorways.  

The best women's hiking shoe for YOU is one that best fits your feet and best matches your hikes. See the following product descriptions to learn more about these hiking shoes and their best fits and best matches: 

Vasque Breeze LT: best lightweight women's hiking shoe

The Vasque Breeze LT is one of the best women's hiking shoes for women who prefer a light and flexible trail shoe to a more supportive one. While the regular Breeze is a sturdy shoe for serious hikes, the Breeze LT ("Lite") features lightweight mesh uppers and Litebase Vibram outsoles that are thinner than traditional hiking shoes. This could be a great, light-duty hiking shoe if you've got narrow feet and mostly hike well-maintained trails that don't require much support. 

Hoka Anacapa Low: best women's hiking shoe with max cushion

The Hoka Anacapa Low is one of the best women's hiking shoes for hikers who crave as much cushioning as possible. Hokas are known for their light weight and max cushion—and this is their go-to hiking shoe for day hikers. As a hiking shoe (not a trail running shoe), the Anacapa is heavier than the Hoka Speedgoat (below) with firmer, more durable cushioning and premium Vibram outsoles for excellent traction on the trail. This shoe has a slightly roomy fit and is available in either a waterproof GORE-TEX ("GTX") or non-waterproof "breeze" for more ventilation and breathability. 

Altra Olympus 5 Hike

Altra is a popular brand with hikers, even though they'd never actually made a hiking shoe—until releasing the Olympus 5 Hike in summer 2022. And it's a doozy. The Olympus 5 Hike features the wide toe boxes, balanced cushioning, and gender-specific fits that've been Altra's calling card. However, it also features significantly more cushioning, support, and durability than Altra trail running shoes, such as the popular Lone Peak (see below). It's also packed with the best waterproofing (GORE-TEX) and traction (Vibram outsoles) available. These premium features makes the Altra Olympus 5 Hike one of the best women's hiking shoes for those who want a more supportive version of Altra's zero drop, foot-shaped trail shoes. 

Oboz Sawtooth X: best value

The Oboz Sawtooth X may be a little heavier than some hiking shoes (including the Oboz Sapphire above), but it's got "all the right junk in all the right places" (to use Meghan Trainor's lyrics). Thanks to its excellent cushioning, support, and expensive O Fit insoles, t's the rare hiking shoe that's sturdy enough for harder hikers while being comfortable enough to wear everyday. This 10th ("X") anniversary update to the best-selling Sawtooth has dialed down some of the shoe's more "masculine" features and offers women hikers a great buy. 

Salomon X Ultra Pioneer: most versatile  

For years, Salomon's X Ultra series has stood out for offering above average support at below average weight. The X Ultra Pioneer continues that legacy with a shoe that's similar to the uber-popular X Ultra 3 (which is no longer available)—but at a lower price (thanks to swapping out GORE-TEX for Salomon's own waterproof membrane). X Ultras can handle everything from average trails to more rugged terrain and lighter backpacking, thanks to their above average support and traction. The X Ultra Pioneer is a great value at $20 less than the Salomon X Ultra 4 GTX (which is also one of the best women's hiking shoes.)

La Sportiva Spire GTX

La Sportiva's Spire GTX is one of the best hiking shoes for serious hikes on technical terrain. This is one of the rare hiking shoes that's both relatively light and relatively supportive, and it's packed with premium features, including the most breathable GORE-TEX waterproofing and Vibram outsoles made for harder hikes. If you mostly hike moderate to difficult terrain and want one of the best women's hiking shoes, the La Sportiva Spire GTX is a premium pick. 

best women's hiking shoes: trail runners

Salomon XA Pro 

The Salomon XA Pro is a protective trail running shoe that's probably a better hiking shoe than running shoe. It's relatively stiff and supportive for a trail runner, so it can handle harder terrain and heavier packs than most trail running shoes (and several hiking shoes). It offers less weight savings than most trail runners. However, that's because it's stacked with sturdy foot protection, grippy outsoles, optional GORE-TEX waterproofing, and a Quicklace system that I like (but it's not for everybody). If you want to hike in a trail running but worry about them providing enough support and durability, the XA Pro may be a good choice for you. 

Altra Lone Peak 7

Many female thru-hikers love the Altra Lone Peak because its lightweight mesh dries quickly and its wide, footshape toe boxes provide extra room for their toes to splay out. Lone Peaks are moderately cushioned trail running shoes that are specifically engineered to fit female feet, including a narrower heel and mid-foot, higher instep, and longer arch. Altras are best known for their wide toe boxes and "zero drop" platforms (that position the heel and forefoot an equal distance from the ground). However, zero drop shoes aren't for everybody (see my brand review), and those wide toe boxes may be a sloppy fit for narrow feet, steep descents, or harder terrain. If you're looking to hike in a trail running shoe with less support and a roomy fit, the Altra Lone Peak may be the best trail shoe for you. 

La Sportiva Ultra Raptor II

The Ultra Raptor II is the anti-thesis of the Altra Lone Peak—it features a snug fit, plenty of foot protection, and great grip on rocks and steeper terrain. La Sportiva's burliest trail running shoe is great for technical trails and harder hikes with plenty of rock scrambling. Ultra Raptors may be sturdier than most trail runners, but they're still lighter than traditional hiking shoes. If you mostly hike rocky trails and prefer a protective trail running shoe to lightweight trail runners and traditional hiking shoes, the La Sportiva Ultra Raptor II may be the best trail shoe for your hikes.

Brooks Cascadia

Hoka Speedgoat 5

“Hokas” dominate the "max cushion" niche of trail running shoes with lightweight trail shoes with obscene amounts of cushion. The Speedgoat is the most popular Hoka for hikers--and top selling trail shoe in the U.S. right now. It may be a killer pick for hikers who want minumum weight and maximum cushion. And it’s also surprisingly supportive for such a cushiony shoe. With their tall stack height and pronounced rocker, Hoka’s look and feel are not for everybody. But if you want max cushion, the Speedgoat 4 may be the most comfortable trail running shoe for your hikes.

where to buy the best women's hiking shoes

I hope this curated list of the best women's hiking shoes has helped you pick out your next pair!? If not, please check out my general recommendations for the best hiking shoes or Hiking Feet's brand recommendations and hiking shoe reviews. There's a good chance that you'll find the right hiking shoe by browsing this site. 

For those of you who are ready to buy, you'll find the best women's hiking shoes and trail running shoes at outdoor specialty retailers. It's always great to support your local outdoor gear shop (versus the sporting good chains on the edge of town). For online shoppers, you'll generally find the best selection of women's hiking shoes at Backcountry (where I work) or REI.

If you're ready to pull the trigger on a new pair of women's hiking shoes, please consider purchasing them through the affiliate links in this post. That doesn't cost you anything, but it pays my bills and gives me a few dollars back for the hundreds of unpaid hours I've spent creating free and independent content to help you find the best fits for your feet and the best matches for your hikes. If this site hooked you up, please consider hooking me up, too.

Happy hiking!