Who makes good hiking shoes?

[Oreo]

I want to buy a good pair of hiking shoes and I'm tired of the garbage at DSW that falls apart in less then a season. What brands do you recommend? Where can I find them?

Thanks!

[Outpost75]

Lowa boots at REI.

[Fergie]

I've been using Merrells with good results. Rotate a few pairs during the week, and a pair of non-cold-weather hikers.

They fit well for me and have lasted several years per pair.

If you want to bleed once and never buy another pair, look at Zamberlans.

[Akheloce]

For hiking, have a pair of Zamberlans.

Less than a multi day hike, I just keep my work Whites Hunters. Both will last a long time.

[N4AUD]

Asics.

[Silfield]

Another vote for Merrells, the wife and I have been wearing and abusing them for years now and they do seem to last well-very comfortable and supportive too.

[Plate plinker]

Lowa look good but a bit for less Columbia has served me well also the Merrill

[smokeywolf]

I've had pretty good luck with Teva and with Keen. I have a wide foot and high instep so always buy a full size bigger than suggested. Plus, I usually swap out the included insole after a couple of months for a better after-market pair.

[Teddy (punchie)]

Merrells !! Now they run 1/2 small for most. For hiking Cost 50.00 and up.

For heavy brushing / hunting Irishsetter Gunflint 1000 gm. waterproof. 120.00- 150.00

[fatnhappy]

Merrells !! Now they run 1/2 small for most. For hiking Cost 50.00 and up.

For heavy brushing / hunting Irishsetter Gunflint 1000 gm. waterproof. 120.00- 150.00

I like my merrels, they're durable and comfortable. They breathe well and have good ankle support. Save your money on the waterproof variants, they aren't. Slightly water resistant is a better description. My feet would get wet walking across a dew coated grass.

[dragon813gt]

Guess I'm the only one that thinks Merrells are junk. I wear hiking boots all day long at work and they take a beating. Tried two different Merrell designs and neither lasted a month. Seams split and they were never water proof.

I've been buying Vasque as of late. Unfortunately North Face stopped making the boot I wore for close to ten years. Vasque boots are actually water proof. And they hold up well.

Honestly I don't expect any of these boots to last more than six months. At that point I've usually worn the soles almost bare. Made it eight months w/ the last pair of Vasque Talus. I have a narrow foot so finding a pair of boots that fit properly is a real issue.

[10sandxs]

I just got back from a "hike" at the philmont scout ranch in the mountains of new mexico. We put on 80 miles from 6000 to 12000 feet elevation in 11 days with 55 lb packs on our backs. I wore merrels, and by day 6 my feet looked like hamburger. A few other guys had minor blisters, but I was in tough shape. I went through several packs of mole skin and tape to literally keep my feet in one piece. I was swapping about five different pairs of liner socks, wool, and/or synthetic, including combinations of socks to try to mitigate the issues, but no combination, thick or thin, many or few seemed to help.

I had worn these for several months, including training hikes and had never had a problem.

This was a tough hike, but I was throughly dissapointed in the boots. And no, they are not even close to waterproof as advertised. The picture below shows my feet in a river trying to clean and cool them. I would take the bandages off at night before bed, and reapply each am. This doesn't even show the four blisters I had on my heals...

[osteodoc08]

Ouch 10sandxs! I never had the chance to make it out to Philmont but always wanted to.

Im not really sure what a hiking shoe is. I've always worn boots. My wife and ex wife enjoyed Merrells but I always wore boots. I've used Danner with good results as well as Red Wing and am eyeing a set of Under Armour boots at Cabelas. I had a pair of Keen boots but didn't get to test them before they were ruined (not the boots fault) I'll likely get a pair when they go on sale this spring.

[minmax]

I've always liked Vasque, used to be part of Red Wing boots. Back in the late 80's I was an assistant manager of a sporting goods store. We could get everything at cost. So I tried alot of different boots. Lowa's are great. But, for me the Vasque fit my foot better, and held up to about six years of abuse, I still have them over 15 years later. I wear them acasionaly for yardwork. They never came apart, they have no tread and the GoreTex does not work.

