Top Hiking Boots of 2020
- VeteranShack
- Mar 14, 2020
- 6 min read
You don't need much gear to start hiking. But there is one thing you absolutely need: a good pair of shoes. If you're planning on going light and fast and carrying little, a pair of lightweight trail runners will keep you nimble. If you crave stability or plan on toting a bigger load, go for a pair of mid-cuts. Whichever way you decide to go, there's a great pair of shoes or boots for you below.
Hiking Boots
From lightweight hikers to burlier boots, these will protect and support you on the trail.
Our take Alaska has some of the planet’s gnarliest terrain, so when our testers there laud a shoe for its toughness and support, we take notice. The Baldo’s PU midsole adds heft but is more durable than EVA, allowing one tester to carry a 50-pound load across loose scree and boulders on Hatcher Pass. The Baldo’s split leather-and-fabric upper has a high abrasion resistance, and crashed through bramble, ice, and jagged talus. “The upper and the tread barely look used,” said a tester after multiple 20-mile backpacking trips through Alaska’s Chugach State Park. Caveat: These are the heaviest boots in the test.
The details The Gore-Tex membrane did its job and kept out every drop of moisture during multiple stream crossings in Chugach National Forest. But breathability suffers: “I had to wring out my socks at the end of the day,” said our Alaska tester after a hike on a 65°F day.
Trail cred “Boots in this class usually take time to break in, but the Baldo’s inaugural voyage was a 10-mile day in the Chugach and I didn’t have so much as a hot spot,” says one tester, whose narrow feet often cause fit problems.
Best Stability
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Our take When the going got rough, we reached for the ZG Trek. Its over-the-ankle cuff is the highest in test, which we appreciated while wearing heavy packs and fighting rocks and roots on Connecticut’s 24-mile Mohawk Trail. A grid of denser material on the sides of the boot’s suede upper creates an exoskeleton that adds stability under big loads; this design provides additional support without adding a lot of weight. “These boots held my ankles in place and prevented toe bashing on a steep descent down Mt. Liberty,” said one New Hampshire tester.
The details A stiff, nylon insole adds bonus protection underfoot (though it might take some getting used to), while a TPU toecap wards off rocks. The PU midsole is built for long miles and years of use under a heavy pack.
Trail cred “I tromped up a steep stream in the White Mountains, and these boots held me upright even over uneven rocks covered with flowing water,” our New Hampshire tester says.
Best all-around
Our take Not sure what you’ll face on your next trip? We bet the Montera can handle it. It’s supportive under multi-day loads and protective enough for off-trail hiking, but still agile enough for moving fast. Plus, the snug, midcut cuff prevents rolled ankles on uneven terrain. “I trekked through rocks and mud on the 9-mile round-trip hike to Chasm Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park, and it never faltered,” one tester says. The midsole has soft PU in the forefoot for flex, and a TPU lasting board provides support and durability.
The details The Montera’s outsole, made with Michelin rubber, is similar to a mountain bike tire: smaller lugs under the toe for fine traction and larger lugs on the sides for stability. The suede-and-fabric upper and Gore-Tex membrane kept our feet protected, if a little hot.
Trail cred “The Montera held fast on firm snow and occasional patches of ice on a late-season hike to Lake Isabelle in the Indian Peaks Wilderness,” our Colorado tester says.
Women’s pick
Our take Fact: Women have bonier ankles and narrower feet than men. And another: There are still plenty of women’s boots that are built on a men’s last, which causes sizing and support problems for ladies. This is why we love the Amelia, which has a narrower heel cup and toebox. Designers also included an arch stabilizer that supports women’s higher arches. None of our female testers who tried the Amelia had any fit complaints, including one who undertook a steep, 1,200-foot climb to California’s Heart Lake on her first outing.
The details With a mid-high ankle cuff, rubber toe rand, and dual-density PU midsole, the Amelia is at home on rough trails under loads up to 40 pounds. The Nubuck upper and Gore-Tex liner kept our feet protected and warm—sometimes too warm. Tradeoff: This Italian-made boot is the most expensive in the test.
Trail cred “This is the Land Rover of boots,” said our tester after multiple hikes in California’s Eastern Sierra. “They’re functional and durable enough for the long haul, even if the price might make you blink .”
Most versatile
Our take The latest iteration of Merrell’s do-everything shoe stays true to the Chameleon’s DNA: It’s adaptable. Nubuck-and-suede construction and a full-length rock plate make this boot at home under overnight loads and on uneven terrain, but the short ankle cuff and thicker-than-average EVA midsole give it the feel of a trail runner. It’s too clunky to pull regular running duty, but one tester says that the Chameleon performed fine on a 7-mile trail run off Hoosier Pass in Colorado after a packing error. (“I’m happy to report that there was no tripping—or toe bang,” she adds.)
The details Merrell’s proprietary air cushioning in the heel prevented soreness after a couple of long days in the notoriously rocky White Mountains, while the waterproof membrane did its job when the heavens opened. (Our tester did overtop the ankle cuff when plunging through the watery channel of the Crawford Path.)
Trail cred “The Chameleons provided enough traction for traversing scree on Mt. Washington while I was carrying 25 pounds of sundae supplies and gear,” one tester said after an impromptu ice cream party at the Lakes of the Clouds hut.
Best traction
Our take Wet grass and slick, muddy slopes were no match for Helly Hansen’s cleat-like rubber outsole. Five-millimeter lugs grab at the heel, throughout the gait, and on the toe-off; they’re also set at different angles rather than a flat plane, ensuring grip on almost any terrain. “I tackled an 800-vertical-foot incline in less than a mile on a drizzly day with rivulets running downhill and these kicks never slipped,” said one tester after a quick jaunt up to the Lake of the Clouds lookout on Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
The details Tri-density EVA—less common than the usual dual-density EVA construction—creates a threefold effect: cushioning in the heel for impact, harder grade in the midfoot for support, and rebound EVA in the forefoot for a responsive stride. A TPU shank sits underneath the arch to provide support for dayhiking loads and to prolong the life of the midsole, but it feels flexy under a multiday pack, making one tester wish for a stiffer platform.
Trail cred “These feel more like tennis shoes than hiking boots, comfort-wise,” said our tester after an 11-mile day in Michigan’s Porcupine Mountains. “They helped stave off foot fatigue.”
Most agile
Our take Alpine scrambling calls for a light boot and good traction, and the Breeze LT offers both. Vibram LiteBase technology reduces the thickness of the boot’s Vibram Megagrip outsole, cutting ounces and resulting in improved ground feel, despite a still-cushy, 24mm- to 18mm-thick midsole. It kept our tester nimble during a day of volunteering for a search-and-rescue mission on Washington’s Vesper Peak. “I scampered over hard slabs, up talus, and across off-trail routes and always felt confident in my footing,” she says.
The details The Breeze’s synthetic upper breathed well on a 12-hour day with 75°F temps in the North Cascades and shed debris easily, but a sharp rock scraped away part of the boot’s protective PU overlay (the damage hasn’t spread, though). Note: The Breeze’s low-volume toe box is good for precise foot placements, but check fit. A non-waterproof, low-cut version will be available in the fall.
Trail cred “Thanks to the midcut ankle and plush midsole , the Breeze gave me the same support under a 40-pound pack as burlier boots but at a fraction of the weight,” one tester says.
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