Best Lightweight Hiking Boots of 2023

In the event you’re trying to up your mileage within the backcountry, it’s time to start out researching your subsequent pair of light-weight climbing boots. The outdated noticed “a pound on the foot is value 5 on the again” is predicated on precise analysis (carried out by the U.S. Military Analysis Institute in 1984), so in case your pair is clocking in at over 5 kilos, it’s time to improve. Happily, there was a revolution in light-weight climbing boots lately, a lot of which Outside Life has examined as a part of our protection of trainers for backpacking and looking. I’ve rounded up our picks for the perfect light-weight climbing boots right here, that can assist you get prepped to your subsequent season on the path or within the woods. 

How I Selected the Greatest Light-weight Mountaineering Boots

Outside Life has been testing boots for years, each within the subject and in managed environments. Alaska contributor Justin La Vigne has opined on the best hiking boots for men. I examined 10 best waterproof hiking boots to see which had the chops to maintain the water out. For my tackle barefoot sneakers and path runners, I evaluated quite a few climbing boots. And, in fact, OL editors are always out within the subject, testing a variety of climbing boots in several settings.

Greatest Light-weight Mountaineering Boots: Evaluations & Suggestions

Greatest Total: Danner Trail 2650 GTX Mid

Key Options

• Obtainable Sizes: 7-14 (males’s), 5-11 (girls’s)
• Weight: 14 ounces per boot (males’s), 11 ounces per boot (girls’s)
• Outsole: Vibram 460 
• Obtainable in common and huge

Execs

• Nice match
• Protects the foot greater than path runners
• Quick break-in interval

Cons

• Heavier than a typical path runner
• Substantial heel-toe-drop (8mm) 

In the event you’ve bee researching the perfect light-weight climbing boot for greater than 5 minutes, you’ve in all probability had somebody ask you in case you’ve thought of path trainers as an alternative. I’ve obtained excellent news: with the Danner Path 2650, you don’t have to decide on. These sneakers are light-weight like path runners however with most of the options of conventional climbing boots, together with a tricky higher, severe lugs (4mm) on long-lasting tread, and a stiffer general development.

I had a tester take out a pair in preparation for an upcoming thru-hike, and she or he discovered that the built-in tongue of the shoe improved the general match, locking her heel into place and giving her the soundness she was accustomed to from climbing sneakers. Strategically positioned leather-based panels on the higher additionally helped shield her toes and Achilles space, whereas the air flow within the Gore-Tex saved her toes from overheating. Contributor Joe Genzel equally known as this one a trail running shoe built for hunters, noting it was an all-purpose shoe with sufficient cushion and traction to deal with each sort of state of affairs he might throw at it. 

Greatest for Males: Hoka Kaha GTX 2

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Key Options

• Obtainable Sizes: 7-15 (males’s), 5-11 (girls’s)
• Weight: 16.8 ounces per boot (males’s), 15.6 ounces per boot (girls’s)
• Outsole: Vibram Megagrip
• Obtainable in common width solely

Execs

• Light-weight
• Excessive ankle help
• Soft footbed

Cons

• Costly
• No huge choices

Out of all of the contenders in the perfect climbing boots for males, these are the lightest with a full excessive high (7 inches). I wore the Kaha GTX for 2 summers of guiding within the Alaskan bush, logging about 300 miles. They’ve been my go-to for every little thing from uncovered alpine tundra hikes to rocky slopes. The design of the only real has a slight arch, which creates a rocking movement to spring my steps ahead. I really feel a bounce in my steps together with the improved cushion. Launched simply final 12 months, the GTX 2 has a extra plush cushion and my toes by no means ached or fatigued. The latest GTX additionally makes use of extra sustainable supplies, like recycled Gore-Tex textiles. These are one of many few pairs of trainers that I don’t want to interchange the insole with aftermarket versions due to the best shock absorption. 

I tramped by means of moist and muddy swamps and the Gore-Tex lining saved my toes utterly dry. Composed of Vibram Megagrip, the multi-directional rubber lugs of the outsole gripped nicely and saved me shifting ahead. If there are any downsides, it’s that after intensive use—particularly after climbing on sharp lava rock—the outsoles put on down quicker than different boots I’ve examined. 

