Yes, you can wear hiking shoes everyday. I've been doing it for twenty years to give my genetically weak feet and ankles a boost when I'm at work or just doing my thing day to day. But there's an art to buying the best everyday hiking shoes.
For the most part, you should skip the most expensive, high-performance hiking shoes for everyday wear. They're often too stiff and too hot on your feet to be comfortable in civilization. Plus, their specialized tread wears out much faster on streets and sidewalks than on the trail. For everyday wear, men and women usually are better off choosing (1) an outdoor lifestyle shoe that's made for both casual and outdoor use, (2) a budget hiking shoe, (3) a lightweight hiking shoe, or (4) a well-cushioned hiking shoe that balances support and flexibility. Here are the best everyday hiking shoes to wear from the summit to the sidewalk, the trail to the tavern, or the woods to the wine bar.
best everyday hiking shoes
Oboz Sypes
Outdoor Lifestyle Shoe for Everyday
Main Benefits:
The Oboz Sypes stands out if you're looking for a trail-to-town shoe for everyday wear. Most Oboz hiking shoes can be worn everyday because the brand's O-Fit insoles provide targeted cushion and support that's almost like an orthotic. The Sypes, however, is an outdoor lifestlye shoe that's specifically made for people who want to wear their hiking shoes everyday for work and play. It's a capable hiking shoe that comes through with all-day comfort, and it looks great next to khakis, blue jeans, and hiking pants. I personally like the Oboz Sypes as a travel shoe or work shoe for office casual.
Best Match
trail to town, travel, working on your feet
Best Fit
standard fit
with wide sizes available
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Merrell Moab
Budget Hiking Shoe for Everyday
Main Benefits:
Merrell promotes the Moab as "the world's best-selling hiker." But this budge hiking shoe is popular in part because many Merrell lovers wear them as everyday shoes. A little more supportive that your average sneaker, the Moab's "out of the box comfort" translates well to everyday wear, as does its wider fit (since our feet often swell a half-size by the end of the day). The footwear guy at my local REI doesn't hike in Moabs, but he really likes them as work shoe for standing on his feet all day.
Best Match
day hiking, work shoe, general outdoor shoe
Best Fit
wide feet +
wide sizes available
Danner Trail 2650
Lightweight Hiking Shoe for Everyday
Main Benefits:
Named for the 2650-mile Pacific Crest Trail, the Danner Trail 2650 is a lightweight trail shoe made for thru-hikers. However, it's also one of the best hiking shoes for everyday wear because it's flexible, features a roomy fit (which accommodates swelling feet), and dresses up well. I wear my 2650s as work from home shoes and also wear them to hike the desert wash behind my house during my writing breaks. Danner cross-lists most of their shoes as both "hiking" and "outdoor lifestyle" (casual) shoes, and this is the best of the bunch.
Best Match
outdoor casual,
fast-and-light hikers
Best Fit
standard to wide feet:
roomy fit with wides available
Danner offers several versions of the Trail 2650—which can be confusing. Here's how to pick the best one for you:
adidas TERREX Free Hiker 2
Best Casual Hiking Shoe for Everyday
Main Benefits:
The TERREX Free Hiker 2 is a casual hiking shoe with extra-cushy Boost foam midsoles borrowed from adidas's running line. It's made for casual hikers who mostly stick to well-maintained trails. That also means they're Hella comfortable for long distance trails, urban hikes, and casual wear. This premium hiking sneaker is expensive. But it packs in some premium technology for cushioning and support, which is why many people consider it the most comfortable hiking shoe out there. If you love you some cushion and got the coin, the adidas TERREX Free Hiker 2 is one of the best hiking shoes for everyday. I mostly wear my Free Hikers for travel since they're super comfortable for walking, hiking, and touristy things.
Keen Targhee Low
Everyday Hiking Shoe with Wide Toe Box
Main Benefits:
KEEN's best-selling Targhee Low is a good hiking shoe for moderate trails —with more than enough comfort for everyday wear. KEENs feature plenty of cushion, and their signature toe boxes add everyday comfort by leaving room for your toes to wiggle and your feet to swell. This is a nice hiking shoe for people who work on their feet, and its leather looks good with office casual clothes and outdoor work clothes. My doctor more of less prescribed KEEN to me twenty years ago to wear everyday instead of my Birkenstocks, dress shoes, and cheap casual shoes. That's made a big difference for my feet and ankles.
Best Match
day hiking, work shoe, outdoor lifestyle
Best Fit
wide feet: wide fit
with wide sizes available
Oboz Sawtooth X
Best Hiking Shoe with Everyday Flexibility
Main Benefits:
The Sawtooth X is the rare hiking shoe that's sturdy enough for serious hikes yet comfortable enough to wear everyday. When I started working on my feet all day at Appalachian Outdoors, my podiatrist recommended Oboz as my workshoe because their O-fit insoles add comfort and almost orthotic support. I've not only sold heaps of Sawtooths to hikers, but also to people who work on their feet, including surgeons, nurses, factory workers, and landscapers. The Sawtooth X also adds an outdoor vibe to blue jeans, khakis, and after-work happy hours at your favorite brewpub. It's also the most serious hiking shoe on this list of everyday options for men and women.
Best Match
hiking, work shoe for people who work on their feet
Best Fit
standard fit,
wide sizes available
Yes, you can wear hiking shoes everyday
Hiking shoes can make good everyday shoes . . . if you know what to look for. Some people (like me) wear hiking shoes everyday for extra support and cushioning, especially if they work on their feet. Some wear their hiking shoes as often as possible because they paid good money for them. Others people just love the mountain town look. My recommendations above should help you narrow down the field to a hiking with the right fit, feel, and look for your everyday needs.
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