[Harter66]

I have a pair of Irish setters , uplands I think ,they are strictly hunting boots and my +30 degree morning boots . I've been happy with them chasing Texas hogs and Nevada Elk ,Chucker ,Mulies,quail and rabbits. They are lined which helps a lot with staying dry in water proof boots . My only regret is not spending the other $10 on the US pair.

[zarrinvz24]

Danner is pricey but worth it. Buy once cry once; if you shop the website you can get some great deals on blemished items, slightly off color etc.

[Rick Hodges]

I have two pair of Vasque one set was purchased for a Mountain Goat hunt in B.C in 1978. Heavy hikers, they are still usable. They used to make great boots...my second pair get more use, are light hikers and only about 10 yrs old. I don't wear them every day, but when I do they get a workout. I would buy them again.

[altheating]

Marrels last for me but no way are they waterproof.

[Love Life]

Are you looking at hiking shoes specifically, or boots as well? What kind of hiking are you doing? Maintained trail? Off trail? Mountains? Wetlands?

[Beef15]

I've been wearing a pair of Merrells for a bit over a year now, holding up ok, I don't wear them for hard backpacking, I do wear them almost daily, for yard work, light hikes, and range wear, have knocked a chunk or two out of the soles, expected seam failures, so far none. I don't buy waterproof shoes, there's no point if 4/5" of water or tall wet grass will soak your socks anyway, best to not impede the moisture's departure. For serious backpacking, or pack hunting I wear a real boot.

[Outpost75]

Merrells never held up for me.

Best mountaineer boots I had were Crespi (Italy) and Dachstein (Germany) when I was over there, but they are not imported to the US anymore.

Lowa is an established German company that has maintained their quality when production went offshore.

For military and law enforcement duty boots, in a USA-made brand the Dehner Co. of Omaha is still IMO the very best, if pricey.
http://www.dehner.com/customboots_military.html When I was overseas I had custom civilian shoes made by them which blended in, yet were suitable to walk a long distance if needed, but that is another story....

[Oreo]

I've had Merrells and concur with the opinion that they are junk. I find them uncomfortable too.

I'm not looking for boots. I have a good pair of steel toe boots for work and they last years.

I'm looking for a pair of daily-roughhousing shoes. I usually keep two pairs of sneakers. One pair I try to keep clean for casual family outings (BBQs & dinners out) and the other pair for everything else- cutting grass, light woods hikes with my kids, etc. Nothing like African safari or winter survival in the Rockies. But I'm tired of dropping $60-$70 for a pair of "hiking" shoes that have ripped seams or peeling rubber in under two months. If I gotta pay $500 for lasting quality it'll save me money in the long run. Price is not the object, durability and comfort are.


Thank-you guys for all the suggestions so far. I will be looking into all of them.

[John Allen]

I second the lowa boots. I have them and love them. I only use them for hiking and have about 500 miles on them right now. They have been great. I got mine from REI.

[John Allen]

Guess I'm the only one that thinks Merrells are junk. I wear hiking boots all day long at work and they take a beating. Tried two different Merrell designs and neither lasted a month. Seams split and they were never water proof.

I've been buying Vasque as of late. Unfortunately North Face stopped making the boot I wore for close to ten years. Vasque boots are actually water proof. And they hold up well.

Honestly I don't expect any of these boots to last more than six months. At that point I've usually worn the soles almost bare. Made it eight months w/ the last pair of Vasque Talus. I have a narrow foot so finding a pair of boots that fit properly is a real issue.


I have had no luck with merrells. I destroyed a pair in under 200 miles hiking and they never really felt right. I have a eee foot and really like the vasques but they are too tight on my feet.

[ryan28]

I used to buy Vasque boots, but no more, they do not last like they used to. I wear boots all day, everyday, and I would typically get maximum 7 months from a pair of Vasque boots, usually about 4 months.
Then I bought a pair of Zamberlan's. Best boots I have ever owned. For just a little more than the Vasque's cost, they last me 10 months.
Comfortable and very supportive right from the get go.

