7 Best Hiking Shoes in 2024 (2024)

Whether we want a comfortably cushioned shoe for long days, a sticky shoe for technical terrain, or something waterproof for wet days, there is one shoe that can do it all. The Salomon X Ultra 4 GTX is perfectly cushioned, grippy, and impeccably waterproof, all wrapped into a lightweight package.

Our feet felt in equal parts cushioned and protected in the X Ultra 4 GTX. We measured the softness of the midsole in the lab with a durometer, and all became clear. With a midsole measuring 32.5 HA, it hovers around the average for hiking shoes, blending protection with ground feel in a harmonious balance.

We felt confident in the shoe’s grip on all terrain from soft and muddy trails to loose gravel and rocks. The 4.5 mm lugs are indeed a little deeper than the average 4.3 mm, but the Contragrip sole has an extra trick or two up its sleeve. The chevron patterning favored by Salomon makes light work of steep inclines and the chunky heel lug offers excellent stopping power on the descents.

Venturing out in the rain isn’t a problem in the Salomon X Ultra 4. Its perfectly executed waterproofed membrane kept our feet dry during shallow stream crossings and splashing through puddles, all without weighing us down. In the lab, we popped the shoe on the scales, where it weighed in at 13.3 oz (378g), 0.6 oz (17g) below the average for waterproof hiking shoes. We felt able to hike further and for longer before our feet got tired.

Whilst at room temperature this is a flexible shoe, on a cold winter’s day it’s another story. We left it in the freezer for 20 minutes before testing it for flexibility. It stiffened up by 75%, compared to the average of 49%, so definitely needs some breaking in to be comfortable when it’s cold out. We therefore don’t recommend this shoe to hikers who need a flexible hiking shoe in the cold season.

Without a doubt, the Hoka Anacapa Low GTX has the best cushioning out of all the hiking shoes we've tested so far - both on the trails and in our lab. It's incredibly soft; our durometer measured it to be 31% softer than the average hiking shoe. Not only that, it allowed us to push for longer miles over the challenging terrain with absolutely no discomfort. And, this superb cushioning asks for no break-in!

When our durometer showed 23 HA, we knew it was soft but what we did not expect was the perfect combination that this shoe offers: 1) a rocker that simply wanted us to go faster and ensured very smooth strides, 2) almost-average flexibility which allowed for more natural movements,and 3) soft, soft cushioning.

Single track? Soft ground? Somewhat technical terrain? Anacapa Low GTX made us feel safe everywhere. It has badass 5 mm lugs that grip like crazy and, according to our durometer, the rubber on the outsole scored 88.3 HC on the durometer. This makes it harder than the average and, based on our experience, the harder the rubber, the longer it lasts. So, the grip is here to stay!

This shoe is so badass that it got the Seal of Acceptance from the American Podiatric Medical Association! And it's Gore-Tex membrane does wonders in wet weather.

We don't recommend Hoka Anacapa Low GTX to people who always hike in warmer climates or who prioritize breathability. This shoe scored 1 out of 5 on our breathability lab test: we've pumped the smoke into the shoe and it let none of it outside. Under the microscope, we got an even clearer picture: the upper is so tight, that there are absolutely no holes for the air to go through. Thank you, Gore-Tex. Or, no thanks?

Adidas Terrex Swift R3 GTX is a hiking shoe that feels as stable as a hiking boot. Not only that, but we love the overall secure feel it offers, thanks to the badass grip and stiff midsole. No wonder we found it to have the best stability in the world of hiking shoes!

We took this shoe to multiple hikes and tested it in the lab. After all that, figuring out why it's so stable was a piece of cake. First, when doing the lateral stability test, we did not even notice that it had a low cut! It felt more like a hiking boot.

Second, when we tried to twist it, we realized it was almost impossible to do that. So much resistance! On this test for torsional rigidity, we gave the shoe 5/5, where 5 is the stiffest. What also contributed to this secure feel was a heel counter: with a rating of 4/5 for stiffness, it meant no joke. It hugs the back of the feet and allows for no unwanted movement!

Worry not, just because it scored the highest on the torsional rigidity test, it does not mean that the ride feels unnatural. When we pushed the shoe to 90 degrees using a force gauge, we learned that it is actually just around the average (it scored 34.1N, the average is 36.4N) when it comes to longitudinal flexibility. This makes the feel of the ride, environment, and overall foot movements not restricted.

Third, the Pro-Moderator technology, that we found to be embedded into the sole on both sides, turns out to be an awesome foot stabilizer. With such a compact and secure foothold, we felt much less fatigue at the end of each hike.

Keep in mind that, because of the Gore-Tex membrane, this shoe is too hot for summer days.

It takes a lot to be crowned as the most comfortable hiking shoe and this shoe delivers just that: a lot. It's cushioned, padded, flexible - all wrapped up in a day-one comfort package. Its grip is out of this world and there are many details, like a gusseted tongue and very padded tongue, that seriously up the ante when it comes to overall comfort.

We've took the Moab 3 GTX to the trails and we've cut it in half in the lab. Being able to see and measure all the bits and pieces allowed us to understand why this shoe rocks at comfort. First, its cushioning. While on the firmer side, it does not feel like a brick. It feels perfectly balanced - not too firm and not too squishy. In the lab, we pressed our durometer against the midsole and recorded 35.9 HA. That's 14% more (and therefore firmer) than the average.

