The best hiking boots in 2020: hardy walking boots for every type of terrain

A pair of the best hiking boots in your budget is one of the most important outdoor equipment purchases you’ll ever make. The days of buying either black or brown hobnailed leather boots have long gone. There is a huge variety of different hiking boot shapes, sizes and variants on the market, all designed for different purposes, terrain and situations.

Whether you’re planning a week of alpine walking, long distance trekking, or just a few weekend rambles, there is a boot that’ll fit you to a tee. This guide to the best hiking boots for men should help you find the right pair for you (we have a separate guide for the best women's hiking boots).

The two key things to consider when making your decision is to find the right boot for the activity, and get a really good fit. That fit might vary by brand, based on your individual foot shape, as well as by style of boot, with some lasts coming up much narrower (or broader) in the midfoot than others. It’s absolutely vital to try boots on before embarking on an expedition, and usually wearing them round the house before removing the retail labels is enough to show up any hotspots that could lead to difficulties if ignored.

Keep blisters at bay with some of the best hiking socks

Compare to the best men's walking shoes

Although there are some stunning and super-technical hiking boots that might catch your eye, make sure you actually need the features they're offering before you shell out. Super-stiff mountain boots can be a trial on casual Sundays strolls, and equally rocking up in trainers for a snowy ascent is bad scheme. Generally though, the extra support of a good hiking boot will see you happily meander wherever the fancy takes you – read on for our pick of the best hiking boots available now!

Unsure what type of footwear you need for the type of walking you do regularly? We have answers in our walking boots vs walking shoes guide.

BEST HIKING BOOTS: OUR EXPERT PICK

Choosing the best hiking boots for every condition is pretty much impossible due to the sheer range of options to choose from, and depending upon how niche you want to get when drilling down into the sub-genres of hiking boots. However, the 

T3

is a tried-and-tested hiking boot capable of seeing you through a range of hiking, backpacking and trekking scenarios. It really is a do-all outdoors boot.

Salomon's hiking boot is purpose built for boosting stability and comfort on longer hikes and backpacking excursions, and has a raft of features and tech to ensure you can go for longer without experiencing discomfort. The Quest 4D 3 GTX is also waterproof and breathable, so you'll be fine if the heavens open.

WHY DO YOU NEED SPECIFIC BOOTS FOR HIKING?

Hiking boots, as a term, is a broad church, but the main reasons you’ll need some for the rough stuff are their blend of protection, grip and stiffness. Standard street boots – Doctor Martens, for example – might offer some ankle support by lacing up high, but a lack of ankle padding will cut you to ribbons on a long trek. 

Most modern hiking boots include a waterproof membrane, which will be useful when you head off the beaten track. In addition, hiking and mountain boots often incorporate a raised ‘rand’, a rubber buffer over the leather of the boot nearest the sole, which protects the boot from sharp stone cuts when walking across scree.  

Hiking boot soles will also be much stiffer than street shoes/boots to shrug off rough surfaces, incorporating aggressive tread for better grip on wet grass, moss or mud, and often cleverly-placed sticky rubber areas for extra grip on wet rock. 

That stiffer sole gets a grade from B0 to B3-B0 and below, making them fine for casual summer hikes, but too flexible for crampons. Meanwhile, B1-3 boots offer increasing levels of stiffness to accommodate increasingly technical rigid crampon use. 

This might sound excessive for the causal walker, but if you’re hill walking in the UK winter, opting for a stiffer crampon-compatible walking boot is highly recommended, as conditions can change fast.  

WHAT ARE THE MOST POPULAR HIKING BOOT TECHNOLOGIES?

Outdoor tech has come a long way in recent years, with huge strides being made in the way hiking boots are designed and built. From tech geared to keep your toes warm in sub-zero conditions, to innovations that help you stay upright on the most treacherous and slippery trails. These are:

Vibram Megagrip (enhanced traction)

Gore-tex (improved waterproofing)

NestFit (bio-mapping for comfort)

Thermo Tech Application technology (better support)

CleanSport NXT (odour control)

CHOOSING THE BEST HIKING BOOTS FOR YOU

In a nutshell, you're looking for boots that are luxuriously comfortable, unstintingly waterproof, heroically breathable, tank-like in their ruggedness, and offer as much grip as Spider-Man's socks. 

It’s essential to get the right rating for your hiking boot – wearing B3 double-boots for summer trekking will be hell, as will attempting the likes of Indicator Wall in Converse. Overall, you’re looking for ankle support from a boot – which in the hills can be vital when a stone shifts underfoot – but also a comfortable fit. 

A snug (not tight) fit minimises heel lift, as well as assorted blisters at ‘hot spots’ like heels and toes. When seeking out winter boots (B1+) this is particularly important, as a loose fit will see your toes smash into the toe box when using crampons, and the stiffer sole will also exaggerate heel lift unless the heel pocket fits just right.  

The accepted wisdom is to try on hiking boots in the afternoons, once your feet have expanded, and take a range of socks to try them on with. Thin office socks are helpful to show up any obvious shape mismatches and pressure points, before moving on to your preferred walking sock. 

Do experiment with sock fit as well as boot fit, as even the most expensive socks are cheap compared to boots, and some of the more specialised socks can make a real difference to your hiking comfort. 

Hiking boots come in different weights. Generally speaking, any weighing 400-500g and under are best suited to speed hiking, trail running (some types, not all) or day to day offroad use. Dog walkers and fairweather hikers, you'll like these ones.

Hiking boots that are tough enough to withstand multi-day hikes, where you might be carrying a heavy load on your back, are usually heavier. The trade-off for that extra weight is that these types of technical boots are much more supportive.