Some say that the Hokas appear like moon boots. Probably the intense cushioning and outsized toe field give this impression. Nonetheless, when you placed on this plush boot with optimum toe splay, you won’t thoughts a number of humorous appears to be like. —Justin La Vigne

Greatest for Girls: Altra Lone Peak Hiker

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Key Options

• Obtainable Sizes: 7-16 (males’s), 5.5-12 (girls’s)
• Weight: 11.5 ounces per shoe (males’s), 9.9 ounces (girls’s)
• Outsole: Duratread
• Obtainable in three completely different widths

Execs

• Minimal to no break-in time
• Large toe field promotes stability and luxury

Cons

• Much less sturdy than different climbing boots
• Not as strong ankle safety

For Hannah Simmerman, a climbing information with REI in Shenandoah Nationwide Park, the perfect climbing boots for ladies are the kissing cousin of what hikers and backpackers have lengthy agreed is the perfect climbing shoe: the Altra Lone Peak. Learn the OL gear workforce’s full check of the most important shoe in backpacking here. Just like the Altra Lone Peak, the Hiker’s huge toebox and 0 heel drop promotes stability and proper foot placement (Simmerman additionally recommends this shoe to shoppers coping with plantar fasciitis). 

Whereas one of the vital interesting facets of the light-weight Lone Peak Hiker is that, like many path runners, it requires little to no break-in interval, this does include a catch: This shoe has very restricted water resistance and is thought to be much less sturdy than different sneakers in the marketplace, notably the midsole foam. Whereas Simmerman initially grabbed the Lone Peak Hikers for the heavy load she carries on consumer journeys, she has began utilizing these on private journeys as nicely. 

“It’s good typically to really feel help on my ankle after I’m hopping round on rocks,” she informed me for my story on the best hiking boots for women. “They really feel safer than path runners.”

Greatest Waterproof: Vasque Breeze

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Key Options

• Obtainable Sizes: 7-14 (males’s), 6-11 (girls’s)
• Weight: 20 ounces per boot (males’s), 17 ounces per boot (girls’s)
• Outsole: Vasque Path Strider
• Obtainable in common and huge

Execs

• Totally waterproof
• Affordably priced
• Dries pretty shortly
• Moderately light-weight

Cons

• Tight match could also be uncomfortable for some

The Vasque Breeze scored nicely in each check I put it by means of throughout my evaluation of the perfect waterproof climbing boots. It was utterly dry after being left in a number of inches of water for 16 hours, after which stayed dry in my second check, the place I threw all the salt and dust and solar that I might at it after which left it once more in submerged water. This boot manages all that whereas coming in at a reasonably reasonably priced (at the very least for climbing boots) worth. The light-weight design of the Vasque Breeze additionally gives extra breathability than different waterproof climbing boots, and it carried out nicely through the dry-time check. 

I like to recommend sizing up for the Vasque Breeze (which runs small) and in addition strolling round for a while earlier than committing to a closing buy. This boot is on the slim facet, and a few hikers might discover that it’s placing extra sideways strain on the forefoot than they like.

Learn Subsequent: The Best Waterproof Hiking Boots

Lightest for Winter: Merrell Thermo Rogue

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Key Options

• Obtainable Sizes: 7-15 (males’s), 5-11 (girls’s)
• Weight: 14.84 ounces per boot (males’s), 14.84 ounces per boot (girls’s)
• Outsole: Vibram Arctic Grip All Terrain
• Obtainable in common width solely

Execs

• Light-weight
• Good traction

Cons

• Will get chilly pretty shortly when subjected to chilly water
• Versatile higher gives much less safety when postholing than different winter climbing boots

The whole lot about climbing in winter is heavier. Your pack is heavier, your garments are heavier. And your sneakers: They’re rather a lot heavier—doubtless twice the burden of your warm-weather kicks. And whereas it’s straightforward to neglect that your sneakers are heavier once you first begin climbing, the fact is that the biomechanics of your physique imply that (as we point out above) further weight in your toes is value as a lot as 5 occasions that in your again. So there’s an excellent cause to spend money on a high quality light-weight winter climbing boot.

Not solely was the Merrell Thermo Rogue the lightest choice I checked out for my check of the perfect winter climbing boots—at about two kilos for a pair, it additionally carried out impressively throughout most of my testing protocol. Just like the Danner Arctic 600 and the Oboz Bangtail, it sports activities a variation of the Vibram Arctic Grip and was fairly grippy when strolling on ice. I needed to step extra fastidiously than with the opposite two boots, however I’d be assured strolling on most degree icy surfaces with the Merrell Thermo Rogue. It additionally dealt with the waterproofing check admirably, staying dry for 14 hours when left in standing water.

