casual hiking shoes for easy hikes & everyday

The best casual hiking shoes should be lighter than traditional hiking shoes with enough cushioning and support for all-day comfort. Today's casual hiking shoes fall into two camps. On one hand, there are lightweight hiking shoes designed for easier trails and more casual types of hiking. On the other hand, there are outdoor lifestyle shoes—casual shoes that are fine for the occasional, after-work hike, but better for brewpubs, dog walks, travel, and everyday wear. In 2023, I personally tested the most popular trail-to-town shoes on the market. Here are my first-hand recommendations for the best casual hiking shoes for easy hikes, travel, and everyday.  

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best casual hiking shoes 

Oboz Sypes

Best casual hiking shoe for travel & everyday

The Oboz Sypes is one of the best casual hiking shoes for versatile, everyday wear. They're not as burly as traditional Oboz hiking shoes, but still provide plenty of cushioning and support for hiking, traveling, and working on your feet. Their mountain town styling reflects Oboz's Bozeman heritage and looks great against denim, khakis, travel pants, and hiking pants. On my recent trip to Europe, I saw more travelers wearing the Sypes than any other casual hiking shoe. 

adidas TERREX Free Hiker 2

Most comfortable casual hiking shoe

The adidas TERREX Free Hiker 2 leans into comfort with plenty of summit-to-sidwalk performance. This is a super-cushy hiking shoe—thanks to the same BOOST foam used in adidas running shoes—for comfort that doesn't quit. The Free Hiker is a more technical hiking shoe than you might think, but it's best for well-groomed trails, urban trails, and less technical terrain. I loved wearing my Free Hikers to Ireland last summer, where I sloshed through the wet streets of Dublin in the GORE-TEX (GTX) version and hiked around Killarney National Park. Available in a low-cut or mid-cut (reviewed here), it's also a nice alternative for those who want a hiking shoe that doesn't look like a traditional hiking shoe—and a nice splurge for comfort. 

Altra LP Alpine

Best Altra for everyday wear

The Lone Peak Alpine is the casual version of Altra's popular Lone Peak trail running shoe. Some runners—and hikers—love Altra's unconventional zero drop soles and wide, footshape toe boxes—a build that relies upon the body's natural cushioning and support mechanisms (instead of shoes) for support. The Lone Peak Alpine gives you this combination in an everyday leather shoe for casual wear. This may be a good casual shoe for Altra fans and for those who want to wear a flat shoe everyday to build up their lower body without the extra heel cushioning and mid-foot support of conventional athletic shoes.

Vasque Re:connnect-Here

Lightweight trail shoe for everyday

New for fall 2023, the Vasque Re:Connect HERE is a lightweight trail shoe for light hiking and everyday comfort. Made for those who want to disconnect from their devices and reconnect with nature, this trail shoe is super-cushioned with lightweight ventilated mesh to keep our feet comfy and cool when we're out being active. You won't be scaling major mountains in the HERE, but it's comfortable hiking sneaker made for well-groomed trails, urban hikes, dog parks, wine bars, after-work walks, and after-work drinks. I wear my pair as my primary work-from-home shoe and as a city walking shoe. 

Salomon Outpulse

Best lightweight hiking shoe for casual hikers

Merrell Nova/Antora

Merrell's best trail-to-town shoe

A cross between a hiking shoe, trail running shoe, and casual sneaker, the Merrell Nova (men) and Antora (women) offer casual hikers a gender-specific fit. These casual hiking shoes are lighter than the best-selling Merrell Moab, making them a good choice for faster hikers and hikers who don't need the support of a traditional hiking shoe for the well-groomed trails they hike. The men's Nova (see full review) and women's Antora each have a roomy fit, "out of the box" comfort, and a budget-friendly price—that's Merrell's M.O. Based on first-hand experience, I prefer the Nova to the best-selling Merrell Moab within the casual hiking niche.  

Oboz Katabatic

Best for fast-and-light hiking 

Oboz usually leans into durability and support (not weight savings), but their new Katabatic has scored points with fast-and-light hikers and more casual hikers. The Katabatic is lightweight and agile while still featuring Oboz's expensive O-Fit insoles, which add cushioning and support where other brands go cheap and skimp. This isn't your typical, Oboz workhorse— it's a good casual hiking shoe for shorter hikes and for active people looking for trail-to-town versatility. 

Danner Trail 2650

Best light leather hiking shoe

Danner crosslists most of their shoes as both "hiking" and "outdoor lifestlye" (casual) shoes. Of those crossover styles, the Trail 2650 is their best hiking shoe for casual hikers. Named after the 2650-mile Pacific Crest Trail, each style in the Trail 2650 series is made for hiking fast on well-maintained trails. However, their thinner soles and lightweight build also works for more casual hikes and more casual wear. Available in regular and wide sizes, the Danner Trail 2650 (see my full review) provides premium traction and (optional) GORE-TEX waterproofing for true hiking and retro, 1980s styling that may turn heads at the coffeeshop, farmer's market, or brewpub. 

Why buy casual hiking shoes?

Hiking shoes generally have better cushioning, stability, and support than casual shoes and sneakers. That makes them a good everyday option for people with foot or ankle issues, men and women who work on their feet, and folks who just like the look of hiking shoes on their feet. This post has highlighted the best casual hiking shoes and outdoor lifestyle shoes for trail-to-town use.

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I hope to see the best casual hiking shoes on your feet, somewhere from the trail to the tavern.