Second, the grip is 10/10. The outsole is 2.3 mm thick (just like the average for hiking shoes) and the lugs are 0.5 mm thicker than the average ones. Our caliper measured them to be 4.8 mm deep. Whatever we threw at them - rocks, snow, mud, gravel - they handled like pros.

The tongue is perfectly gusseted and allows nothing to get inside of the shoe on the sides of the tongue. For the rest, we have a Gore-Tex membrane to do the same job and it does it wonderfully. Our feet were dry at the end of a 20+ mile hike where rainy clouds kept following us for some reason. The best thing, though, about the tongue is its thickness. At 14.6 mm, it's 3.2 mm thicker than the average. It perfectly cushions the instep and it's the reason why we never felt any lace bites. We did tighten the laces a lot!

The Gore-Tex membrane keeps the water out. But it also keeps the air from circulating. This is why we don't recommend this shoe to hikers who regularly hike in warm climates.

A versatile shoe that prioritizes comfort, the Merrell Moab 3 is our choice for the best summer hiking shoe. Breathable, comfortably flexible, and with a grippy outsole that gives us confidence, we can’t wait for summer to come around!

On hot, summer days our feet felt fresh and well-ventilated in the Merrell Moab 3. In the lab, we pumped smoke into the shoe and watched how quickly the smoke made it through the tightly-woven upper. Lots of smoke came through, and quickly, so we rated it 4/5, where 5 is the most breathable. Sweaty feet and their accompanying blisters are a thing of the past in this shoe! We also found the breathable upper helped them to drain well after getting wet.

This shoe feels flexible and bends naturally with our feet. We pushed it to 90° with a force gauge in the lab, where it measured an impressive 24.4N. This more than confirmed our suspicions of it being a flexible hiking shoe, since the average is 36.4N! Our transitions while hiking were smooth as butter.

The meaty lugs offer superb traction on gravelly trails and wet rock. Measuring 4.8 mm deep, they are 12% deeper than the average of the hiking shoes that we have tested in the lab. We twisted the shoe and awarded it 3/5 for torsional rigidity. This additional flex helps our feet to mold to uneven surfaces, improving the grip even further.

Weighing in at 15.3 oz (434g), this shoe cannot be called dainty! In fact, it weighs 1.4 oz (39g) more than average. We therefore don’t recommend it to hikers looking for a lightweight summer hiking shoe.

Alert! When a hiking shoe weighs only 12.73 oz (361g) in the world of hiking shoes that average at 13.93 oz (395g), we have to choose it as the best lightweight hiking shoe! Especially when that 9.6% difference in weight means we also get superb breathability, comfort and even enough toe room for some wider feet!

Less weight means thinner upper in this case - and we confirmed this in our lab. When we pumped the smoke into the shoe, we watched as the smoke came out mostly through the upper above the toebox. We rated the breathability of the Adidas Terrex Trailmaker with 4 out of 5.

However, just because it's breathable does not mean it's not durable! To our surprise, when faced with a Dremmel, the upper did not get seriously damaged! We gave a score of 3 out of 5 for the durability of this tightly woven shield (5 being most durable).

Given its lower-than-average stack height, the Trailmaker offers more ground feel and feels natural. What especially contributes to this is its flexibility which is on par with running shoes! When we bent it to 90 degrees, our force gauge showed a resistance of 20.5N. The average for hiking shoes sits at 35.4N. This makes the Trailmaker 72.7% more flexible than the average hiking shoe!

Unfortunately, this lightweight hiking shoe has rather non-durable lugs. We don't see this often in the lab but, when we applied the Dremmel to the lug, it made a dent of 2 mm very quickly. Because of this, we don't recommend this shoe for rocky terrain. These lugs will last longer on softer ground.

Terrex AX4 retails at only $90! In all its glory and that means we enjoyed its grip, ground feel and stability. Add to that that it's 30% cheaper than the average hiking shoe ($129) and you know why we had to pick it as the best budget hiking shoe!

Immediately upon getting the shoes, we realized how simple they are. Make no mistake, this had nothing to do with the comfort that the AX4 delivers. We had no fatigue even after very long hikes! We blame good cushioning for this and stack heights that are just around the average. After cutting the shoe in half, we used a caliper to measure the stack heights, the heel sits at 30.6 mm, while the forefoot sits at 20.9 mm.

Back to cushioning: we used a durometer to assess its softness and learned that it's actually 11% firmer than the average. We can't say we experienced any discomfort but we did appreciate the stable feel. Shoe's platform, that's wider than average, contributed to that as well.

In our hiking tests, we took the Terrex AX4 to a speed hiking session and a few hikes, mostly in wet weather. 3.7-mm-deep lugs made sure we slipped 0 times!

Be warned, though, that the insole is very thin: 2.6 mm! The average insole in hiking shoes is 4.9 mm thick. We understand that for a hiking shoe to weigh 379g or 13.4 oz there had to be cuts but keep in mind that you might want to swap this one with a more cushioned insole.