After I first laced up the Merrell Thermo Rogues I observed they warmed up quick in comparison with the Oboz Bangtail on the transient, fast-paced hike I took them on earlier than the insulation check. However after I stepped into the icy chilly water of the Snoqualmie River, the state of affairs modified quickly. In actual fact, my toes obtained so chilly so shortly that I believed water was seeping in by means of the highest of the shoe (which was not included as a part of standing water check) and I ended the check sooner than deliberate.

After I went to test my sock, nevertheless, I discovered that my foot was utterly dry: The Merrell Thermo Rogues had simply misplaced its insulating powers after solely a few minutes of standing in chilly water. To substantiate this, I retested the sneakers, this time being certain to lace them up tightly to forestall as a lot water from seeping in across the laces as potential. This made a slight distinction in how shortly my foot obtained chilly, however it was nonetheless nowhere close to the efficiency of both the Oboz Bangtail or the Danner Arctic 600.

Learn Subsequent: The Best Winter Hiking Boots

Greatest for Girls’s Searching: Danner Wayfinder

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Key Options

• Obtainable Sizes: 5-11 (girls’s)
• Weight: 17.5 ounces per boot (girls’s)
• Outsole: Danner Wayfinder outsole
• Obtainable in common width solely

Execs

• Versatile for species and terrain
• Light-weight in comparison with related fashion boots
• Waterproof liner 

Cons

• Require conditioning for greatest efficiency

After years of sporting males’s looking boots in my dimension (together with Danner Pronghorns), I lastly slipped on a pair of Wayfinders and realized why shopping for boots made particularly for ladies is a good suggestion. The Wayfinders are a lot lighter than comparable kinds in males’s boots, and the match simply feels proper (Danner describes it as “athletic”). Lacing up the Wayfinders is nearer to slipping on a pair of climbing boots or path trainers, however with all the flexibility of an 8-inch leather-based looking boot.

I recognize the pure, looking colour tones on this boot (not one of the pink or purple that historically plagues girls’s camo). These boots are stiffer and extra structured than the Danner Pronghorn, so that they’ll take a bit of breaking in, however when you do they’ll serve you nicely. I’ve worn the Wayfinder for every little thing from summer time deer scouting and tree stand work to Hawaiian axis deer and high-alpine elk hunts. It wouldn’t be my go-to selection for hauling meat out of the backcountry, however it might probably do nearly every little thing else. Technically these boots are suede as an alternative of leather-based (with some nylon), however they put on in nicely and are a lot lighter than full-grain leather-based. Simply make sure to waterproof and situation the suede as wanted. —Natalie Krebs

Greatest Minimalist: Xero Scrambler Mid Hiking Boots

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Key Options

• Sizes: 6.5-15 (males’s), 5-12 (girls’s)
• Weight: 11.3 ounces per boot (males’s), 9.4 ounces per boot (girls’s)
• Outsole: Michelin Fiberlite
• Obtainable in common solely

Execs

• Light-weight
• Straddles the distinction between barefoot-style sneakers and different minimalist sneakers just like the Altra Lone Peak
• Large match will accommodate a greater variety of foot shapes. 

Cons

• Stiff again heel can have an effect on gait for barefoot hikers accustomed to a extra versatile shoe

In the event you’re interested in climbing in a extra minimalist shoe, the Xero Scrambler Mid HIking Boot is a superb place to start out. Whereas different barefoot sneakers allow you to really feel each sharp rock underfoot, this one gives moderately substantial safety, together with 4mm of froth. I examined this boot as a part of Outside Life’s inaugural ultralight backpacking check and was impressed with simply how little I thought of it on every little thing from muddy trails to highway walks. And in contrast to conventional climbing boots, it’s nonetheless exceptionally versatile, bending with the foot as you roll by means of your stride. I additionally favored that this boot has a wider match than others on this listing, just like the Vasque Breeze. 

It’s naturally huge sufficient to accommodate a traditional wide-shaped foot, particularly in case you take away the insole. However the low stack top (15mm) implies that even when you have a bit of extra room alongside the facet of your foot than you’re used to, the chance of rolling your ankle is decrease than it’s with climbing boots with larger stack heights. One observe for people accustomed to sporting barefoot fashion sneakers is that the again of the heel on this boot is stiffer than that of my greatest barefoot choose. In the event you are inclined to land on the balls of your toes on steep downhills, the Xero Scrambler Mid Mountaineering Boot might really feel uncomfortable in that extra elongated foot place. 

