Top walking boots online shopping in India: Well, oh well, hiking boots sure are getting more fun of late. Popular running shoe brand Hoka, which is known for its lightweight and cushioned designs, has made a serious push in the hiking footwear market. Our favorite from their lineup is the Anacapa Mid, which features Hoka’s well-known springy midsole, a rockered shape for a smooth ride on the trail, and a beefed-up construction that includes durable nubuck leather and a Gore-Tex waterproof liner. In testing the Anacapa on a backpacking trip in Colorado’s San Juan Mountains, we were pleased with its fast-moving personality that nicely mixes a trail runner-like feel with plenty of protection and a very secure over-the-ankle lacing system. Our main concern with the Anacapa is durability and, more specifically, the longevity of its outsole. The majority of the tread is quality Vibram rubber, but Hoka incorporated large sections of blown rubber in the middle of the design. Blown rubber is common on road running footwear and is almost foam-like in feel. As a result, our pair has already received pretty significant damage from rocky trail use. To be fair, we took the boots on a rather ambitious ridgeline scramble, but the outsole still strikes us as a weakness in the build. All told, if you stick mostly to established trails and prioritize cushy comfort and a nimble feel, the Anacapa is well worth a try. Find additional info at approach shoes.
The Merrell Moab 3 Mid WP – Women’s offers excellent value across the board. Designed as a day hiker and moderate backpacking boot, it can go with you on most adventures. It features a comfortable and easy-to-break-in design and generous padding in the ankle shaft. It has excellent durability with several mesh panels spaced between the leather infrastructure. The new and improved Vibram sole offers sufficient traction on all types of trail surfaces, making it a great high-value option for most adventures. While we love the value and comfort of this boot, we don’t love the lacing system, which lacks durability. In addition, the boot is heavier than many of its rivals. Still, it functions well for most adventures, including backpacking, with a lower impact on your wallet than most other hiking boots on the market.
The Vibram® Megagrip outsole is wider than the upper, creating a sturdy base that allowed one tester to easily sidehill during a three-day hunting trip in Utah’s Uinta Mountains. Plus, all that extra width tacks on extra traction. Trade-off: HOKA keeps the weight down by placing the Vibram® rubber in strategic areas of the sole, but the exposed midsole sections take a beating during off-trail journeys. The leather and recycled synthetic upper breathes as well as you could expect for a waterproof boot, and the added ankle height was a boon during bog crossings. But our team struggled to understand the pronounced dip on the back of the ankle cuff: “It makes it easier to slide the boot on and off, but errant foxtails kept sticking to my socks,” gripes one tester.
However, as a more serious backcountry boot, the Lone Peak Hiker 2 has a number of compromises. For us, the design showed its weaknesses while backpacking in Patagonia—on off-camber terrain, the roomy fit was sloppy and hard to trust, and the toe protection fell far short. What’s more, the zero-drop design means the Altra feels more like a mountain slipper than a technical mountain boot, and the ankle protection and support don’t measure up to the taller boots here. But if you’re prone to blisters or unhappy feet, you’d be hard pressed to find a more comfortable boot, and the freshly updated Hiker 2 is impressively durable with a plush suede upper. Compared to Altra’s taller and waterproof Lone Peak ALL-WTHR Mid 2, we appreciate the Hiker 2’s more hardwearing yet lightweight design, and think of it as the better overall option for fair-weather hiking on easy trails.
Not only does the bouncy midsole feel supremely comfortable, but it also offers enough support for hefty weekend loads. Our testers carried up to 50 pounds of pack weight without stressing about their feet. A snug heel cup and spacious toe box make most hikers happy, especially on longer backpacking trips when feet can change size due to swelling. Traction isn’t shabby, either. Lowa uses a Vibram® outsole that combines softer (read: stickier) rubber with a multidirectional lug pattern, which makes the Renegade at home on rocky and dusty trails. A waterproof membrane seals out water, but—paired with a burly leather upper—comes with a trade-off: breathability. Leather doesn’t vent as well as synthetic materials, so keep these kicks to adventures where pruny feet won’t cause too many issues.
In general, heavyweight boots are built for tough, rocky trail and long slogs with heavy backpacking packs. While the thick upper materials and Gore-Tex make for excellent performance in the wet and snow, they will run warm in hot conditions (some prefer a non-waterproof leather boot instead). Their solid structure also takes some of the strain out of long ascents by keeping the heel from dropping at each step, and makes them often friendly with strap-on crampons for light mountaineering. A final tip: Don’t pick up one of these boots and head directly to the trailhead for a long trip. Spend the time to break them in and you’ll have a backpacking footwear partner for years to come. Read extra details at trekkit.in.
What will you be using your hiking boot for? There are a variety of different options out there, but narrowing them down by identifying your intended use is the first step. Are you planning on just day hiking, or will you be backpacking as well? What types of terrain will you be hiking? How does your boot need to perform? Does it need to be breathable or waterproof? These are the types of questions to ask before your search begins, which will help to steer you in the right direction. When you’re heading out for a day hike, the type of footwear you choose depends on the intensity of the hike, how technical it is, and how much weight you are carrying. In some cases, a lightweight hiking boot with minimal ankle support may be all you need. The lighter materials used in lightweight boots make them more flexible and breathable. They also have enough comfort and support to carry substantial loads or just a day pack. Most offer more stability than a hiking shoe or trail runner, but they aren’t as heavy as a midweight hiking boot. If you prefer more stability, even for day hikes, you might want to consider a midweight boot.