[Harter66]

I have a pair of Red Wing hiker safety shoes on now going on 55 weeks of 4 days 12-14 hr a day . I had a thread ravel about 2 weeks in it was repaired on their dime . They were $125 out the door . I would recommend these of the Irish Setters if any town time is involved I have a couple of heel spurs and these make the concrete as bearable as the the warm parts of the winter mud . I went for these because the boot I used to wear was discontinued and the replacement was $280 . These will go 18 months I expect maybe a little more .
All of this because they have a hiker nearly identical to it in a non-safety shoe for about $90 . These are comfortable for daily wear .

[jcwit]

Boy am I ever glad the VA furnishes me my footwear!

[ShooterAZ]

Danner makes awesome hiking shoes and boots. They wear incredibly well, are USA made, and can be re-soled. Yes they are expensive, but worth it in my opinion. The Mountain Light is the last pair I bought, and I am very happy with them. And NO, I don't work for them!
http://www.danner.com/mountain-lightr.html

[Love Life]

The last Danner boots I had carried me all over Helmand province in 2009-2010, and I wore them (same pair) for 2 more years until I wore them on a mud run and dried them incorrectly. Heavy at first, but you get used to it in a day or so and they are so very comfortable. Not cheap, but worth every penny.

[horsesoldier]

Zamberland!

[Multigunner]

10sandsx

I have a common foot condition called "Morton's Foot" that makes it difficult to find footwear that I can walk in for any length of time.
When I was younger and hiked alot my toes would put so much pressure on the insoles that they dug holes in it.
The Statue of liberty has the same type of foot geometry, it is commonly found in Greek styled statuary, no doubt why it is also called "Greek Toe".

These days , after many years of wearing sandals almost all the time till my toes begain to straighten out, I wear very loose fitting shoes and use several layers of thick rubber insoles along with vey thick boot socks or two layers of socks.
I also keep a pair of USAF survival mocasins in my back pack to wear should my feet swell up and the boots begin to bind.

Swelling of the feet is no longer a big problem for me, most likely because the oversize boots don't bind and if the feet do swell I can just remove one layer of insoles and/or switch to thinner socks.
Before I started wearing the oversized boots if my feet swelled I often just wore the boots without socks.

I can't tell from the photo if you might have Morton's foot because of the bandages. if the second toe extends past the big toe unless curled up then thats Morton's foot.
mine is a very obvious case, the joint of the first toe is in line with the joint of the fourth toe and the second toe extends near 5/8" past the big toe. Basically the first metatarsal is about 3/4" or more shorter than it should be.

If anyone notices one of their kids has this sort of foot geometry take them to a podiatrist and get them fitted for proper shoes or special insoles regardless of the cost. The shift in weight distribution can cause serious back problems for a child and can only get worse in later life without proper footwear.

[rosewood]

Timberland Hikers. Only shoes that my feet don't hurt wearing. Better than tennis shoes. I wear them daily at work and get a new pair about every year. All my co-workers wear them also.

[Jupiter7]

For trailrunners/ultra light(read tennis shoes with tread), I like merrell. Solomon also gets a nod here. For hiking, with ankle support, I wear boots, past few years it's been a$80 pair of North Face and they've worn better than any of the $200 pairs I've had. I did 40miles/3 days in the snow and mush in the Smoky's last October, with wool socks changed out 1-2times daily my feet were never wet or cold. I've also used them to shoot 3gun in muddy/cold weather and they still have the mobility of a much lighter shoe. Still can pass for casual with jeans without looking out of place.

[jonp]

Lowa's make nice boots if they fit your feet. I broke in a pair of LLBeans on The Long Trail then hiked Katahdin. A few months later I climbed Kilimanjaro in them. Worked great. Now the only boots I put on my feet are Keens. They feel like slippers but I'm not sure I'd want to heft a 60lb pack with them. They probably make a tougher pair for that, though but I don't get out as much as I used to. Iv'e worn Keens all over the world including their sandals with the hard toe. Great every day and travel shoe.