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Key Options

• Sizes: 7-15 (males’s), 5.5-11.5 (girls’s)
• Weight: 20 ounces per boot (males’s), 14.1 ounces per boot (girls’s)
• Outsole: Agency Floor Outsole
• Obtainable in common width solely

Execs

• Zero heel drop
• 5.5mm stack top
• Versatile and quiet

Cons

• Chilly of the bottom can creep by means of
• Not waterproof

One of many largest issues with many barefoot-style boots is that they maintain the stiff higher of standard boots. This will drive your gait right into a heel strike, the precise reverse of what barefoot sneakers ought to do. The massive exception to that is the Vivobarefoot Tracker collection. These uppers don’t constrict ankle motion in any respect, and, in my expertise, require no break-in time. The most suitable choice for hunters within the Vivobarefoot Tracker lineup is the Forest ESC. 

Like all the greatest minimalist sneakers, these have zero heel drop and barely-there soles. Not like others, nevertheless, they’ve some severe lugs. These present nice traction when new however bear in mind that they may put on off quicker than the lugs on extra standard looking boots. In testing, I’ve discovered that these boots are completely not waterproof (don’t put on these right into a stream) however in follow they’re fairly waterproof and can maintain your toes dry once you’re trudging by means of soaked underbrush. They’re additionally very efficient at holding particles out. 

Issues to Take into account Earlier than Shopping for the Greatest Light-weight Mountaineering Boots

Weight

In the event you’re buying probably the greatest light-weight climbing boots for the primary time, then you definitely’re in for a deal with. Gram for gram, there isn’t any higher worth in reducing weight out of your equipment than in your sneakers. As anybody who has spent an extended day within the backcountry is aware of, fatigue typically begins in our toes, and it’s aching canine which might be most frequently accountable for ending a day within the woods earlier than deliberate. The biomechanics of the foot are such that weight on the toes has a higher impression than anyplace else in our physique. Selecting a light-weight climbing boot will assist you might have an extended and extra pleasing outing within the backcountry.  

Match

Many individuals assume that the stiff higher of a climbing boot will shield their ankle from rolling. However the actuality is that until you’re sporting one thing constituted of a inflexible plastic, akin to you’d discover on a ski or mountaineering boot, your ankle can nonetheless roll. What might help stop ankle rolling, nevertheless, is the match of your boot, notably on the heel. In case your foot slides round simply within your shoe, then the percentages of rolling your ankle go up. You need the heel of your foot to be locked in place within the boot, which can even assist maintain blisters down. In the event you really feel your heel shifting round excessively within the boot, you might need to strive another choices. It could even be useful to experiment with the best insoles for hiking earlier than making a closing buy. 

Different components that may have an effect on ankle rolling embody stack top (the space between the underside of your foot and the bottom) and a shoe’s toe field. Sneakers with larger stack heights could also be extra more likely to roll than these with decrease stack heights. Equally sneakers with a slim footbox might stop your toes from splaying. Splayed toes improve the floor space of your foot, permitting your large toe, pinky toe, and heel to behave extra like a tripod, which might help stop ankle rolling.

Waterproof Lining

As a number of of our picks on this listing present, you’ll be able to have each an important light-weight boot and an important waterproof boot. Nonetheless, understand that waterproof boots gained’t breathe in addition to different choices, which might lure warmth (and infrequently sweat) within your boot. People in arid climates could also be happier with non-waterproof boots.

Higher

Many individuals consider {that a} excessive higher is a requirement to forestall ankle rolling. Nonetheless, the sensation of safety supplied by a tall higher is simply that: a sense. You’ll be able to roll your ankle in even the very best, stiffest uppers. (The exception to that is really inflexible boots, akin to a ski boot.) What uppers can do, nevertheless, is maintain filth and different particles out from the within of your climbing boot. They will additionally shield your ankles from getting banged up, both from rocks or from inadvertently kicking them. 

If you’re in search of further safety to your ankles, contemplate both an ankle brace or investing in a pair of the best trekking poles. 

FAQs

Learn Subsequent: The Best Hiking Boot Brands 

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Ultimate Ideas

One of the best light-weight boots can improve your stamina and pleasure of the outside. Take note, nevertheless, that each one folks’s toes are completely different: completely different shapes, completely different ranges of power and suppleness, and completely different points with damage. Earlier than making a closing buy, establish a number of high contenders and take the time to strive them on and stroll round as a lot as potential. One of the vital necessary indicators of the suitable shoe (and the shoe that may trigger the least issues and accidents) is consolation.