If you have a narrow foot and your shoe fits too loosely, your shoe may feel less stable or supportive. These wide trekking boots are equipped with FLEX SYSTEM junction at the ankle to help toe off while hiking and with a rubber rand for better protection. For those who know they want gaiters, the Altra Lone Peak ALL-WTHR Mid have built-in gaiter attachments on each boot to make using them easier. The Salomon Xs are a high-collar waterproof hiking boot, like the Hoka Kaha 2 GTX and the La Sportiva Nucleo High II GTX.

See our Best Hiking Boots story if you’re interested in a more sturdy hiking boot than we cover in this article. If your boots are leather, you can use a leather lubricant from time to time to keep the material supple, so it doesn’t dry out.

From dozens of boots, we personally tested the Top 10 on dozens of day hikes in Southern California, a thru-hike of the 175-mile Tahoe Rim Trail, and backpacking and hiking trips from Utah to the mountains of Europe in the winter. I am a hike leader for Black Girls Trekkin, which focuses on Diversity, Inclusion, Conservation, and Education. They have webbing eyelets, except for the last 2 hooks that are spaced far apart from each other and the webbing loops. A rubber toe box applied to the front section of the boot provides reinforcement and offers greater protection; while the Zamberlan® Vibram® 3D outsole - fitted with an undercut heel to help braking during the descent - ensures excellent traction and control on any type of terrain. Both provide incredible traction and support your step through technical terrain, but the Anacapa is lighter, better for urban use, and more affordable.

We also understand that some outdoors people do not like waterproof hiking shoes or don’t want to pay extra for waterproofing.

And if you tend to stub your toes, you’ll also be grateful that the Contagrip rubber outsole extends to offer toe and heel protection. First of all the elastic gusset; reinforced on areas of greater wear; which increases breathability and allows the upper to adapt to the foot.

These boots have one of the highest collars of all the models we reviewed, similar to the La Sportiva Nucleo High II GTX.Properly tied, these boots allowed our tester good mobility over rocky trails along the Maine coast and the soft forest floors of New Hampshire’s White Mountains. I’m part of the Difference Makers Collaborative Partnership and a Women’s Self Defense Summit speaker. Of all the boots we tried, this pair had the best underfoot protection, due to a midsole made with EVA foam for cushioning and an under-arch shank for added stability. After hundreds of miles of hiking, there was no cracking or separation and no tears in the material, so I know the Kahas can take even the most challenging trail! The Anacapa boots are similarly cushiony to the Kaha, and due to their lighter weight, it almost feels like you’re wearing a shoe instead of a boot.