Keen's customer service is the best. I bought a pair of leather work boots from them and after 6 months an eye fell out. I emailed them and got an email the next day asking for a picture which I sent. The day after I got an email with a code for the price of the boots to use at their online store no questions asked. I got a different pair for every day use and kept the others. They even threw in 2 pairs of hiking socks when they sent my new boots. I'm a die hard keen fan.

[jonp]

I have had no luck with merrells. I destroyed a pair in under 200 miles hiking and they never really felt right. I have a eee foot and really like the vasques but they are too tight on my feet.

Me neither. Tried a couple of pair. Both were waterproof, both leaked like a sieve and both fell apart before a summer was out. Epic Fail.

[Kraschenbirn]

Got my first pair of Vasque boots in the early 1980s and, except for one pair 'Browning' lightweights, have worn nothing else for serious boondocking since then. I've had my current pair four or five years...wife and I no longer do any 'serious' backpacking...and, last time I wore them to the range, noticed that the tread's getting pretty smooth.

Bill

[Elkins45]

My two favorite pairs of boots are some lightweight Lowa hikers and some taller, stiffer ones from Asolo. Occasionally you can find Lowa's for crazy cheap prices as Sierra Trading Post. I bought a pair of 12's and then a couple of years later to a near identical model but bought 13's so I could wear heavier socks. The Lowa's are as comfortable a pair of boots as you could wish for, but after about 8 miles with a heavy pack I can feel the downside of lightweight.

My Asolo's have been in and out of the Grand Canyon three times now. I've never owned a better pair of boots. If I'm carrying a heavy winter bag and a gallon of water I want my Asolo's. I found them on a closeout table at a yuppie store in Bowling Green 10 years ago for clearance prices and bought them on a whim. One of the best decisions I have made.

[MrWolf]

Timberland Hikers. Only shoes that my feet don't hurt wearing. Better than tennis shoes. I wear them daily at work and get a new pair about every year. All my co-workers wear them also.

+1. Fit great and wear them year round with my merino wool Kirkland hiking socks. Bought two pair last year to make sure the style I like has a backup.

[historicfirearms]

I think it used to be that if you got the Lowa's from REI and you were hiking and had a problem with them, REI would ship you a replacement pair on their dime. Does anyone know if that is still true?

[b money]

My vote goes to Danner, I have a pair of hunting boots that are some of the best I've used. And I also have 2 pairs of their RAT boots and the second pair I just bought for whenever my current pair wear out and I send them back for reconditioning. The RAT boots I have now are about 2 1/2 years old and are just about ready to have new soles put on. But I also wear them literally everyday so they would last considerably longer if you where to only wear them on the weekends and such. Also the boots are still structurally 100%, there is no stitching or glue coming apart, no rips etc. and I don't baby these boots. So if you can afford them I highly recommend danner boots.

I've been wanting to try whites smokejumper boots but I'm not going to pay $500+ For a pair of boots when my danner RAT(about 200-250 if you look around) boots have done everything I've asked.

[StolzerandSons]

Vibram FiveFingers Treks...I bought a pair in March and have walked 2 miles a day, 5-6 mornings a week every week since then over uneven and rough ground with no problems and they are still holding up very well. This is my normal morning walk routine around the outside perimeter of my property, I only wear them on my morning walk they aren't designed for work shoes/boots so I don't wear them in my shop. Fair warning though they are like nothing you have probably ever worn before and the first 3 weeks in them will stretch muscles you probably never knew you had. After those first few miserable weeks they will be the most comfortable footwear you will ever own.

Edited to add: I should mention I make this walk every morning wearing a 40 pound pack and carying a rifle and sidearm.

[jonp]

The last Danner boots I had carried me all over Helmand province in 2009-2010, and I wore them (same pair) for 2 more years until I wore them on a mud run and dried them incorrectly. Heavy at first, but you get used to it in a day or so and they are so very comfortable. Not cheap, but worth every penny.
About a month before my daughter deployed to the sandbox i sent her $300 and told her to get a pair of Danner's and break them in before leaving. She is still thanking me