Best Hiking Shoes
What are the best hiking shoes for you?
If you are planning a hike then you obviously have many things to think about, from your route to safety considerations, food & drink and your shelter if you are planning a multi-day hike. But something that sometimes gets overlooked by hikers just starting out is the importance of wearing the best hiking shoes for the particular hike and the conditions that it will throw at you.
Hiking shoes have many different properties on opposite ends of the scale. For example flexibility vs stability or waterproofing vs breathability. Things like grip and ankle support are other key factors that you need to get right for certain conditions.
We have put together this list of questions that you can ask yourself to help you decide what will be the best hiking shoes for your next expedition:
What terrain will I be hiking on?
The type of ground that you are walking on will dictate factors like grip and ankle support that your hiking boots should provide. If you will be spending a lot of time on loose, rough terrain then you will need good grip and solid support for your ankles to reduce the risk of slipping or twisting your feet. If however you are planning a hike on well-worn trails with flat surfaces and not much risk of injury then you would want to opt for comfort, picking a pair of hiking shoes that are flexible and soft underfoot.
What weather will I be expecting?
Now it seems obvious, but it is worth stating that if you are expecting a lot of rain then you should invest in a decent pair of waterproof hiking boots. There will be nothing worse than having wet, soppy feet for any length of time. However the opposite is also true, because if there is zero chance of rainfall and you are expecting high temperatures then a watertight pair of shoes can be pretty uncomfortable as your feet may become quite hot and sweaty. In this case you should opt for something light and breathable.
How much weight will I be carrying?
If you are hiking for any great length of time then there is a good chance that you will have a lot of equipment with you in your backpack. If this is the case then a good strong and sturdy pair of hiking boots can actually give your feet and legs good support giving you one less thing to worry about. With all that extra weight and a poor set of hiking shoes you may find that your feet begin to hurt sooner than you would normally expect.
How much use will I get from my new hiking shoes?
Considering all of the above points, you might be left thinking that you need to go out and buy the most expensive and high quality pair of hiking boots or shoes on the market! Well luckily for you that might not be the case. How often you plan on using a new pair of hiking shoes should be one of the major factors in helping you decide how much to spend. If you only see yourself getting out for a hike two or three times a year, then you can probably go for a lower-end model that doesn’t have the lasting durability of the more expensive versions. They will still last you for as long as you need them and anything more than that would be a waste.
However if you are a regular hiker who is out on the trail once, twice or more times per month then you most likely will need to spend more money on a more long-lasting pair of boots otherwise you will end up needing to replace your cheaper ones sooner and spending more in the long run.
In Summary
All in all you have quite a lot of things to think about when picking the best hiking shoes for any given situation. Hopefully these questions will have helped you get closer to deciding which are the right pair for you.
In the mean time, please check out the other articles on this site for some great information on other hiking related topics:
