GRITION Walking Boots Men Waterproof, Lightweight Men’s Suede Hiking Boots Lace Up Non Slip Sport Backpacking Trekking Ankle High Shoes Outdoor Winter Grey Orange

Product Information

We interviewed experts, including a Canadian Mountain Guide, to determine when boots work best and when you can get away with shoes in our hiking shoe story: Hiking Boots vs Shoes vs Trail Runners.

When I first tried the Hokas on, I noticed they ran large, at least ½ to ¾ of a size (I wear a size 11). For folks with narrow feet, we recommend boots with a narrow fit or medium-width shoes that can be laced up tightly. If you plan to take your boots through mud, puddles, and water crossings, or you live in a rainy location, chances are that you’ll want a waterproof boot. Most boot laces will work, but if you choose the Salomon boots, note that they require special Kevlar laces.For people with narrow feet, the La Sportiva Nucleo High II GTX ( men’s and women’s) are our award winners for Best Hiking Boots for Narrow Feet. The only downside, besides break-in time, is that these boots run narrow all the way up the ankle; several of our testers ended up with hot spots there. There is always a balance between weight, durability, and features, and depending on your priorities, you may choose to favor one over the other. They didn’t leak, even after we took muddy, puddle-heavy walks along the shores of New Zealand’s alpine lakes. They have webbing eyelets, except for the last 2 hooks that are spaced far apart from each other and the webbing loops.

Though it takes about 10 miles to fully break them in, these boots seemed to get better with wear in our tests.

Since 2017, we’ve considered over 200 pairs of boots, tested 55 pairs, and spoken with many experts about the most important qualities to look for. The updated Altra Lone Peak ALL-WTHR Mid 2 ( men’s and women’s) are our winner for the best ultra lightweight hiking boots.